Eastern archer's grave in Birka
Dear all,
I have found in Russian re-enactor site TForum http://www.tforum.info/forum/index.php?showtopic=21445this link http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocu ... lltext.pdfThis is a document about Eastern archer's grave in Birka, Sweden. There are parts from quiver and bowcase, and (!) a ring.
As I know, this is a first old archery ring, found in Europe. Before this, there were not rings founded in Russia or Hungary, the countries connected with Vikings. If I'm or my buddies from TForum are wrong, please correct us.
I have found in Russian re-enactor site TForum http://www.tforum.info/forum/index.php?showtopic=21445this link http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocu ... lltext.pdfThis is a document about Eastern archer's grave in Birka, Sweden. There are parts from quiver and bowcase, and (!) a ring.
As I know, this is a first old archery ring, found in Europe. Before this, there were not rings founded in Russia or Hungary, the countries connected with Vikings. If I'm or my buddies from TForum are wrong, please correct us.
Don't forget Constantinople and its long-standing direct and indirect connection with eastern Scandinavia (mostly eastern Sweden). If I recall correctly, there are probable thumbrings from late Roman times in the Byzantium-controlled region.
I also seem to recall that there has been some criticism of that thesis for being to speculative, though I cannot recall what sources there are for hat criticism. Obviously, though, it has been regarded as reliable enough to use as one source for a dissertation the (full) text of which - in English - can be found here:
http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocu ... lltext.pdf
I also seem to recall that there has been some criticism of that thesis for being to speculative, though I cannot recall what sources there are for hat criticism. Obviously, though, it has been regarded as reliable enough to use as one source for a dissertation the (full) text of which - in English - can be found here:
http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocu ... lltext.pdf
The 13th Warrior :)
Redhorse,
bingo! :)
robno,
Constantinople is alone staying thing, very special city. It was a crossroad of West and East, North and South. Mediterranian Babylon. You can find here almost everything, but who nows from which place this thing came... :)
Russia and Hungary.... countries with, I believe, eastern style of shooting. And there were no rings found (in European part of Russia). Hungary was ex-nomadic kingdom...No rings too. (As I've been told).
Can anybody of our Swedish mates make short translation of this document in English?
bingo! :)
robno,
Constantinople is alone staying thing, very special city. It was a crossroad of West and East, North and South. Mediterranian Babylon. You can find here almost everything, but who nows from which place this thing came... :)
Russia and Hungary.... countries with, I believe, eastern style of shooting. And there were no rings found (in European part of Russia). Hungary was ex-nomadic kingdom...No rings too. (As I've been told).
Can anybody of our Swedish mates make short translation of this document in English?
It's a lot of text. I will read it and see if I can't find what can be of interest. Most i guess from findings of iron parts from a quiver and a bone reinforcement from an ear.
2 Introduction.
2.1
Some citate from Beowulf about how H?dkyn shot his brother with a "hornbow". And a little about the honrbow was from the eastern steps.
2.2
A lot of arrow points has been found a Birka. So they try to find out what archery related items was there.
What tactic could have been used. And the status of an archer.
2.3
The only direct item is metal parts that can have been from a gorytus. And then were those has been used.
2.4
How they work with the item.
2.5
About what is known of historical archery in that time in Europe and Sweden. Only one bow from that time exists, the Hedeby bow. Some of mouthed archery in Europe from sagas and plays. In grave the arrow points has been upwards indicating what kind of gorytus.
2.5.2
Map of Birka.
3.1
Pictures
Figur 5. what they have find.
Figur 6 Items from other places.
Figur 7 Left item from Birka the other from Hungary.
Figur 8 Left item from Birka the other from Hungary.
3.1.2
Figur 9 Reconstruction from other country.
Figur 10 Reconstruction from other country.
Figur 11 Reconstruction from other country.
And so one.
3.1.5
Thumb ring from Birka. The ring does only fit if turn with lip in. Some about were rings has been used around world.
3.1.6
One bone with a notch was find. They guess it could been as in picture Figur 17.
3.1.7
Figur 18 two points from Birka and one to compare from Hungary.
And then a lot of guess how and if there been archer, how they could have been used.
What this actually says is, some parts from an equipment that was not in the Viking culture has been find. How they come to Birka? your guess is probably as good as their.
2.1
Some citate from Beowulf about how H?dkyn shot his brother with a "hornbow". And a little about the honrbow was from the eastern steps.
2.2
A lot of arrow points has been found a Birka. So they try to find out what archery related items was there.
