Holmegaard bow

The Holmegaard bows are a series of self bows found in the bogs of Northern Europe dating from the Mesolithic period. They are named after the Holmegaard area of Denmark in which the first and oldest specimens were found, and are the oldest bows discovered anywhere in the world.

Description

The shape of the Holmegaard bows is their distinctive feature, having wide, parallel limbs and a biconvex midsection with the tips ending in a point. The handle is deep, narrow and remains stiff while the bow is drawn. The bows are generally between 150 and 170 cm in length and less than 6 cm wide. The oldest specimens are made of elm and some of the more recent examples are made of yew. The tiller of a Holmegaard style bow is more circular than that of a Longbow since only the inner limbs are bending.

Use

Initially, the Holmegaard bows were believed to have been made "backwards", that is with wood removed from the back and the belly made convex. This may be the result of a comparison with the English Longbow that has a flat back and a convex belly. Many successful replicas were made in this fashion even though working the back of the bow cuts the wood fibres and endangers the bow.