Bow)
Bow is the oldest projectile weapon. It consists of an elastic bow arm and a flexible bow string. When the force accumulated in the process of pulling the bowstring is released in an instant, the arrow or projectile buckled on the bowstring can shoot at the distant target.
"Bow" is a hieroglyph. The ancients used bows to loosen the strings at ordinary times and tighten them in wartime. Therefore, the "bow" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions corresponds to two glyphs. Note that no matter what shape the "bow" is, there is a bend in the middle. Why?
Bowling originated very early. Archaeological findings show that there was a stone arrow in the Zhiyu cultural site in Shuoxian County, Shanxi Province 30,000 years ago, indicating that the ancestors had used bows at that time. Early bows were made of bamboo or wood, which were perishable and difficult to preserve. Although there is no real thing, it is conceivable that the original bow is no different from the current children's toys. Bend a bamboo piece or branch, tie it with a rope, and draw both ends into a bow. This kind of bow is roughly semicircular, or more precisely circular.
The modern "bow" is a hieroglyph. In Shang Dynasty Oracle Bone Inscriptions, the word "bow" already existed. Why is the word "bow" more tortuous than an arc? Compared with the latter, the former has an extra bend in the middle, which is very particular. It can be said that it is a great progress in ancient bow-making technology and a milestone progress.
Why does the middle of the bow bend? According to the knowledge of modern mechanics, a straight bamboo can be imagined as being glued by many thin bamboo pieces. When bamboo is bent into an arc, the outer bamboo pieces are pulled and the inner bamboo pieces are pressed. If the bow is stronger, the bamboo will bend more seriously, and when the force is unbearable, cracks or even fractures will occur. In order to make bamboo bear greater bending force, the outer layer will not crack, so the ancients thought of bending bamboo in the opposite direction in advance, so that the outer layer will be subjected to some pressure first and the inner layer will be subjected to some tension first. When the bow is in use, the outer layer is pulled and the inner layer is compressed, which can offset part of the force from the inside and increase the force on the bow, thus forming the appearance of "bow". First, it is bent in the opposite direction, which is called "prestress" in modern engineering terminology.
Bending first will produce prestress, which was first used in bow making in ancient times. Early records are unknown. Shen Kuo, a famous scholar in the Song Dynasty, made a relevant account in Meng Qian's Bi Tan, and summed it up brilliantly, saying, "(Bow) rubs its material, which makes people admire". "Knead" means "bend" and "bend your back" means "bend in the opposite direction". The bow made in this way is more powerful. Bows unearthed during the Warring States period were bent inward in the middle, which indicated that the bow makers at that time knew the application of prestress.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the bow-making technology reached a high level. In the early Warring States period, the book Kao Gong Ji recorded in detail the requirements of materials and techniques for making bows. The six materials of "taking six materials as bows" are: stems (zhe, mulberry, orange, papaya, Jing, bamboo, etc. ), horn (ox horn), tendon, glue (deer, horse, cow, mouse, fish, rhinoceros), silk, lacquer. Each material has clear selection criteria. I am very particular about the craft of bows. I make stalks in winter, soak horns in spring and cure tendons in summer. In autumn, I put the three together with silk, glue and paint to make a bow. After winter, I put the bow in the bow box to determine its shape. Next spring, I will install bowstring inspection to make a good bow for three years.
Since the bow in ancient China was no longer round, the poet used the "bow" as a metaphor for the waning moon in the sky.
In Japanese, the word "bow Zhang Yue" means "string moon", and the string moon is named after "bow", which seems to mean that the bow in ancient Japan did not have that "bend". There is an artistic statue (about 480 BC) on the top of the Egina Temple in Greece-a soldier is shooting an arrow, which also shows that the prestressed bow has not been invented in ancient Greece.
Bows can be divided into "straight bows" and "curved bows". "Straight bow" is to string a straight piece of wood or bamboo; "Bending bow" is to bend curved materials with large curvature in the opposite direction and string them together to make them more elastic. In addition, according to the production method, the bow can be divided into "single bow",
There are three kinds of "reinforced bow" and "synthetic bow". "Integral bow" refers to a bow made by simply bending the bow body material and arranging the chords. "Strengthening bow" is to wrap and strengthen the bow body with ropes to increase the elasticity of the bow. The "synthetic bow" is made of animal horns, bones or bamboo. This kind of bow has elasticity, great strength and long range, but it is more complicated to make. Bows also come in different sizes. Usually the big bow is the same length as the adult, and the short bow is mostly used by cavalry. In ancient China, nomadic people in the north and northwest used short bows, while ethnic minorities in the southeast used long bows. It is said that people in the Central Plains at that time called these people who used big bows "Yi". It is interesting to break down the word "Yi" into the meanings of "big" and "bow".
