|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 13 June 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
The romance of archery by Karel Roberts Rathnaweera Artists depict King Devanampiyatissa in Mihintale with a bow and arrow in his hand stalking a deer while on a hunt. There can be no doubt that the King used these implements on his deer hunt because it was the bow and arrow that was used in those times on such expeditions, not to mention in warfare as well.
The Government of South Korea recently presented Sri Lanka with state-of-the-art archery equipment as this ancient sport is becoming increasingly known and popular in the country. We even have an Archery Association which has been in existence for some years. England more than any other country is associated with archery;think of the tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in the 12th century. This Robin O' the Hood was Earl of Huntingdon, a Saxon, until the Normans of French descent who invaded Britain sacked and pillaged the Saxons and the Earl took to the forest of Sherwood in Nottingham, Northern England where he gained the reputation as the champion archer of the land by taking part in competitions patronised by the monarch. Archery became a sport once its military use went on the wane, which was at the end of the 13th century when bows and arrows were used for the last time in the famous Hundred Years' War of that century. Almost all the kings of England were archers upto the time of Queen Victoria in the 19th century. Archery was declared compulsory by the English monarchs, and the Royal Company of Archers formed the monarch's bodyguard in Scotland. There is also the Swiss story of William Tell who had to target an apple perched on the head of his son. Tell shot the apple to pieces. This story inspired the Italian composer Rossini to write one of his most famous overtures, 'The overture to William Tell.' The Red Indians, or native Indians of America also used bows and arrows but the Europeans introduced their newly-discovered firearms into that country. Archery for men in the Olympic Games was introduced in the 1900. Women were entered as competitors several years later and suspended till 1972. Traditionally, bows are made of yew, just as cricket bats are made of willow. Bows are kept unstrung when not in use because they can be affected by temperature fluctuations and humidity. Bows are now made of plastic and fibreglass and arrows of aluminium, fibreglass and plastic. These materials are said to improve skills as an archer can hit a target 850 yards away as against the 300 of ancient days. Those who made arrows are called fletchers, but now plastic fins have replaced the tufts of feathers affixed to the end of the arrow which has a head of steel. Bowstrings are now made of nylon. But even modern archers carry their arrows in quivers as they have always done. This romantic sport which has come down in history through the ages is played on level playing fields, so to say. Targets are of tightly coiled straw rope, four feet in diameter with concentric scoring rings. In ancient Europe, in Popinjay shooting, a live parrot was tied atop a pole which the archers proceeded to shoot at. Later live parrots were replaced by cocks, hens and other birds. This writer recalls seeing archery classes being held on the sports grounds of a Bambalapitiya boys' school, the classes being conducted by Dr. Oswin Fernando who pioneered the sport here and held classes for those with an irresistible attraction to the sport. This was in the seventies. In Sri Lanka,our Veddahs are champion archers and have been for thousands of years. At a recent meeting chaired by Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Jeevan Kumaratunga, President of the Archery Federation Commodore H.U. Silva said that a training ground for archers with the necessary equipment and sponsors would greatly improve the sport, one of 21 approved sports at the Olympic Games, could be greatly improved in the country. Six would-be Olympic Games archery contestants (2008) are now under training by Korean coaches. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The bow and arrow has been used since prehistoric times in war and
peace in every country in the world except Australia where it was
introduced by the British many centuries later.
