Secrets of the Medieval Longbow / Warbow: MEDIEVAL MISCONCEPTIONS

There is far more to the Medieval warbow or English Longbow Archery than many people know, much of which we can learn from historical artistic sources. I've recently obtained two Warbows to find out the truth!
Todsworkshop longbow videos: • Medieval Warbow vs Win...
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[@tods_workshop]

Good stuff Shad and thanks for the getting Joe and I in there - almost as good as meeting you in person. Interesting thoughts as regards how putting the arrow on the right side changes your draw and makes it easier to draw a heavy bow. I have never actually shot from this side, so I will have to go try it out and see if your observations work for me too. - thanks for a new train of thought.

[@shadiversity]

Truly my pleasure mate and awesome to see you here. I'm really excited to keep trying this style and explore both the benefits and detriments. There are some techniques that should help keep the arrow on the shaft that I really want to test, even when using Mediterranean draw, like raising the thumb on the hand holding the bow to lock the arrow in place during the draw, or holding the forefinger that is drawing the arrow against it to push it back, called the slavic draw or something. All very exciting, I just need my darn arrows to arrive!!

[@ArcherWarhound]

@@shadiversity, you should give ryddragyn's channel a look: I've been subscribed to him for a while, he's got a lot great archery content.

[@hugovanpayns9557]

@@shadiversity Hi Shad, just wanted to say I love your content. Keep up the good work. Greetings from the Netherlands! :)

[@hugoakerlund5114]

Have you gotten your channel back?

[@HistoricalWeapons]

I am currently working towards 170lbs@32 and I find this method much more effective

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: Shad is no longer playing badminton due to a misunderstanding of the word Volley.

[@wesleyclifford6606]

(Hmmms in knight)

[@kooksies5712]

@@wesleyclifford6606 (Hmmms in Geralt)

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

Thats hilarious

[@prepareforbattle2051]

Shad. Where did you buy your gambeson from?

[@potus2582]

@@prepareforbattle2051 can probably find them at Kult of Athena

[@Crossbow-xy4xg]

1920s: We will have flying cars in 2020. 2020: Tactical English Warbow Attachments

[@PANCAKEMINEZZ]

Technology evolved in the right direction.

[@vipertwenty249]

We had flying cars not long after 1920 - just that no-one bought them. A search on utube yields some interesting videos!

[@digivagrant]

Hopefully Joerg gets on that

[@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522]

Needs a bayonet

[@Tfin]

@@vipertwenty249 If you need to drive it to an airstrip to take off, it's a roadable plane, not a flying car.

[@anrikurisuto4432]

Shads children: "Mommy, daddy's building a castle again!" Shads wive: facepalms.

[@spacejesus6581]

_AGAIN?_ I’m sorta new here so... _AGAIN?!?_

[@MrRourk]

She probably nagging him to finish it already

[@Krahazik]

EyeAr WeeTawTed He had a castle playfort the backyard of his previous house. Probably to large to packup and bring to the new house so time to build a new one. Checkout some of his older videos, it can be seen the the background of some of the videos he shot in his back yard.

[@nosajimiki5885]

Turns out the surgery was just a lie so he's have more time for castle making.

[@erikjarandson5458]

@@spacejesus6581 Yep. Again. Shad's gotten the old proverb backwards. To Shad, a man's castle is his home. If an otherwise regular house had machicolations, it _might_ be acceptable. You'd have to ask him.

[@luc-zq7ku]

"shad out of surgery" Doctor : Stay calm and rest "shad start to build a castle" Doctor : Whaaaat .

[@simonhirschmugl5134]

Shad: Hi, I'm Shad, I had surgery and shouldn't do anything to compromise my health. *80 pound war bow comes in* Shad: Now let's bend my back with some experimental arrow shooting!

[@slothbaby2104]

he is a complete unit

[@eidolor]

Of course he needs to properly recover for machicolations but.. side quiver

[@catneko6855]

technically he is back FROM surgery that was supposed to open up a clog- which I assume is successful since he is able to still breath and move rather then double over and gasp for air- unless he isn't showing us that again :/

[@samuelevans738]

@@catneko6855... ... ... uh oh... ...

[@haroldhahn7044]

That sounds like me, working at my wood turning lathe, with a broken bone in my foot! What could possibly go wrong? I wish I had a video of when I got the answer to that question! It would have been good for a laugh!

[@Zwerchhau1411]

Shad: This sucker is 92 to 110 pounds, it is huge Tod’s Friend: * Laughs in 150 pound war bow *

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

Sucker*?

[@Zwerchhau1411]

The Grammar Crusader, thank you

[@tommeakin1732]

That guy can pull 200 pounds, but only for a few shots. They went for 150-160 (I don't remember exactly what they went for) in those tests because he felt like that was his "I can shoot this all day" level; i.e. if he was actually going to fight in a battle and be required to sustain a high rate of fire over the course of a battle, he'd go for that kind of weight

[@solarissv777]

@@tommeakin1732 imagine, that with "Instant Legolas", he would be able to use 320 pound bow, that's scary. However, to make it historically plausible, one would need to attach a reversed 160lbs bow in front of a massive 320lbs bow + the mechanism itself, that would be some cumbersome contraption.