Bow and arrow is the oldest projection weapon used by human beings. Its birthplace can't be determined exactly, because many peoples in the world used bows and arrows in the early days. The earliest stone arrow found in China so far is the stone arrow of Paleolithic Age, which is about 28,000 years ago. This stone arrow is made of flint, about 2.8 cm long, with sharp firing pin and fine workmanship. Presumably, this is not the oldest arrow in China. Our ancestors used bows and arrows 30,000 years ago. Bows and arrows in the early primitive society were simple to make and rough in shape. Bows are made of bamboo strips and tied with bowstrings, that is, "bowstrings are arcs". Then sharpen a wooden stick or bamboo pole as an arrow, so-called "chopping wood as an arrow", and make a bow and arrow. At that time, hunting with it was a great progress of society, not only shooting wild animals from a long distance, but also avoiding the threat and harm of close hunting of wild animals. Later, people made arrows from stone chips or animal bones and installed them on the arrows, which greatly improved the killing effect and facilitated people to kill more animals. After entering the bronze age, not only did the arrow have a sharper bronze arrow, but the bow was also more elastic. The bow and crotch of Shang dynasty were obviously sunken to the shooter's side. When pulling and releasing the bow, the bow body is restrained in the opposite direction, which is stronger than the original single bow, and the string can maintain strong elasticity after being stretched, greatly expanding the range.
The exact age of using bows and arrows in human wars is still unknown. But by the Spring and Autumn Period, bows and arrows had become an important long-range weapon in the army. Prior to this, according to Zhou Li Xiaguan and Kao Gong Ji, the State Military Industry Department of the Zhou Dynasty had a special organization responsible for making and distributing bows and arrows. At that time, there were six kinds of bows: king bow, arc bow, clip bow, Tang bow, Geng bow and big bow. Among them, the king bow and arc bow are specially used for guarding the city or fighting cars; Tang bow and big bow are used for training and shooting; Clip bow and Geng bow are used for hunting. At the same time, there are strict regulations on the selection and manufacture of various bows. For example, to make a good bow, it is necessary to choose wood as the handle. In addition, the decorative corners on both sides of the bow, the silk thread wrapped around the bow and the animal tendons stuck outside, as well as the glue and paint applied need to be carefully prepared and selected. The ancient bow-making technology also paid great attention to the season of materials and the climate of processing and production. So it often takes craftsmen years to make a good bow. During the Warring States period, the production of bows has formed a complete process, and some well-preserved warring States bows were unearthed in a Chu tomb in Changsha. One of the bows is 140 cm long, 4.5 cm wide and 5 cm thick, and there are horny stumps on both sides of the bow. The bow is made of bamboo, the middle part is made of four pieces of bamboo, and the animal tendons in the form of colloidal sheets are stuck outside. The bow is wrapped with silk thread and painted. Although this kind of bow is an ordinary bow, it is an ancient compound bow, which has six materials: stem, horn, tendon, glue, silk and lacquer. Later, the changes of the bow were reflected in the selection of materials and production, and the basic style changed little.
Bow and arrow, as a long-range weapon, was widely used in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and was listed as the first weapon. The son of a noble learned archery from an early age. As a skill, shooting must be familiar to doctors or officials.
