Archery at Sea: Yule Ball '25

Archery at Sea

In western Europe, longbow archery was most prominent in warfare during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The longbow was highly influential during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, 1337-1453, contributing to the English victories at Crecy, 1346, and Agincourt, 1415.

By the 16th century, deployment of archers was declining in land warfare, as firearms began to replace them on the battlefield.

However, the longbow persisted as a naval weapon for at least another century. More than one hundred intact long bows were recovered from the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545. When it sailed, the Mary Rose would have carried 250 longbows and thousands of arrows.

The importance of the longbow at sea is evident in the design of medieval ships, which developed higher decks and fore- and aft-castles to elevate the archers and provide a better shooting position.

Maritime archery using recurved horse bows was also influential in other cultures, including pre-1600 Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian traditions.

This year’s Yule Ball celebrates the use of the bow in maritime warfare throughout our period, and particularly during the 16th century when the longbow’s primary importance was at sea.

The Holly Monarch this year will be decided by an Archery Tournament – test your skill to become the Holly Monarch!