Long Bow Stories — Old Legends, Maybe Some Fact

1907

Legends of the Famous Archers of the Remote Past

Many "long bow" stories may be cited in the literature of the world, and by far the greater part of them had their origin in the remote past.

Vergil, in the "Aeneid," tells of four archers who were shooting for a prize, the mark being a pigeon tied by a cord to the mast of a ship. The first man hit the mast, the second cut the cord, and the third shot the pigeon as it flew away. The fourth archer, having nothing left at which to shoot, drew his bow and sent his arrow flying toward the sky with such speed that the friction of the air set the feathers on fire, and it swept on like a meteor to disappear in the clouds. That is a bow and arrow story that tests the strongest powers of credulity.

The stories of Robin Hood's archery, illustrated by his wonderful performance as Locksley in Scott's "Ivanhoe," are also a decided strain on one's power of belief.

The famous legend of William Tell is believed by some to have a foundation in fact. There was a Dane named Foke of whom the same story was told, and William of Cloudesley, an Englishman, is said to have shot an apple from his son's head merely to show his skill.

The majority of bow and arrow stories relate to the accurate aim of the archers, but a Frenchman, Blaise de Vigenere, tells one in which the main point is the tremendous force with which an arrow may be propelled if the bow is strong and long enough. According to his own account of the matter, he saw Barbarossa, a Turk, admiral of a ship called the Grand Solyman, send an arrow from his bow clean through a cannon ball. Whether the cannon ball had a hole in it or not he neglects to inform us.

Perhaps the most astounding of all stories about arrow shooting is that of the Indians who used to inhabit Florida. It is said that a group of them would form a circle; one would throw an ear of corn into the air; the rest would shoot at it and shell it of every grain before it fell to the ground. Sometimes the arrows would strike the ear of corn so hard and fast that it would remain suspended in the air several minutes, and the cob never fell until the last grain had been shot away. — Chicago Record-Herald.

Playtime Stories - William Tell

1909--

WILLIAM TELL

Switzerland is a republic like our country, and the men who live in its mountains are a brave, free people. But long, long ago the emperor of Austria claimed Switzerland as part of his empire and sent a very wicked man by the name of Gressler to rule for him.

He had soldiers at his command and he seemed able to do all he wished, but he could not make the proud people bow down to him, and that made him very angry.

So Gessler set up a tall pole in the market place of Altorf, with his hat fastened to it, and ordered that every person should bow to it in passing. You see a great many would pass it, for the men and women from the mountains came down there to sell game and cheese and butter and some days the market place would be filled with them.

One day a tall, strong man named Wm. Tell came into the market place with his little boy. He was a famous archer and shot wolves, bears and wild goats in the mountains with his bow and arrow. Now when Wm. Tell crossed the market place he held his head very high when he passed the pole and would not bow to the hat. There were servants and spies of wicked Gessler watching and they told him that Tell had refused to bow before the hat. So Gessler had Wm. Tell brought before him and told him to place his little boy 100 paces off and to place an apple on his head. Then he was commanded to pierce the apple on the child's head.

The friends and neighbors turned pale, for they were afraid poor Wm. Tell would kill his own boy, but Wm. Tell made the child face him steadily and then he tested his bow, fitted the arrow into the notch and brought the bow slowly into place. The next moment a great shout arose — the arrow had split the apple in two and the child was not hurt. Wm. Tell then drew another arrow and killed the wicked Gessler and escaped with the little boy into the mountains where the soldiers could not find him.

--The Des Moines News, Des Moines, Iowa, February 21, 1909, page 4.