One of the "six arts" is regarded as a kind of etiquette not only in the alliance between monarch and minister, but also in folk customs. When a boy was born, he hung a bow at the door, hoping that when he grew up, he could be brave and shoot arrows with a bow. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there was a young man named "Yangji". He learned to shoot from an early age and was proficient in shooting skills. He is known as the "god arrow raises uncle"
In the Han dynasty, making bows and arrows was more conducive to actual combat. Many bows and arrows were made for stepping, water fighting and riding. There are samurai bows, carved bows, angle bows, Taoist bows and strong bows. Not only is the bow strong, but it is also equipped with copper hoop and jade horn, which is very delicate and beautiful. People regard archery as both a tactic and an art. Some people describe Lu Bu's archery as "the bow opens like an autumn moon and the arrow goes like a meteor." In ancient books, many literati described vivid and vivid scenes of bow and arrow fighting. It is described in The Romance of the Former Han Dynasty that when Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty met Wu Chubing, Zhou Yafu "sent archers in front, followed by swordsmen in the team, which was heavily guarded". There are also: enemy soldiers "flock to Qi Fei to fight for the Han army"; Emperor gaozu "took the initiative to supervise the war and was fearless." Li Guang, a famous "flying general" in the Han Dynasty, once made the Huns dare not attack with his archery. It is said that the arrow used by Li Guang is called "Dahuang Arrow", which is often said as "the arrow is like a migratory locust". What is even more surprising is that once, Li Guang visited the foothills and saw a tiger lying in the grass in the distance. He quickly drew his bow, shot an arrow and hit the tiger. However, the tiger actually lay motionless and took a closer look. It turned out to be a big stone that looked like a tiger. The arrow penetrated the stone for several inches, and only the arrow feather was exposed. After this arrow, Li Guang became more famous. Everyone said that Li Guang had divine power, so an arrow could pierce a stone. Although archery emphasizes skill, arm strength is the first condition. The ancient unit of calculation was "stone" (1 stone = 94 kg). During the Three Kingdoms period, the famous Shu general Huang Zhong refused to accept his old age, although he was over sixty. On one occasion, Shu sent a general to defeat the famous Wei. Military strategist Zhuge Liang believes that only Zhang Fei can defeat Zhang Deng. Huang Zhong said: "Although he is old, his arms are still a bow of three stones, and he still has a thousand pounds of strength. Isn't he better than a lamp? " As he spoke, he took off the broadsword on the shelf and shook it like a fly. The hard bow on the wall was dragged and folded in two, which can be described as "vigorous and healthy". During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the tension of the bow increased. According to Liang Shu, "Yang Kan's arm strength is unparalleled. He used a twelve-stone bow and immediately used a six-stone bow. "
Bows in the Tang Dynasty are divided into four types: long bow, angle bow, micro bow and lattice bow. The long bow is used for stepping, the horn bow is used for riding, and the slight bow and the plaid bow are the hunting bow and the imperial military bow. From the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the shape of the bow has become increasingly simple, which can be roughly divided into ordinary bow and practice bow. The former pays attention to the accuracy of shooting, while the latter practices the arm strength of the bow, so he practices the "big bow" and "long bow". The Ming dynasty paid special attention to the selection and manufacture of bows, and the materials used for a bow often came from many places.
In the ancient history of China, courtiers of all dynasties attached great importance to the making and use of bows. Because in ancient wars, "when the two armies met, the crossbow started first." Whether it is attacking and defending towns, ambushes or positional warfare, bows and arrows can be used as sharp weapons, "the first move is the strongest." Since the advent of firearms, bows and arrows continued to serve in the army because of their lightness, flexibility and high firing rate, and they were used until the late Qing Dynasty. Today, in the sports arena, we can still witness the heroic attitude of archers.
Since Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the bow has been the main long-range weapon, so its manufacture has always attracted people's attention. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the bow making technology has made great progress, and the quality has also been greatly improved. All countries use it to equip their troops, and a large number of them are in.
In the war. It can be seen from Gong Gong Ji Gong Man that there was a scientific standard for making bows at that time. In its manufacture, the selection of materials is the first, and there are six basic materials, which are called "six materials": "stems, corners, tendons, glue, silk and paint". The role of "six materials" is that "those who do it think it is far away"; Those with horns think they are sick; Strong people also think they are deep; Glue also, thinking also; Silk is also considered a solid; People who paint also think that they are exposed to frost and dew. "The selection criteria of the six materials are very strict, and they are graded, such as the bow and stem, and the" Seven-stem Method ",in which Zhemu is the top, followed by bamboo. A good bow usually takes two to three years. The bow made by this method is a very mature composite bow with great elasticity and durability, which is often called "angle bow" in the literature. Ancient bows in the Spring and Autumn Period have been unearthed in Chu tombs in Hunan and Hubei, which can basically confirm the records of ancient books such as Kao Gong Ji.
HOHO