War Gear

I have the go-ahead to put in the down payment on a custom bow by Saluki...the foremost maker of 'horse bows' out there. It is a three hundred dollar investment and non-refundable so certainty is a must. Total cost...likely to be right around the eight hundred mark. Not including anything like extra strings or what have you. I can pay a bit along as we go thankfully; each bow is hand crafted.

I'm after the Scythian style, probably the fifty eight inch tall version with a sixty..or maybe sixty five..pound draw at thirty inches draw length. Why Scythian? I like the looks, and the shape of the bow..and I have a thing for Scythian culture. The bow is the essential 'cupid' shape, when strung, that one finds in Roman artwork, although these replicas are not quite that stylized. Enough though, certainly enough.

It would be my most powerful bow..and the highest quality bow I own. Have ever owned. Fiberglass is used instead of sinew in the construction..this makes the bow far more weather resistant than the traditional materials..and far, far cheaper. About a third the cost.

The more I go about Rangering, the more comfortable I feel as a woman carrying an eastern style bow...they are smaller, better in brush, lighter, just as powerful, and far easier to carry being suited to a bow case for the purpose. They are easily used mounted...although really, any bow can be used mounted; look at the bows of the Samurai after all. Perhaps not so gracefully in full flight but I have seen Japanese horse archers do amazingly graceful things with those long, elegant bows.

For me, the eastern bow is a better style for my needs. I've been eyeballing quivers and bags too. Over the shoulder is definitely recorded in Tolkien's works...but as a practical matter while hunting, not the best solution...movement is exaggerated by the need to reach over the shoulder, and game is generally geared to watching for movements out of the ordinary. The arrow bag allows a very nice and practical draw....as does a belt quiver with the heads upright...but the bag is out of the way on the back, it does not get snagged so easily by brush, and with a bottom opening, the one is again drawing by the head onto the bow. This is grand for hunting...but if you are going to war and need many more arrows the bag begins to show its limitations. So perhaps a compromise between the two...similar to...oh, some of the eastern quiver designs perhaps? I do believe they ran into these same situations and came up with some rather elegant designs.

Either way, I can incorporate Elven and Númenorean influences easily enough. After all, both races 'awoke' in the East; Elves on the shores of Cúivenen and Men somewhere unknown, but their traditions and records show a westward migration from their earliest memories. The Easterlings are still there as of the Third Age of the world, still there here in the Fourth.

Did Rangers ever use such bows? Probably not since the Dúnedain Rangers of the Third Age were the remnants of the people of Arnor, Elendil's kingdom in Endor and from around the western area of Eriador. The old Númenorean steel bows of such legend and strength had long been lost along with the secret of their making. Elven bows are more akin to a reflex-deflex style..or even recurve..than 'horse bow'...although a case could probably be made...weakly.

Still, I am not here dealing with Tolkien reenactment, not entirely. I am also dealing with real needs and considerations..and for that the horse-bow is much the better choice in my mind.

In the Second Age, the 'age' of Númenor, we are informed that their legions..and they were called legions...used axe, spear, bow primarily..with a shortsword as a backup. By the time of the ending of the Second Age, longer swords were in common use but the shortsword and the need wallet were still present. The spear as well..although apparently they were not as well known for archery as they once had been. Of the axe there is little mention beyond the earlier comments. However, a hand axe is a useful thing so I keep that in my kit.

I have spears, but nothing like the ones used in the histories. I have a shortsword...and that I *will* use as it makes far more sense in the forests and brushlands and for an archer than some big hand and a half sword. These are more the product of PJs mind in making the films than anything described in print.....HOWEVER....Elves were rather taller than Men...and Númenoreans taller than most other Men...so a 'long sword' for any of them could be construed to be equivalent to a hand and a half sword for us normal folk. So those who adore that whole knightly thing can rest easy. ;)

Me, I am a Ranger...Forandir...and I live in Rándiromar Anduina, a pretty quiet and somewhat rustic place with lots of brush and a bit of forest to with it...forested hills. The simpler form works for me. Eastern style bow and probably quiver, shortsword, long knife, belt axe, and of course clothing...which I already touched on before.

As I experiment and gain experience I will, naturally, adjust and modify things. Records of that will be posted here now and again.

Vendui!

Siani