The bow was an important weapon to soldier and peasant alike. With the bow, it was possible to harm or kill the enemy from a long distance. Generally, the archers would stand behind the other troops on the battlefield, shooting their arrows over the heads of their own soldiers, so that they rained down over the enemy. A shower of arrows was one of the worst things that could happen to you during a battle.
The medieval long-bow was made of strong, flexible wood, such as yew, elm or ash. The string was made of animal intestines or sinews, or flax, wool, or hair, or a combination of these materials twined together. To keeps its flexibility, the string was taken off the bow when not in use. As the name says, the bow was long, about two metres. With a long-bow, it was possible to shoot at a range of one hundred meters. A skilled archer could let off up to ten arrows a minute, or one every six seconds. Naturally, the commander was keen to have as many expert archers as possible.
The cross-bow had a piece of wood with a groove, in which the arrow was placed. The bow was short and its parts could be made of wood, horn, bone sinews and, later during the Middle Ages, of steel. A lot of strength was required in order to stretch the string. Often, one had to use an extra tool, for example a hook fixed to one ´s belt, on which the string could be hitched. A skilled cross-bow archer could let off two shots a minute. A cross-arrow was an extremely efficient and dangerous weapon. Its arrows could even penetrate an armour, causing large wounds and severe injuries.