Arab Archery anno domini 1500 - Tuba Archery
Arab Archery anno domini 1500 - Tuba Archery
Arab Archery anno domini 1500 - Tuba Archery
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PREFACETHE translation and editing of this manuscript has been a joint enterprise undertakenby two men,one of whom started with great interest in <strong>Arab</strong>ic studies and virtuallyno knowledge of archery, the other familiar with archery but without special trainingor experience in the Oriental field. We feel that each of us has helped expand theknowledge and interests of the other, and it is our hope that this book will be readby both kinds of readers, and with similar results.In the Garrett Collection of <strong>Arab</strong>ic Manuscripts in Princeton UniversityLibrary is what appears to be a unique manuscript on archery. As works on sportsin this collection are not numerous, this one attracted special attention. Faris thoughtof publishing the work but was dissuaded by his unfamiliarity with archery eitherin theory or practice. In 1940, however, he wrote an article on the Garrett Collectionfor the Princeton University Library Chronicle, and in the course of it referredcasually to this manuscript. This article fell into the hands of Elmer, whose interestin archery is well known. He was so eager to have the work made available inEnglish that he offered to supply the technical advice if Faris would do the translation.We set about the task together, following a theoretical division of labor butactually carrying forward what in all truth proved to be a joint enterprise-for instanceElmer’s technical knowledge frequently furnished the key to difficult linguisticproblems, while Faris’s reading of <strong>Arab</strong>ic often gave the answer to technicalquestions that have intrigued and mystified students of archery for many years.The manuscript itself comprises 353 pages, 19 x 13.5 cm., with a writtensurface of 13 x 8 cm. The paper is glazed European of the fifteenth century.Unfortunately the identity of the author remains unknown, although we know fromreferences in the body of the manuscript that he was a North African from Morocco.Almost the only source of detailed knowledge of early English archery isToxophilus, or the Schole of Shootynge, which was written by Roger Ascham in1542 and 1543 and was published in 1544. <strong>Arab</strong> <strong>Archery</strong> is nearly contemporarywith that famous book-probably preceding it by a few years-and may be consideredto be on an equal plane of merit. This ancient <strong>Arab</strong>ic manuscript is the only treatiseon the archery of the medieval Orient that has been translated into English. It isthorough and authoritative, evidently the work of an expert bowman. A vast amountof information concerning the long-range artillery, by which one eastern empireafter another had been won, is here brought forth into full light after having lainhidden for centuries.It could be used as a textbook on archery today.NABIH AMIN FARISANDROBERT POTTER ELMER
- Page 2 and 3: CONTENTSPREFACEvKEY TO THE PRONUNCI
- Page 4 and 5: CHOOSE THE CORRECT AND APPROPRIATE
- Page 6 and 7: A Book on the Excellence ofthe Bow
- Page 8 and 9: II. On Holy War and the service of
- Page 10 and 11: IV. On the different kinds of bows
- Page 12 and 13: om the sharp point of the siyah to
- Page 14 and 15: VII. On the principles of loosing a
- Page 16 and 17: What the archer should avoid are th
- Page 18 and 19: IX. How to determine the cast of th
- Page 20 and 21: X. On testing the bow before bracin
- Page 22 and 23: The second method of bracing, which
- Page 24 and 25: The eleventh method of bracing is p
- Page 26 and 27: XIII. On unstringingNUMEROUS method
- Page 28 and 29: the same left hand with which the b
- Page 30 and 31: insures greater accuracy and streng
- Page 32 and 33: XVII. On the clenchTHE clench is co
- Page 34 and 35: more accurate or deadly because it
- Page 36 and 37: with a sudden jerk or pull and the
- Page 38 and 39: XX. On the loose or releaseACCORDIN
- Page 40 and 41: XXI. On the passage of the arrow ov
- Page 42 and 43: XXIII. On the blow of the string on
- Page 44 and 45: XXV. On the blow of the string on t
- Page 46 and 47: XXVII. When the nock of the arrow b
- Page 48 and 49: of two things first, the feathers a
- Page 50 and 51: XXX. On how near or how far the tar
- Page 52 and 53:
XXXI. On standing and sitting for a
- Page 54 and 55:
XXXII. On the variations in the len
- Page 56 and 57:
center of the bow will fall at the
- Page 58 and 59:
XXXIII. On strings; how to make the
- Page 60 and 61:
XXXIV. On the length and shortness
- Page 62 and 63:
XXXVI. On the weight of the string
- Page 64 and 65:
The best time for cutting the wood
- Page 66 and 67:
where the archer does not mind havi
- Page 68 and 69:
Most Persians prolong the feathers
- Page 70 and 71:
arrowhead seven eighths of a dirham
- Page 72 and 73:
there be excessive dew or rain, in
- Page 74 and 75:
XLII. On thumb-tips and the various
- Page 76 and 77:
attach to the end of the string a s
- Page 78 and 79:
XLIV. On stunt shootingSTUNT shooti
- Page 80 and 81:
wings of which are usually outstret
- Page 82 and 83:
obstacles inflicting injury on man
- Page 84 and 85:
XLV. Targets and target practiceTHE
- Page 86 and 87:
An archer wishing to learn this stu
- Page 88 and 89:
XLVI. Quivers, belt, arrow picker,
- Page 90 and 91:
XLVII. Inscriptions on bows, arrows
- Page 92 and 93:
The longest composite bow that we k
- Page 94 and 95:
est they look like an inverted lett
- Page 96 and 97:
confess that in some instances ther
- Page 98 and 99:
pieces should not be at all unusual
- Page 100 and 101:
Some archers 200 5, 6, 8 150 225, 2
- Page 102 and 103:
one inch wide, slightly convex in i
- Page 104 and 105:
angle.”We made an arrow very care
- Page 106 and 107:
it because the far end was held aga
- Page 108 and 109:
never seen, but a separation of the
- Page 110 and 111:
a long one of the same material, ea
- Page 112 and 113:
force of the arrow.”61 Many moder
- Page 114:
fully two inches square to allow fr
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Magazine: Arab Archery anno domini 1500 - Tuba Archery