Arab Archery, an Arabic Manuscript of About A.D. 1500

Book excerpt: This classic includes the following chapters: Preface I. In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate II. On Holy War and the service of archery therein III. On the excellence of the Arab bow, its use, adoption, the reward of the maker of its arrows, its target, urging the mastery of its technique, the offence of him who discards it after he has learned its use, and the first to use and the first to make it IV. On the different kinds of bows and the most desirable of them V. On the names and nomenclatures of the Arab bows and their different parts VI. On the master archers VII. On the principles of loosing and the different schools therein VIII. Things the archer should know IX. How to determine the cast of the bow, its weight, and the limit of the archer’s strength in drawing X. On testing the bow before bracing XI. On bracing, which is the same as stringing XII. On the curvature of the bow after bracing XIII. On unstringing XIV. On picking up the bow and arrow preparatory to shooting and the manner of shooting XV. On the different draws and the manner of locking the thumb and the index finger on the string, and on the rules of arranging the index finger upon the thumb XVI. On how to hold the grip of the bow with the left hand XVII. On the clench XVIII. On drawing and its limits XIX. On aiming, which is the same as pointing at the target XX. On the loose or release XXI. On the passage of the arrow over the left hand XXII. On blisters and wounds on the index finger of the right hand caused by stringing, clenching, drawing and loosing, together with the remedies thereof XXIII. On the blow of the string on the archer’s right thumb, which causes it to turn black and blue on the inside and beneath the nail and sometimes results in breaking the nail; as well as on the blistering and bruising of the left thumb at the time of shooting, together with the remedies thereof XXIV. On the blow of the string on the forearm of the archer and the remedy thereof XXV. On the blow of the string on the chin of the archer, or on his ear, and the remedies thereof XXVI. When the tip of the bow hits the ground at the moment of loosing, and the remedy thereof XXVII. When the nock of the arrow breaks and the remedy thereof XXVIII. On causing the arrow to move on itself, or wag, in its flight XXIX. On the management of the arrow when shooting against the wind, et cetera, and on trying not to shoot it when a break is found after it has been fully drawn XXX. On how near or how far the target should be XXXI. On standing and sitting for aiming XXXII. On the variations in the length and construction of the Arab bow XXXIII. On strings; how to make them and how to form their eyes XXXIV. On the length and shortness of the string XXXV. On the thinness and thickness of the string and on how to choose the correct and appropriate size XXXVI. On the weight of the string in relation to the weight of the bow XXXVII. On the names of the various kinds of arrows and their different parts; and on the length of each kind, the desirable wood from which to make it, and the manner of its paring XXXVIII. On arrowheads; the different kinds, their various uses, how to fix them on the shaft; and the manner of cutting arrow-nocks XXXIX. On feathers and fletching XLI. On sundry points not yet mentioned concerning the competition bow, the description of its arrow, and the manner of its use, together with some of the tricks employed in competitions XLII. On thumb-tips and the various kind thereof XLIII. On shooting with the husban, dawdan, and ‘usfuri arrows through the hollow of a guide XLIV. On stunt shooting XLV. Targets and target practice XLVI. Quivers, belt, arrow picker, file Appendix