[@lunacorvus3585]

Tom Meakin It is also because that’s a better representation of war bow used during that time period since that is the average poundage of English war bow

[@dinklebergswife6787]

12:05 Shad rolls a natural 20 on his first attack

[@spacejesus6581]

Automatic Critical Hit

[@retakejaruwusalem5884]

More like CHADiversity. Look at this lad

[@wesleyclifford6606]

Manga San shad likes to be humble

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

Yes

[@luc-zq7ku]

this need more like

[@winkles2314]

“Look at how beautiful that shaft is...” Rags murmured lustfully.

[@Hirome_Satou]

I think you meant Rags'''s''s

[@winkles2314]

Joshua Dunbar I think you meant Wag's's's

[@Mythonaut]

Rags’s’s’s’s

[@libertyprime1710]

*Yeah Boy intensifies*

[@alexlee4154]

Rag

[@tahunuva4254]

Pictured here: Sir Shad of Machicoland commissioning a dastardly weapon of war from the master artificer Joerg, circa 2020 (colourised)

[@spot6532]

This video is just Shad low-key flexing on everyone super hard "80 pound draw? ez" "remember guys, recovering from surgery" xD

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

Shad: Nothing to see here! Castle In Construction: Am I joke to you?

[@shadiversity]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[@someirishboi6308]

@@shadiversity hello

[@Izunundara]

It's strange but my helm just fell down over my face and I couldn't see that side of the screen, good thing there was nothing to see so I missed nothing

[@knightveg]

Yeah I think I saw a castle being built I wish I could say the word (I have dyslexia) he says all the time when constructing castles

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

@Joe natoli, even the best knights miss sometimes. And also thanks for shedding some light on that... Barzûl.

[@joebenzz]

I always imagined you going shopping at the mall with that gambeson. I can't see you without it 😄

[@Yora21]

I was wondering what's going on with his glasses, but then I remembered that it's peak summer in Australia and he's outside in a gambeson. Must be sweating like a pig.

[@HistoricalWeapons]

Hey shad I'm a warbow archer currently working on 170lb@32. First I want to say you can shoot both sides. On the non conventional side you need to apply a torque on the fingers and tilt the other way. The main advantage of this technique is slightly faster rof and easier to shoot thicker arrows. It truly takes longtime to shoot warbows and my body has deformed slightly. It is a fun hobby you should get into

[@hugodelin4304]

I just finished The shadow of the conqueror, daiiim dude that book was good.

[@hugodelin4304]

@Gavin Harris sounds interesting I will have to check it out

[@austintrigloff9562]

Same, it's interesting seeing a story from the perspective of a... Reformed... lifelong war criminal.

[@Xaiff]

23:53 when you see that expression on Shad's face when he "noticed something" It's the expression of enlightenment. 😆

[@robmartin525]

I want to see this as an EFAP meme!

[@Cillranchello]

The look on his face reminded me a of a quote. "The greatest discoveries aren't heralded with 'Eureka!' but 'Huh that's funny...'"

[@Xaiff]

@@Cillranchello Ooooh! Good one

[@duchi882]

*Medieval Longbow/Warbow Misconceptions:* 1. It requires more DEX stat points than STR stat points

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

That probably comes from the fact that deer and rabbit hunting is the most common activity which involves bow usage. 100 to 150 plus pounds for killing a deer and rabbit is overkill, most people would use a much lighter draw weight bow. Then there is also sneaking around and tracking game... which is a dex skill. Also, bow don't really transfer allot of kinetic energy so if you don't clean a perfect shot on a animal... you need up having to track down a sprinting panicking animal that is bleeding to death.

[@Ake-TL]

Philip Dyer wasn’t hunting exactly wounding animal, letting animal bleed to death and tracking it back then ?

[@czarnyrycerz3377]

@@Ake-TL Isnt it like that even now?

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

@@Ake-TL .....Depends on the hunting. Boar hunting was so dangerous that it was something done with dogs, horses, spears, crossbows, and reserved for Nobles and their retainers... it was considered a war exercise. I was referencing deer.... rabbit and.. probably bird hunting would be the most reflex based.

[@beneteus3833]

so, shortbow = finesse (eihter dex or str) longbow (warbow) = str and if you could you would kill the animal with the first shot - so you didnt have to track and potetially loose it

[@ethanstevenson2858]

It's nice to see that Shad gets as worked up over anachronism (the Historian's Mortal Sin) as I do. Also, that image that Shad spent a good amount of time on is not an actual medieval event; it is a medieval depiction of the story of Saint Sebastian, who was condemned to be shot by arrows for refusing to persecute his fellow Christians in ancient Roman times. He did not die from the arrow wounds and was brought back to health by an old widow. He then went BACK to the emperor (I forget which) who stood staring at him for like a minute before ordering his guards to simply beat Sebastian to death. The majority of the story is actually in the artwork (him being shot in the foreground, found by the widow in the background just off to the right, and returning to the emperor in the far right background). The reason I mention this is actually to give even greater testament to the artist who did it because he made everything so accurate in order to make the story more readable to the general population (lives of the saints were typically written in Latin, not the vernacular). Anyway, that's my rant. As you were.

