See also: Crossbow
The crossbow (of the Latin arcuballista ) is a Arme of jet, invented by the Chinese, and whose presence is attested at the Romains.
The Gastrophète is the Ancêtre of the crossbow: but it was not whereas a weapon of seat, too heavy to be useful on a battle field. Initially arms with Chasse, the crossbow is used like weapon of war with the Moyen-âge. Scorned by the Knighthood, she is regarded as arms unfair, because - killing remotely - she does not make it possible the adversary to defend herself. Its use is interdict in 1139 by the IIe council of Lateran and confirmed a few years later by the pope Innocent III, which threatened the principal rafters of Excommunication, this prohibition, in addition valid only for the engagements between Christians, remains dead letter near the princes of Occident. During the medieval wars, the France often calls upon Mercenaire S foreign principal rafters (in particular Italy NS, and in particular gênois).
The robustness of the armor S increased with progress of the Sidérurgie, which obliged to increase the power of the crossbow with the creation of the steel arc at the beginning of the 14th century and which replaced gradually, the arcs out of wooden and the arcs Composite S (lamellate-stuck: wood + tendons + horn, the pasted whole). One invented also a complex and expensive mechanism, with time of increasingly long recharging from 2 to 3 minutes like the jack or the winch (also called reeves it) to tighten the crossbow.
The jack of crossbow is incorrectly known nowadays, under the name of Cranequin. In the beginning, this word indicated the crossbow and not the mechanism intended to tighten it but the error perduré. The cranequiniers were the name of the users (with foot or horse) of this type of crossbow.
When the firearms used the serpentine drill holder they then became the basic equipment of the Fantassin, in the place of the arcs and the crossbows.
The crossbow is still used as arms, in shooting clubs of approval (Northern of France, Belgium, Netherlands…). Contrary to the arc, the shooting with the crossbow is not a Olympic sport. It is still used by EDF and the manufacturers of ski lift for launching, in certain particular cases, of the light cord which will be used to draw the cables (crossbow or rifle line-throwing apparatus). It is also a weapon appraisal of the crack corpses, in circumstances where discretion takes precedence over the range and the power of the weapon (arms particularly adapted to the combat in forest).
The crossbow indicates also the weapon used in underwater Chasse where the propulsion of the arrow is ensured by powerful rubber bands called sandows .
Richard Lion-hearted died of the wound inflicted by a square of crossbow in 1199.
The Italians were distinguished in manufacture from particularly effective crossbows: a feature of crossbow could reach up to 350 km/h! However, such a weapon reloading itself in half an hour, it was used little on the battle fields.
The modern crossbows benefitted from progress of the modern arcs: composite materials, arcs with pulley. As illustration, here figures of a modern crossbow of hunting:
- Power: 150 pounds
- initial Speed: 102 m/s (approx. 350 km/h)
Related bonds
crossbow- the legend of Guillaume Tell reports the use of a crossbow.
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