Introduction

GN 498 B78 M88 I CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY All books are subject to recall after two weeks. Olin/Kroch Library ^jUifi&E. DUE Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 924029871 823 The attention of the readfer is earnestly called to' the conclud- ing paragraphs on pages 55^56, with the hope that observations on the points therein ipentioned may be made and forwarded to the author, for which, full credit will be given in a future publication on the subject/ Salem, Mass.^U. S. A. Brit ANCIENT AND MODEI# METHODS ARROW-RELEASE EDWlpD S. MORSE. Director SeaSodu Academy of Science. [From the Bulletin oi?he Essex Institute, Vol. XVII. Oct--Deo. 1885.] i>' riC '\ fJC % 8^ /� ,<\ , . .5., ,, '. '' ,/ �' '''//liiiunil^ ANCIENT AND MODERlfMETHODS OF p w ARROW-RELEASE. BY EDWARD S. MORSE. When I began collecting data illustrating the various methods of releasing the/arrow from the bow as prac- ticed by different races, I was animated only by the idlest curiosity. It soon became evident, however, that some importance might^Jfesfch to preserving the methods of handling a -Wamm which is rapidly being displaced in all parts ofiBffworld by the musket and rifle. While tribes stjJHKirvive who rely entirely on this most ancient of weajapns, using, even to the present day, stone-tipped arroj|^ there are other tribes using the rifle where the bow ^11 survives. There are, however, entire tribes and natiolfcvho have but recently, or within late historic timesrabandoned H the bow and arrow, its survival being seenlpnly as a plaything for children. It as not till I had accumulated quite a collection of sketches and other memoranda illustrating the methods of arraw-release, not only of existing but of ancient races, as, shown by frescos and rock sculpture, that I realized t! t even so trivial an art as that of releasing the arrow (3) � / s 4 ANJPIENT AND MODERN METHODS v might possibly$bad to interesting results in tracing the affinities of pasPflftSes. I am led to publish the data thus far collected, incom- plete as they are, with the intention of using the paper in the form of a ifljbular to send abroad, with the hope of securing furtheSanaterial for a more extended memoir on the subject. A My interest in thalmatter was first aroused by having a Japanese friend shoijrwith me. Being familiar with the usual rules of shootiag as practiced for centuries by the English archers, and nit being aware of more than one way of properly handling &� simple and primitive a weapon as the bow and arrowfrfetwas somewhat surprising to find that the Japanese practice was in every respect to- tally unlike ours. To illustrile*: in the English practice, the bow must be grasped wim the firmness of a smith's vice; in the Japanese practiceton the contrary, it is held as lightly as possible ; in both%ases, however, it is held vertically, but in the English memod the arrow rests on the left of the bow, while in thefjapanese method it is placed on the right. In the Englisnfjractice a guard ot leather must be worn on the inner and lowtaportion of the arm to receive the impact of the string ; in^e Japanese practice no arm-guard is required, as by a curious fling or twirl of the bow hand, coincident with the release of the arrow, the bow (which is nearly circular in section) re- volves in the hand, so that the string brings upfon the outside of the arm where the impact is so light %iat no protection is needed. In the English method the bow is grasped in the middle, and consequently the arrow is discharged from a point equidistant from its two iends, while the Japanese archer grasps the bow near its lower third and discharges the arrow from this point. This al- together unique method, so far as I am aware, probably arose from the custom of the archers in feudal times A. \ OF AEROW-EELEASE. shooting in a kneeling posture from behimthick wooden shields which rested on the ground, imnle all these features above mentioned are quite unlfte in the two peoples, these dissimilarities extend to thewnethod of drawing the arrow and releasing it. In the fmglish method the string is drawn with the tips of the first three fingers, the arrow being lightly held between theterst and second fin- gers, the release being effected by* simply straightening the fingers and at the same time drawing the hand back from the string ; in the Japanese method of release the string is drawn back by the bent-Khumb, the forefinger aiding in holding the thumsfepjffown on the string, the arrow being held in the crotch at the junction of the thumb and finger. f These marked and important points of difference be- tween the two nations in the use of a weapon so simple -- and having the same parts, namely, an elastic stick, a -- simple cord, a slender barbed shaft, and used by the two hands, naturally led me to inquire further into the use of the bow in various parts of the world, and to my amazement I found not gmy a number of totally distinct meth- ods of arrow-release with