[@E_Wolfe]

I must be missing something. It seems like the whole painting is an anachronism as it depicts an event in 286 AD with the garb and weapons of the Late Medieval period.

[@jenniferschmitzer299]

Albrecccccccchhhhhhhhttttttt!!!! no seriously. my sons middle name is Sebastian. Always loved the story about him even though it was quite horrid. i knew a Bastien. He wore a Blue Feather. Lovely chap and great cook.

[@louisvictor3473]

This is a very good point. Medieval artists pf many periods had this habit of depicting events whatever was current on their time, exactly for the purpose of making it easier for people to relate and understand what is being depicted, rather asking questions like "why they dress lile that, the fuck is that helmet, why a yellow small sword, lol that shield" etc. Which is a very in favor of Shad's hypothesis, they probably depicted archery as done on their time so people don't fuss over that either.

[@jenniferschmitzer299]

Louis Victor yeah.. like wtf when i got to go to that tiny room that that Uccello was commissioned to do. sooooo inaccurate. but pretty. much lapis lazuli was used. still loved it HARD btw, previously got my late 14th c artists mixed up. whoops. my bad. firenze is intoxicating. specially the domed ceilings. they are everywhere in the old bit.

[@otwk]

24:39 "Firing" Shad is invoking the wrath of Lindybeige! xD

[@pRahvi0]

He's using the heretic language of an arquebusier!

[@Mitaka.Kotsuka]

its quite curious how everyone here comes from the very same channels, lingshot, lindy, shad, skallagrim,

[@edwardteach3000]

Don't forget Metatron!

There's no Boer children to exterminate, or bren guns to worship, Lindy can do little harm.

[@WayoftheFerret]

@@Mitaka.Kotsuka I'm here from EFAP, I've never heard of any of the channels you listed

[@Lunamana]

Shad: "I'm recovering from surgery" Also Shad: * Makes one of his longest outdoors videos so far * :P Love you shad, keep it up !

[@michagruzewski5592]

His stat scaleing increased... Soon he will be unstoppable...

[@bakagaming8337]

tbh, most likely him recovering also is one of the reasons he didn't use the 100lb bow :p

[@lupedust8931]

He's building a castle or something in his back garden. AWESOME.

[@shadiversity]

I have no idea what you're talking about

[@lanasmith4795]

Clearly it's just a gazebo. a dire gazebo.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@lanasmith4795 I LOVE the phrase "dire gazebo". I'm stealing it. Nyah.

[@lanasmith4795]

@@MonkeyJedi99 use it with pride friend

[@isitnotwrittenthat1680]

@@lanasmith4795 just don't shoot it, fire mages have mostly AoEs and the tanks don't like those

[@crazypomp927]

Not gonna lie Shad there was a part of me that couldn't stop thinking about all the gasping and wheezing you no doubt edited out. Get well sir and hope the surgery ends up helping!

[@madelynmorgan2999]

shad: here are some videos on why a bow is not necessarily the best weapon for those less muscular and fit shad: guys i’m recovering from surgery to help with my severe CFS which makes it extremely difficult to do strenuous activity shad: anyway who wants to see me shoot an 80 lb english longbow. also i’m building a literal castle in my back yard

[@taylorhaws6402]

The reason you were struggling to keep the arrow on the right side has to do with the fact that you were using a Mediterranean style 3-finger draw. The problem with this is that your fingers naturally pull the string and the arrow to the right, away from the shaft, when you pull back. This is ideal for shooting off the left side because it keeps the arrow against the shaft more effectively, however, when shooting from the right side you want to use a thumb-draw. Clip the string with your thumb and use your first finger as leverage to pull the arrow back. The Mongolian archer you showed shows this technique. Not only will this naturally twist the arrow to the left, but your other fingers press it against the shaft. This is the main reason so many people say that medieval europian war archers primarily shot from the left side. The Mediterranean draw makes it easier to draw heavy bows than the thumb draw. Because these bows are well-known for being 100-200 lbs, It makes more sense to use the Mediterranian draw and by extension, shoot off the left side.

[@paulpasche7853]

Good points, but I would like to add one more. When you draw the bow, you keep both eyes open, for depth perception. It would seem to me, with the arrow on the right side, the bow would block sight of the target from your left eye, effecting your depth perception. In theory...

[@historikerfabio]

there is a technique which enables you to fire on the right side using 3 fingers, though. this would be the slavic release. a good video explaining it is from armin hirmer, a guy with a archery range in malta. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3qsg5ynqdqFfKc

[@geweurzgurke]

