Since the dawn of man, Man never submitted himself to the elements, made ways so that nature will bend according to his whim. He made fire, tools, weapons and so on, but one specific tool he made that enables him to take down prey from a distance, and that is the bow.

Since then, numerous civilizations have made their version of this ranged weapon. From the Japanese Yumi bow to the Mongolian recurve bows, undoubtedly the world has utilized this tool for millennia.

We pretty much know the history of these formidable weapons, its classifications and other things about it. For more info about archery, you can visit Archerypower for they have all the best facts and instructional materials for the topic of archery,

Anyway, there are a lot of quirky and surprising facts and trivia about this weapon, and here they are:

The Juicy Facts

There are a lot of surprising stories and facts about the bow. We can also say that it has a colorful history, just like swords and armors. So, here are the juicy facts that you have been waiting for.

• Let us start first with the name itself. The name “archery” comes from the Latin word “arcus,” which means the bow and arrow itself.
• The first guys or civilization who sued the bow and arrow for combat are the Babylonians more than four thousand years ago.
• Well, the Babylonians were beaten by the Africans when it comes to using the bow. Arrowheads discovered in Africa was dated more than twenty-five thousand years old.
• Archery is also considered as one of the oldest sports in history and has been a staple Olympic event since 1900.
• During the 1900 Summer Olympic, pigeons, what I mean the live ones, are used as a target in archery events, which is rather brutal.
• Fast forward four years, in 1904, Archery is the only sport that women can join. Yep, Olympics at first is a bit sad for women athletes at the time.
• The very first book about archery, Toxophilus, was made and published int 1545 by Roger Ascham. It focuses on the longbow and is dedicated to the current king at that time, King Henry VIII.
• The act of splitting a competitor’s arrow, a feat that is very hard to do, is called “Robin Hood.” Thus, this is because of the myth of Robin Hood who does the same thing during an archery competition.
• Another term for an archer is called “toxophilite’, which means “lover of bows” written in Greek. Thus, this is by far the most fitting, and a bit awkward way to call your archer friends.
• Bhutan is the only country which considers archery as a national sport. No other countries can top their level of awesomeness when it comes to national games.

Conclusion

There are tons of awesome facts out there about archery, and these are just a few of them. Archery has its fair share of stories to tell throughout its colorful history. From legends to any battle made until the middle age, archery has proven itself as a powerful tool. Thus, this is either not just for hunting, but for combat too.