What tactic could have been used. And the status of an archer.
2.3
The only direct item is metal parts that can have been from a gorytus. And then were those has been used.
2.4
How they work with the item.
2.5
About what is known of historical archery in that time in Europe and Sweden. Only one bow from that time exists, the Hedeby bow. Some of mouthed archery in Europe from sagas and plays. In grave the arrow points has been upwards indicating what kind of gorytus.
2.5.2
Map of Birka.
3.1
Pictures
Figur 5. what they have find.
Figur 6 Items from other places.
Figur 7 Left item from Birka the other from Hungary.
Figur 8 Left item from Birka the other from Hungary.
3.1.2
Figur 9 Reconstruction from other country.
Figur 10 Reconstruction from other country.
Figur 11 Reconstruction from other country.
And so one.
3.1.5
Thumb ring from Birka. The ring does only fit if turn with lip in. Some about were rings has been used around world.
3.1.6
One bone with a notch was find. They guess it could been as in picture Figur 17.
3.1.7
Figur 18 two points from Birka and one to compare from Hungary.
And then a lot of guess how and if there been archer, how they could have been used.
What this actually says is, some parts from an equipment that was not in the Viking culture has been find. How they come to Birka? your guess is probably as good as their.
The other one, the dissertation I sent link to and which is in english, is highly likely more useful than that master's thesis in Swedish. Reason being that it gives an overview of relations to the east and the likes.
Maybe if sombody who know how looks archery ring , hard finding in this 1000- and more European museums , find more rings , because if in this old hauses working people like this who dont know in which direction archer pull komposite bow ... :lol:
I just went through the Swedish article and checked what I could.
Varangian guardsmen could have learned about thumb rings in Constantinople.
The Byzantines had known about them from at least the 7th century. The Russians did not use the thumb ring until the Mongol invasions.
At least one Russian archaeologist I know, who has excavated 7th-9th century tombs of Turkish warriors (Kighiz/Kazak), told me he had never found a ring. This suggests that even among some nomadic Turkish tribes the thumb ring was not initially in use.
The Magyars did not use the thumb ring from all the published evidence. In the 15th century they are described by an eye witness as drawing composite bows with their fingers in contrast to the Turks using their thumbs and rings (Bertandon de la Brocqui?re). Their early graves have lots of archery equipment but no rings.
Varangian guardsmen could have learned about thumb rings in Constantinople.
The Byzantines had known about them from at least the 7th century. The Russians did not use the thumb ring until the Mongol invasions.
At least one Russian archaeologist I know, who has excavated 7th-9th century tombs of Turkish warriors (Kighiz/Kazak), told me he had never found a ring. This suggests that even among some nomadic Turkish tribes the thumb ring was not initially in use.
The Magyars did not use the thumb ring from all the published evidence. In the 15th century they are described by an eye witness as drawing composite bows with their fingers in contrast to the Turks using their thumbs and rings (Bertandon de la Brocqui?re). Their early graves have lots of archery equipment but no rings.
Rather relevant for the context then:
The island-city of Birka was founded in the early 8th century and was mostly abandoned 250 years later. A rather unrestful period along the road (or river, as it were) between Sweden and Constantinople, to say the least.
The island-city of Birka was founded in the early 8th century and was mostly abandoned 250 years later. A rather unrestful period along the road (or river, as it were) between Sweden and Constantinople, to say the least.
They got the idea about quvier from Bede and the ring from Adam :)
Here's the Hurstwic reenactment group's opinion on a different ring and the possibility of its use in archery:
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/article ... ng_bow.htm
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/article ... ng_bow.htm
Due to its size and profile, the ring is unlikely to be used for archery. Its real use is a mystery.
If we imagine a man with a thumb large enough to wear it as a ring, the only possible type that would work is the Manchu style. The ring's shape would not act like a western Asiatic ring because there is no lip. However, it is proportionately too thin to retain the string in the Manchu style.
If it was worn on the proximal phalanx of the thumb, it could not be used either because the thumb would have to be turned too far to the right to gain any benefit. The release would be clumsy and the distal phalanx of the thumb would be damaged by the string.
If we imagine a man with a thumb large enough to wear it as a ring, the only possible type that would work is the Manchu style. The ring's shape would not act like a western Asiatic ring because there is no lip. However, it is proportionately too thin to retain the string in the Manchu style.
If it was worn on the proximal phalanx of the thumb, it could not be used either because the thumb would have to be turned too far to the right to gain any benefit. The release would be clumsy and the distal phalanx of the thumb would be damaged by the string.