Just a little ramble about some Things: The Bows which were used in Thumbarchery were in general more energy efficient. So They could also get away with less draw weight and also achive high Energy transfer to the arrow. Even Quing dynasty Warbows (also called Manchu Bows) don't go as high drawweight wise as European longbows. Edit: it seems that Manchu Bow were Rather simmilar to the Draw Weights of English Longbows. Another methode to shoot the Arrow from the right side is to use the techniqe some call "Slavic Draw" its like a normal 3 Finger Split draw but your index finger rests on the arrow and pushes it against the bow. It is probably very historically inacurate to shoot a longbow like this (if even possible with just 2 fingers to pull the weight). The sources that cite this method are a little unclear. To my knowledge it is described by arabic or ottoman sources regarding the use of ottoman Style bows by those "slavic" Slave soldiers in thier armies. Another thing seems to be that Shad seems to be resting the arrow on the leather wrapping of the handle as a pseudo arrow shelf. That is very instable. In asiatic archery you rest the arrow on your thumb and nock it quite a lot (1-1,5 cm) above the line where it rests on the thumb. So the arrow points downward. That is mainly done so you dont scratch your hand with the feathers (I have white feathers with some dark spots that demonstrate what happens if you don't do it that way) but it also might help with stability. Lastly I think I might have to disagree with the "tilting the bow counterclockwise and leaning back" to stabilize it. Many styles that shoot heavy Bows and have developed some what seperately, lean INTO the bow in the final moments of the draw to reach full Draw. So it would develop bad habits when teaching people to lean away wen starting. And since Archery is mainly about core Muscle strength and repetittion I can't immagine that at least competent Instructors would have tought this way. But that might also just be survival bias.

[@MooseHowl]

13:36 shows the Mongolian archer's technique in case anyone couldn't find it.

[@historikerfabio]

@@mortenjacobsen5673 what do you mean thumb, slavic draw are causes of fiction? they were done historically, no doubt about it.

[@cleothehermetichermeticist8391]

Shad: *starts unwrapping the longbow* That sight’s so sexy this video could be reported for nudity.

[@DavidM-um2uk]

I know, right? When it was wrapped, I thought "Man, that thing is ugly", and then he took the plastic off to reveal a true work of art.

[@hadrianbuiltawall9531]

Is it classed as strip tease or pole dancing?

[@Diapolo10]

@@hadrianbuiltawall9531 Yes.

[@LuxisAlukard]

0:55 Shad: I finally bit the bullet... No, Shad, you bit the arrow

[@DatDarkOne]

23:54 is a prime example of why actually testing something yourself gives more information than hearing/reading/theory crafting about it is. Thanks Shad. :D

[@xSkye629x]

Some neighbors have to deal with balls going through their windows These neighbors have to deal with longbow arrows

[@roguegen5536]

Don't forget the crazy guy in armor, running up and down the street with a sword on his back

[@gryphonprovenzano3156]

Meh it’s Australia...

[@mayhemivory5730]

Don't forget the castle in the backyard. They can't even fight back.

[@spacejesus6581]

Mayhem Ivory they need to buy a canon and canon balls from a museum to fight the legendary Shad

[@LindaGailLamb.0808]

@@spacejesus6581 He'd probably just catch the cannon balls and throw them back 😁.

[@tamassasvari6878]

So good to see Shad outside again. Good to see you on your feet. Keep being awesome!

[@Nerobyrne]

hopefully the operation will result in more energy! Poor guy, hope he feels better now!

[@Dreymasmith]

I learnt archery in a re-enactment group in NSW about thirty years ago, and the arrow was on the right. Quick to load, easy to loose. I've never used a window cut out. Glad to see you up and around. Don't over do it.

[@jenniferschmitzer299]

ooooh... a Light in the 90s? AS sumfing? hmmmmmm

[@r3dp9]

Important point: Accuracy becomes even less important when you are firing at a formation instead of a single person. I suspect that in relatively DRAWN out engagements, firing a ton of arrows over a short period of time is far more important than accuracy, especially if obstructions and distance is such that you can't even see you're targets very well. Accuracy would be even less relevant for unpredictably moving targets, at that point it's all about volume of fire. There is also a psychological impact that rapid firing projectiles have on the human mind, even if those projectiles are very inaccurate. That's where the doctrine of "suppressive fire" comes from in modern warefare. A less accurate automatic weapon can "scare" enemies into hiding behind cover, while mobile troops with semiautomatic weapons maneuver to a better position.

[@muhatasimalam8698]

3:00 OMG he's building a fort, he's building a FORT!!!

[@shadiversity]

I have no idea what you're talking about ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@TheHorseman0fApocalypse]

@@shadiversity i played enough games to understand that you are lying

[@valasarius]

Its a Castle you blackened Kretin! (No harm meant)

[@holycow666]

@@shadiversity Of course you have no idea, because it's not a fort, it's a castle with MACHICOLATIONS!

[@muhatasimalam8698]

@@valasarius I actually called it castle before editing it. (No offense taken)

[@justinblocker730]

Shad: Nothing to see here ... EVERYONE: MaChicoLations!!!1!

[@haraldisdead]

When he says "RIGHT IN THE HEAAARTT!," it makes me understand how Australia fought so viciously at gallipoli

[@pakornwattanavrangkul2550]

I was re reading Full metal alchemist out of nostalgia and it hit me, Shad should do an armor review of Alphonse Elric in a similar way he looked at the goblin slayer armor.

[@thehackingburger3002]

That thing has SOO many issues, I can already tell ya. I mean, I'm not the kind of guy who notices accuracy/functionality when I'm watching something, but I certainly DID notice when it came to Al. Why the spikes!? So many spikes...

[@francescogulisano2917]

HE SURVIVED!!! Glad to see you back, mate

[@gameoflife9576]

Finally you're back.Take your time to recover Shad.We can wait a little longer.

