Norman Conquest Encyclopedia
Crossbow
Although not shown on the Bayeux Tapestry, there is documentary evidence in the work of William of Poitiers, a French chronicler, that the Normans used crossbows at the Battle of Hastings. The crossbow is a short bow mounted on a stock or tiller and was at this drawn (spanned) by hand, bracing the feet against the bow. It fired short arrows or bolts with iron heads and parchment flights. Although powerful, it was slow to use.
See also: Archers; Bayeux Tapestry; chronicler; Hastings; Normans; Senlac Hill; William of Poitiers
Related Reading:
- Hastings 1066 (Revised Edition)- The Fall of Saxon England
(Campaign 13 )
Norman crossbowmen using primitive crossbows with wooden bow arms. (© Osprey Publishing Limited, from Campaign 13 Hastings 1066, by Christopher Gravett, artwork by Rick Scollins)