longbowman

Longbowman refers to an archer who specialized in the English longbow, a tall yew bow used in the High to Late Middle Ages. The term is most associated with England and Wales, where the weapon achieved its prominence from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

Longbows were typically about 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall and carved from yew. Draw weights are commonly estimated between 100 and 180 pounds (45–82 kg). Training required years from youth, focusing on stringing, aiming, and rapid firing. Longbowmen often formed organized militias or units, with many drawn from rural communities and known as yeoman archers.

On the battlefield, longbows produced a high rate of fire and could deliver volleys that disrupted formations before melee combat. Skilled archers could fire multiple arrows per minute, using terrain, stakes, and coordinating with other forces to maximize effect. Arrowheads varied, with bodkin points designed to pierce armor and broader heads for softer targets.

Notable campaigns and battles solidified the longbow’s reputation. At Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and especially Agincourt (1415), English longbowmen played a decisive role, leveraging massed volleys to weaken French knight and infantry formations and shaping tactical expectations of the era.

Decline came with the increasing use of gunpowder firearms in the later 15th and 16th centuries, though the longbow left a lasting legacy in military organization and popular culture. The longbow remains a symbol of medieval military craft and English archery traditions.