[@nasserfirelordarts6574]

Ofcourse we can, as we are all civilized people in a civilized time

[@TylerLawlawsy02]

Hello there, General Kenobi

[@ls200076]

@@nasserfirelordarts6574 hello there, Firelord Ozai

[@valasarius]

@@ls200076 Hello there elektron 117

[@nasserfirelordarts6574]

@@user-vt6td9hp3g *I HATE YOU*

[@CrapE_DM]

While I think you're right about the right vs left side for the arrow placement, I will say that I've drawn archers with other good details before while getting the arrow on the "wrong" side because I hadn't realized which side it was supposed to be on. It's possible that some old artists made the same mistake, but the sheer number makes me think that you're right.

[@pathfinderGM]

Another longbow misconception or myth I would love you to explain more thoroughly is the unit volley method of combat archery. Not really pinpoint shooting but knowing range and general direction lead by a more skilled individual to lead the unit to be more effectively, I.e. reading the weather, choosing targets, etc. I definitely see the advantage in a moral and training perspective. If a force is getting hit with a few arrows and maybe one person falls after 6 shots it isnt so scary. Having 20-30 arrows all fly in at once and seeing 6+ people be hit in someway maybe even a few deaths would much more effectively affect the moral of that unit. And the best way to win a fight is by getting a force to break rank and flee. Love to see the main follow up but maybe more in between. For example I once heard that in england, every Saturday (or Sunday?) the peasant males were required to train with the longbow from lunch till dinner. This was so that the peasant levys were already trained up on the basics and can fight well if forced to.

[@thegrammarcrusader4085]

The smaller bow you're holding in the beggining looks like if a violin turned into a bow.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Fiddling about with archery can be quite violint.

[@clarewillison9379]

That’s what happens when a violin gets angry...

[@chisaten]

If you want to get technical; that first bow is violin; second bow is a cello; third bow is a contrabass.

[@robertdevito5001]

John Stuart Keller Under appreciated reply

[@thegingerkingshanks7587]

Just for future reference the smaller bow is called a recurve bow

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

hey Shad, four things i want to mention that i noticed when shooting my own bows: 1. Recurve (reflex) Bows feel and are a lot harder to draw then English Longbows (deflex) of the same poundage, since the Recurve Bows have a stronger take off poundage and therefor store more engery, so no surprise that your 60-80 pound Longbow doesnt feel much stronger then your 45 pound Recurve. The longbow only reaches its maximum drawweight at the very end of the draw. 2. As a right hander, the string tends to roll clockwise down your finders into its resting position, if you have a tight nok, that can push the arrow to the right, wich is why you had trouble keeping it in place. 3. Befor i started watching i instantly thought that the backstop you have there will eat a lot of arrows, try to relocate to an open field if you can, you dont want your expensive historical arrows getting eaten up by the metal fence or dense plywood. 4. I often shoot in the summer with no cloth covering my arm and only the archers brace protecting my left arm, because of that i never used carbon or aluminium arrows. With wooden arrows you can predict where they will brake, and the arrowmaker will take that into account, building it in a way that if it brakes upon release, it will brake away from your arm and not get stuck into it. Also if a wooden arrow has a crack its a lot easier to see that and sort the arrow out then to detect fatigue on carbon or aluminium arrows. have fun practising! ;) edit: one more thing: if your arrows have the right spine for your drawweight, the archers paradox should take care of most of the compensation you have to do when shooting either from the left or right of your bow.

[@tataludwiczka8061]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHaqXp-vbtmEfc0

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

​@@tataludwiczka8061 To me, Lars Andersen is more a showman then an archer. He is really good at what hes doing, but i would have more respekt for him if he would shoot real bows instead of toys ;)

[@_gold_eye_2656]

Werner Heisenberg I’ve always thought horsebows/recurves look cooler and better than longbows the issue is the durability idk I’m not an archer just a history nerd I’ve heard that recurve bows pack more energy than longbows though is this true? I also prefer the compact design and ability to shoot from horseback but longbows more durable and practical design is still appealing seeing as you can make them out of a branch you find in the woods and it’ll last you awhile

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

@@_gold_eye_2656 Yes, recurves store more energy then typical english longbows of the same drawweight and draw length due to having a higher take up weight. Those longbows start as a straight staff but over time they suffer from stringfollow, meaning they are curved back in the direction they are being bend back during the draw. This leads to them loosing a little bit of their max drewweight, and also there is less tension when stringing them up cause they dont have to be bend back that much anymore to get the string on, leading to a lower take up weight. Recurves on the other hand are bend forewards a lot, you need to put a lot more energy in to install the string by bending back the arms a lot even befor you draw. therefore they have a higher takeup weight and more force is applied to the arrow along the entire way of acceleration. So even tho they might have the same maximum drawweight as a english longbow, longbows have a lower average force if you look on the entire lenght of arrow-acceleration. A longbow can still come out on top regarding the energy it puts into the arrow, if the drawlength differs suficiantly. I find the differences of these two bows quite interesting, its a lot more complex then it seems on the first look. Another difference for example is that a longbow usually has more mass, and keep in mind the arrow is not the only thing that needs to get accalerated when you loose the string. The string itselve and the arms of the bow have to move aswell. The larger the portion of mass that needs to get accelerated besides the arrow, the lower the efficiancy. Thats why longbows usually shoot with heavier, slower arrows, too keep the efficiancy up, where as recurves are lighter, therefore you can use lighter, faster arrows. I can talk about it forever, but i think this is enough to show how complex this is if you analize the physics behind it ;)

