The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #163109   Message #3936736
Posted By: Senoufou
11-Jul-18 - 01:17 PM
Thread Name: BS: Henry VIII - The Mind of a Tyrant
Subject: RE: BS: Henry VIII - The Mind of a Tyrant
Goodness Raedwulf, thank you for that excellent explanation! Very informative and interesting!

The prey would have been small rodents (northern Cote d'Ivoire and southern Mali are essentially savannah-type terrains) and small antelope/deer. They would probably have stalked the creatures then fired arrows into them and followed them until they dropped dead (the animals, not the men!)

The tools would have been fashioned from wood (I think there were more trees around then) and possibly hide strips for the bowstring.

In the ancestral village (Nafamadougou) where his grandfather still lives, life is very traditional, but sadly they no longer hunt. My husband was born in the sprawling city of Abidjan yet he seemed to have the skills of bowmanship in his blood! He just kept firing arrows at the bullseye at the Norfolk Show (and also at our village fete last year, where he did the same thing) I was amazed.

In Aylsham (not far from us) there is a long narrow car park called The Butts, where bow practice used to take place regularly among the young men.
When he gets in I'll translate your lovely post to my husband and ask him if he knows any more stuff about it. (But The Match will be occupying his attention for a bit!)