Some of the longbows on the Mary Rose had a draw of around 180lbs, which is phenomenal; I have a longbow with a 50lb draw and thats pretty powerful (much more so than comparable composite bows) but I would never be able to draw a 180lb bow (I have always lacked upper body strength). It must have been awesome to see a volley of arrow loosed and terrifying to be in the receiving end of that volley.

Don't know why I missed this at the time, but since I've run across it again... There are a few things that can be said here. A 'standard' longbow, or rather 'warbow' to distinguish them from something you might use for hunting, is usually held to be around the 135lb mark; there is considerable variation on either side. The record draw (of a modern recreation) is something over 200lb. The chap in question is a big bugger (Mark something, I think; I've seen him in the flesh, though I've never spoken to him), and also a blacksmith, though that is not necessarily related. You do need a considerable amount of physical training to work up to heavier bows, hence the Eddie III edict, but it's by no means impossible.

The spines of many of the archers' skellies on the Mary Rose showed noticeable deformation - many years of unequal strain from pulling heavy bows from a young age. I used to be a re-enactor & a *very* keen archer (I also have a 50lb longbow, single piece, D-stacked ash. Beautiful thing, but it doesn't get 80 yards target, sadly). A friend & I used to have an ambition to work up to the 100lb mark. Another friend was keenly interested in this & would we mind getting our spines scanned now & once we got there, please? Her theory being that the 'young' was significant. In medieval times, archery was practiced from youth - she didn't think an adult with 'set' bones going through the same level of training would see the same deformation. Mind you, I'm not sure I would have proved much - every time I went up a bow weight, I shot the old bow left-handed to try to even things up a bit. I've had enough back problems in my time!

Longbows are not necessarily more powerful than comparable composite bows. It depends on how the bow is made, or what it is made of. There's a whole world of technicalities here, so I shall only attempt a superficial explanation if I'm asked. For now, "It ain't necessarily so!" As for the volley of arrows... It is possible to duplicate this in shows. Yes, really! The way it works is this - whoever is organising the show supplies the blunts (yes, of course, blunts!). The arrows have part of the shaft painted white - you do not draw past the white!! This means that it doesn't matter what draw your bow is - your power is severely limited. And you raise your arm to a minimum of 45 degrees, ensuring plunging volleys. As for being under it... Everyone on the field, even non-combatants, are helmeted. But there is a terrible temptation to look up at the incoming... :o