[@xylisisvarlett3734]

"Look how beautiful the shaft is :O whoah" Thats what us pikemen always say when drills start at 8 in the morning! Greetings a from Dutch 80 years war reenactor

[@wishiwasabear]

In many anime shows and art made today we see stars being drawn over the moon as if the moon was hollow. I really find it hard to believe that artists at the time wouldn't just be drawing the arrow on the wrong side by mistake or simply because they are copying other artworks instead of actual reality. This is why detailed text descriptions would be far more convincing evidence than just artwork.

[@1nkw3ll]

Glad to see youre healing nicely. Best wishes and luck to you and yours, Shad

[@smokenchoken1736]

Aye, but what about dragons??? The alert noise got me rolling lmao

[@NegaBot]

23:53 Thats a real life eureka moment caught on camera.

[@The_Keeper]

One of my cats stopped what he was doing, and looked intently when you were demonstrating the "medieval archer stance". I am a bit concerned for my safety now...

[@thecynicinthedark4339]

Looking great Shad! Glad you're recovering well. 😁

[@baddragonite]

Welcome back!!! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[@ZeBossProduction]

Your excitement about the subject are getting through in an excellent way, mate. Thank you for the content and teaching me in a era that always will be fascinating.

[@varkesh456]

Great to see you back on a video and a great use of talking to get your breathers in and fueling that passion for the topic. Love the idea of the instant fire war bow and can't way to see this in action, great colaberation

[@droolhd]

How satisfied you are with your discovery at 24:00. :D Love your enthusiasm.

[@haraldisdead]

My thoughts exactly! He's so pure

[@florkiler6242]

Wow Shad you look grate, this operation really pays off your like a new person lol

[@florkiler6242]

Holly shit that Hart was lightning fast

[@SolitarySword]

in 1999-2000, I competed nationally in instinctive traditional (barebow) archery, and what I was taught regarding the inside/outside arrow is that you want the shaft on the outside of the bow when you draw and hold, since you will be using three fingers and take your time, and on the inside of the bow, using the thumb and index to fire rapidly. Setting the arrow of the inside allows for much quicker action than setting it on the outside, but the outside allows you a stronger pull and longer hold. Not correcting anything, just bringing what I was taught to the discussion Edit: I used a short Mongolian Horse archer's bow, but my coach used an english warbow

[@hmeade1000]

Good to see you up and about, Shad. Got your book and it's next up on my reading list. Looking forward to it! Keep healing, and I hope you're getting some real rest now.

[@Duron0]

My goodness, Shad is building a castle! Is it just me or is life brighter all of a sudden?

[@lionheartedlux]

No there is nothing there

[@DutchessNDukes]

Hey Shad, Glad you're doing well. Really nice to see you out and about again.

[@Redtecho]

Congrats on getting better. Just finished your book and think you have far more light to bring to the world. Thanks for being awesome Shad =p.

[@char-leewiebe7199]

Me watching Shad prepping the bowstring for the first time on his new "toy" Shad is such a kid at Christmas! lol Glad you're enjoying your newest acquisition!

[@Flippokid]

15:40 This painting shows it's not a mere convenience that they're on the painter's side, because the one on the right doesn't have the arrow on the left. If that was an argument someone wanted to use. Edit: HA! You got to that just minutes later.

[@speedking92]

What I also find interesting is that when he shot the arrow from the right side, he had to lean back instead of forward. And in that painting the archers are indeed leaning back.

[@Flippokid]

@@speedking92 Good spot!

[@Flippokid]

@Mitchell Wilson Or they really did fire on both sides, historically, and there are benefits and drawbacks (pun intended) to both.

[@bcluett1697]

@@Flippokid I find it hard to believe that some kingdoms over the 100s of years didn't train people to use arrows on both sides to avoid repetitive injuries or at the very least use that technique simply because that's their particular family method as a matter of style. Shad will get to the bottom of it I'm sure.

[@tengwean6182]

On the topic of the ‘right side of the bow’: standardisation is a modern phenomenon. I bet in the olden days they’d do what suited them best or what the person who teached them told them.

[@weisthor0815]

imagine being in a battle line of longbowmen and some thousand heavy armored french knights on horseback are charging your position. you want to fire as much arrows as possible in the least amount of time, so you will use the right side of the bow, because it is faster. it´s just common sense.

[@Xaiff]

@@weisthor0815 Imagine you are an English longbowman at that time, seeing French bowmen shooting with their arrows on the right side. You then go "I hate them and their way of life" and you start placing your arrow on the left side

[@weisthor0815]

@@Xaiff except the french rarely had any bowmen at all. they relied on crossbows.

[@Gotz_the_iron_hand]

Well, at least it didn't go as far as the whalers on the moon thing from Futurama.