modifications, or sub-varieties, but that all ttiese methods had been in vogue from early historic times. Even the simple act of bracing or string- ing the 'bow varies quite as profoundly with different / races. TheBimplest form of release is that which children the worldjtover naturally adopt in first using the bow and arrow, and that is grasping the arrow between the end of the swaightenedthumb and the first and second joints of the bentlbrefinger. I say naturally, because I have noticed thatj^merican as well as Indian and Japanese children in- variably grasp the arrow in this way in the act of shooting. With a light or weak bow, such a release is the simplest V / / 6 frdENT AND MODERN METHODS and best ; and 'jk.this release it makes but little difference upon which sideoT%he bow the arrow rests, provided the �bow is held verticaw. This release, however, prevents the drawing of a sgff bow unless one possesses enormous Figs. 1 and 2. Primary, release. strength in the fingers. Figs. 1 and. 2 illustrate this re- lease. Arrows used in this release are usually knobbed at the nock, or proximal end of the arrow, for conven- -V ^% Fig. 3. Knobbed arrow from Oregon. ieuce of holding ; and an arrow of this form indicates a release of this or of a similar nature (Fig. 3). The Ainos of Yezo practice this simple release. Their bow is short and highly strung when in use, and an arm- 4 V OF ARROW-RELEASE. M guard is not required, as the recoil the string, from the high tension of the bow, is arrestaa before striking the arm. Some of the old English ardors also avoided the use of the arm-guard by using highlyRtriing bows. It is recorded that the Demerafoa Indians of South America practice this form of release ; and from a photo- graph of a Ute Indian in .my possession I should infer that that tribe also practiced this release. Col. James Stevenson informs me that when,, the Navajos shoot at prairie dogs they use this release, so that the arrow will not penetrate the ground if it misses its mark ; and Mr. Daniel S. Hastings informs me^hat the Chippewa Indians sometimes practice this released I am indebted to Dr. S. f/t Mixter for a photograph which he made for me, ofMi old Micmac Indian in the act of releasing the arrow iwnhe primary way. The man is one of the oldest Micmjacs in the Cascapedia settlement on the north shore of the Bay of Chaleur and he informed Dr. Mixter that he often used the bow when a boy, and prac- ticed the release as represented. He also said that the other tribes in that part of Canada in the use of the bow A drew the arrow Jh the same way. member of the Pe- nobscot tribe at Moosehead Lake gave me the primary release as that practiced by the tribe, and seemed incred- ulous when I told him that there were other methods of drawing the arrow. This ^primitive method of releasing the arrow I shall designate as the Primary release. The next form of release to be considered is one which is a direct outgrowth from the primary release. This re- lease cfonsists in grasping the arrow with the straightened thumb and bent forefinger, while the ends of the second and/third fingers are brought to bear on the string to as- j 'i 8 ANCIENT AND MODERN METHODS sist in drawing. Iwgs. 4 and 5 illustrate the attitude of the hand in this release. ^ Mr. Paul Mamegowena, an Ottawa Indian, informs me that his tribe practice this release, and he illustrated the mffliod to me. Through the courtesy of Mr. Frank Hamilpn Cushing I was enabled to make inquiries of a number of Zuni chiefs in regard to their Figs, i and 5. Secondary release. method, and the release I practiced by them differed in no respect from that of the Ottawas. \ Mr. Daniel S. Hastings, formerly civil engineieerr lcon the Northern Pacific Railroad writes to me as follows regardino- the Chippewa Indians of northern Wisconsin: "I/have watched the Indians so as to find out their manner of draw- ing back the bow-string and releasing the arrow, and I find they all agree in one respect : they all grasp the arrow < V, OF ARROW-RELEASE. .-; 9 between the thumb and forefinger. Some of them use the thumb and forefinger alone, while others use the second, and still others add the second and 'third fingers to assist in pulling the string back, and $et the string slip off the ends of the second and third fingers at the same instant the arrow is released from between the thumb and forefinger." This release, though clearly distinct from the primary release, is an advance upon it in the added assistance of one or two fingers in pRling back the string and the description given by Mr, Hastings is confirmatory of the natural relations existing between the two releases. For this reason it will be designated as the Secondary re- lease. Mr. La Flesche, an intelligent Omaha, showed me a release practiced by his people which differs sufficiently from the secondary relespe to warrant its recognition as a separate form. In thisjrelease the forefinger, instead of being bent, is nearly sjffaight with its tip, as well as the tips of the second and third fingers, pressing or pulling on the string, the thumb, as in the primary and secondary release, active in assisting in pinching the arrow and pulling it back^ This release I shall call the Tertiary release. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) Lieut. A. W. Vogdes, U. S. A., has informed me that the Sioux," Arapahoes, and Cheyenne practice the tertiary release ; and Col. James Stephenson has noticed this release practiced not only by the two latter tribes but by the' Assiniboins, Comanches, Crows, Blackfeet, and Navajos. Mr. La Flesche and Lieut. Vogdes informed me that the tribes using this release held the bow nearly hori- zontally. Iniholding the bow horizontally the release-hand is held with the palm uppermost, the arrow, of course, resting on the bow. In the Zufii and Ottawa practice, the bow . 2 > AJ J 10 ANCIENT AND MODERN METHODS being held vertically or nearly so, the arrow is placed at the left of the bow. It is possible that originally the bow was held horizontally, but necessities arising, as in shooting in a forest, or shooting side by side with others closely appressed, the bow was required to be held vertically. In thus turning the bow-hand in the only way it could be turned conveniently, the arrow would be brought to the left of the bow vertical^ As will be shown further on, the position of the arrow Figs. 6 and 7. Tertiary release. either to the right or to the left of the bow vertical is determined in most cases by the method of release. *- In makes placed the but and ; primary and secondary releases, however it little some difference on which tribes, using the bow side the vertical, arrow is place the Saadtr, jeruvosewtnistnoognttih�hneerfroairrgmhrsto,wmaewnhdt.ehntaht,issNh,,oaiosvtapijrnobogbIarnb"adjloJiiyiaduanlisyvq.upriaciPck^t,eoiiric.'eJwttaahymreeosef methods of release, namely, the primary release already OF ARROW-RELEASE. 11 alluded to, the tertiary release, and a variety of the Mediteranean release, which will be described further on. During the recent visit of the Siamese embassy to this country, I obtained from its members through the courtesy of Mr. Wilberforce Wyke,1merpreter, some inter- esting facts concerning the use of the bow in Siam. It was curious to find that the Siamese practiced the tertiary release ; with this difference, however, that one finger only is used on the string instead of two. Mr. Nai Tuan illustrated the method to me-, and explained that little use was made of the bow and arrow, its practice being confined to the shooting of small birds and fishes. Major Snayh of the embassy told me that poisoned arrows were also used, in which case the bow was held hori- zontally, and the bow-hand grasped not only the bow, but a grooved board in which the arrow rested. In the last century, it was customary for the Turkish archer to use a grooved piece of hoKrf^vhich was held in the bow-hand directed towards the flaring. In this grooved piece the arrow ran, and by this contrivance the bow could be drawn much further back, even to the extent of bringing the head of the arrow four or five inches within the bow. Ac- cording to Wilkinson, the ancient Egyptians were familiar with this curious adjunct to the bow. E. H. Man, Esq., in his work on the Andaman Islanders,1 p. 141, says that the inhabitants of Great Andaman " place the arrow in position between the thumb and top joint of the forefinger, and draw the string to the mouth with^he middle and third finger." As Mr. Man in this description does not speak of the forefinger as bent and > 1 � On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Andaman Islands. By Edward Horace Man.J&eprinted from the Journal of the Anthropologieal Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 12 ANCIENT AND MODERN METHODS pressed against the arrow, the release practiced by these people must be the tertiary release. We have thus far considered three methods of release, of which the thumb and bent forefinger appressed forms the simplest and probably one of the earliest forms ; and this we have called the primary release. The secondary release differs only in the application of the tips of the second finger, or second and third fingers, to the string, and must be regarded as a development of the primary release, though forming a distinct method. The third release differs hi the position of the forefinger, which, instead of being bent and pressed against the arrow, is nearly straight, its tip, as well as the tips of the second and some- times that of the third finger, engaging the string. This constitutes the tertiary release. We come now to consider a release which by document- ary evidence has been in vogue anjong the northern Mediterranean nations for centuries, 'and among the southern Mediterranean nations for tens oY,, centuries. It is the oldest release of which we have any_ knowledge. It is practiced to-day by all modern English, French, and American archers, and is the release practiced by Euro- pean