[@TGPDrunknHick]

I imagine not everyone was trained particularly well. most people were probably just passable. as in, don't hit our people. a lot of people were likely illl trained. a quote from obliviob I think is apt "the best techniques are passed on by the survivors". this points out that a lot of techniques that were used didn't make it very far because the practitioners either died without a successor or people realised that other techniques worked better. to say that yeah maybe left side bow is more effective, sure. there were likely many that used the other side. it may not have been as effective and may have died out as well. still likely was used at some point though.

[@TheLesserWeevil]

Shad Fact: Shad is so passionate about these topics, that you can watch his videos at 0.75x speed with zero issues. Love ya mate. Hope the surgery went smoothly. All the best for the recovery. Would be interesting to somehow compare maximum drawable weight with right-side vs left-side drawn arrowa.

[@younger544]

I love how much he genuinely enjoys things like this. Keep up the good work Shad, and keep on writing too!

[@Torvar]

"Look at how beautiful this shaft is!" *heavy breathing*

[@TheHornedKing]

Whenever I fired a bow as a kid (homemade), I allways shot from the right side. I hadn't paid any attention to what side other people place the arrow on, and just did what felt natural.

[@JeromeSkavenSlayer]

I imagine that most bowmen in the medieval ages couldn't afford a tutor, and learned the same way you did, maybe taking protips from the neighbors and such.

[@glenm2214]

Got bored building castles in Conan Exiles, so started building one in his back garden.

[@crossbowboltlaunchers2456]

After 5 month of releasing the video I can tell, the development in this year in your archery is awesome! The drawing outside of the bow concept grew nice as well, great job!

[@izaakdonk7951]

Good to see ya back on your feet, you absolute Shad!

[@DrNA142]

I saw machicolations!!!!!! i swear these were MACHICOLATIONSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😁😁😁😁😁

[@shadiversity]

I have no idea what you're talking about ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@susanmaggiora4800]

Dna HELiX It came rolling out of my mouth before I could stop it! 🤣

[@Gnarlf]

I don't know what you think you saw, but somehow i have a strong feeling, that Shads kids are very lucky to have such a dad.

[@railer666]

This had some of the most interesting ideas on the subject of right or left side shooting. I'm glad that your surgery is behind you and hope it gives the relief that you need. Thanks for the wonderful videos and take care.

[@erikjarandson5458]

Looking good, Shad! It's great to see that you're eager to get back to making videos. I'll take that as a sign of good content to come! Where you found the willpower not to unpack and test both bows, I'll never know...

[@kRx1203]

3:00 pretty sure I saw some machicolations (oh, right, I'm sorry, I meant to say MACHICOLATIONS!!!!!) over there. Wouldn't call that nothing.

[@shadiversity]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[@diabreon3094]

Pay no attention to the frame beyond the frame!

[@spacejesus6581]

The dude is literally building a castle in his yard I love it Wonder if he’s building it himself or if he hired people?

[@leafpratt]

3:00 Pretty sure I saw oh never mind there was nothing to see

[@tomaszskowronski1406]

21:04 "I'm not aiming for Bullseye, I'm aiming for a person" Instantly misses. Comedic timing is strong with this one.

[@shortycircuitgames2842]

Welcome back mate! Good to see you're doing well!

[@typhoooons6119]

Seems like you're feeling so much better. Keep it up man!

[@Littlemsgoth]

Interesting. I've always shot on the right of the bow, using 2 fingers to draw, keeping both eyes open. It's how I was taught, and seems easier to me. (Tried other ways, which proved difficult in my case.) My only issue is I need an arm guard, since I tend to keep my left arm straight. Much bruising of my left arm in my middle school years, as we were taught archery in gym class.

[@syntaxusdogmata3333]

17:29 - Gruesome Picture of a human pin cushion. Shad: "Look at which side the arrow's on!"

[@be-gone-thot]

Now that I have the full context of what he goes through. It makes me really appreciate when videos from him come out.

[@nocturne9257]

The channel 'Modern History TV' posted a video a while back about long bow use. They consulted with an expert and apparently the priority of archers in medieval warfare was firing rate, rather than accuracy (since there would likely be dozens, if not hundreds of archers firing at once). If that's the case then firing with the arrow on the right, thus engaging the back muscles more, may have been more advantageous than firing with the arrow on the left.

[@timl.b.2095]

Welcome back -- you're looking good. This is such a good video, both for information and entertainment.

[@Buster-Sharp]

It's so good to see that your getting better, man. I hope you get well soon and that it helps you with your health.

[@six2make4]

Very interesting video, currently working on a novel where a prominent side character is using a bow a lot (later upgraded to an "instant legolas" because rule of cool"), so all this stuff is gold. Also hope the surgery did it's job and you are recovering well.

[@TheHarleyEvans]

wow shad, the surgery must have worked wonders, you're literally glowing!

[@DavidM-um2uk]

I just finished recovering from surgery as well, I feel your pain. Love your work! Wishing for you to have good sleep in future days.

[@Niskirin]

>Recovering from a surgery >Does a video that requires a high level of exercise instead of a sedate lore or historical fact breakdown That's my shad.

[@Phannall]

>decides to start working before fully recovered from surgery >reveals collaboration with the Slingshot channel >will review a 100 pound instantlegolas-bow >is also currently constructing a new fort/castle Shad you massive madlad

[@Mythonaut]

Occam’s razor: it takes less assumption to say that the medieval artwork was completely correct rather than correct in most areas and completely wrong in very specific ones

[@rmsgrey]

You have two pieces of evidence: contemporary art shows arrows to the right of the bow; modern practice has arrows to the left of the bow. Either the art was wrong, or archers en masse switched sides at some point. Which possibility represents the simplest explanation isn't immediately obvious. Of course, Shad's experiment suggests reasons for changing sides - the right side offers more power, while the left offers more precision, so a change from shooting man-size targets wearing armour to trying to hit the centre of a straw target would favour right-side before the change in targets, and left-side after.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

@@rmsgrey I understand the differences between the two draw methods but why do you think there was a historical switch "en masse" at some point when there is apparently art from the same periods depicting BOTH methods. Also, as different bows were used differently by different archers, throughout history, presumably they just used whichever draw side was most appropriate in the circumstances?

[@rmsgrey]

@@GonzoTehGreat My knowledge of the matter is mostly limited to what was in this video. If there is a significant quantity of medieval art showing left-side, then, sure, it's not so much a switch as one version dying out over time. For that matter, even if it was all right-side in 1400, then all left-side in 1900, "switching en masse" is a bad phrasing to describe a transition over centuries that could have been an instant thing where one morning everyone woke up and decided to do things differently, but more likely would have been a gradual shift, with individuals sticking to their preferred method, but new archers being more likely to pick one or the other depending on the era.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

@@rmsgrey I'm not convinced either method dominated historically as the artwork depicts both. This article discusses different draw methods used throughout history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_draw Target archery today uses left side draw but AFAIK this modern sport didn't evolve from historical, field archery but arose separately, as an aristocratic recreational pastime, during the 19th century. Also, modern Olympic archery only uses re-curve bows. Hence, I suspect this is a case of modern archers imposing their methods on history...

[@rmsgrey]

@@GonzoTehGreat Yeah, I believe that was one of Shad's main points - that modern archers are taking current practice and assuming that's how it's always been done, therefore the artists of the period are idiots who don't know how to draw archery, rather than considering whether the circumstances might have dictated a different style, and/or the artists actually produced faithful depictions. I may not know much about medieval archery, but I've grown up with English folk dance. English country dance owes a lot to a chap called Cecil Sharp who collected a lot of village dances and dusted off the 17th century dance manuals from when it was in fashion and interpreted them (with one or two mistakes) in the early 20th century. However, Sharp to some extent, and his disciples to a much larger extent tended to treat "how the dance was done the one time he was there to watch it" as the One True Way, and, at least for a time, things were pretty dogmatic, and evidence to the contrary was ignored. So it's not hard to imagine archers doing the same with their secret arts...

[@GrayGull]

Thoughts from a Norwegian warbow archer: On the back/thigh quiver - Arrows was more often placed in the ground in front of the archer. If you want to do historic war tactic archery, I'd suggest trying that as well. Sticking the arrow in the ground also pollutes the tip and causes higher chances of infection to the recipient. On the question of whitch side to knock the arrow - Just try knocking the arrow on the right side on a heavy bow, and you quickly find out it doesn't work very well. Using technique to pull the bow, you keep it at an angle while pulling, and if you knock on the right side, the arrow will fall off. I think the reason why most modern warbow archers knock on the left side, is because it's the natural placement of the arrow. I can see any benefits from knocking on the right side, but you will surely struggle to keep the arrow from falling off. Also in regards to the artists depictions of archers knocking on the right - Take any 10 mainstream Hollywood action movie. How many of those 10 get functions of guns right? Most people know what a gun is and basically how it functions, yet a billion dollar industry gets it wrong all the time. Maybe they did in fact knock on the right, but in my own experienced opinion, likely not.

[@Shrapnel82]

Shad'd Doctor: "So soon after surgery, you really shouldn't... you know... you won't listen anyway. Carry on."

[@Aikurisu]

Good to see you up and around, Shad! Godspeed on the recovery. Also... that little side project better have machicolations.

[@Shadowcat666]

Welcome home Shad.

[@claudiobernardi3002]

Hi Shad! this video turned out to be very interesting. I am an archer and a medieval re-enactor and this speech about the arrow that rests on the right side seemed absurd to me but now I would like to try it myself to judge what can come out of it! 😆

[@Elerad]

Great to see you up and about, man. Hope you're continuing to improve.

[@ComradeVinsky]

it’s so great seeing him having a fun time while being active, hope you recover soon boyo

[@centrifugedestroyer2579]

OMG, this is the collab I always dreamt about. I'm really looking forward to watching both of your videos : )

[@rivahoukes1554]

"f my health, I got something in the post!" jep, truly a family member of jazza

[@davidshoyt1979]

Im happy to see shad discuss the bow. But more importantly im estatic to see shad up and about after his surgery and doing so well. Were all relieved to see you back at it again and recovering nicely. Wishing you the best from South Carolina.

[@ciangibbons6643]

Surgery looks like it's helped, hope Shad recovers properly and can actually live his life fully