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The Abkhazian bow

14.07.2017

As you know, from ancient times throughout the world, the skill of the Abkhazian mountaineers was widely known for creating strong bows and the thinnest, sharpest arrows. According to the surviving evidence, the arrows of the Abkhaz were so fast and sharp that even at the beginning of the nineteenth century local residents still used a bow and arrows during trout fishing in mountain rivers.

Many people return to their origins, revive traditional sports, hunting, recreate the technology of making bow and crossbow. This is a good hobby.

To make a bow is a rather long process. If we talk about a simple, wooden bow, then first we need to find a certain type of wood, cut it at the right time, dry it in the right way.

When the wood is dried, it needs to be treated with special tools. Here we need to understand the structure of the tree, so to speak, the anatomy of the bow, and it is rather complicated. The tree must be handled so that all outer layers remain intact. At the same time, the inner layers must be cut to such an extent that a smooth arc is obtained when bending. The left and right sides of the bow must symmetrically bend. And to learn how to work this way, you will break more than one bow.

For the production of bows, good material is the Caucasian yew and ash. These tree species are flexible, elastic and light. Bows from such a tree will last long. But since it is forbidden to cut down the Caucasian yew, ash is considered more accessible. Also, good bows can be made from acacia. It is very similar to the Caucasian yew, but heavier.

No matter how good the bow is, but if the arrow is a curve or heavy, it is impossible to hit the target. Therefore, arrows are prepared with special care. Modern conditions allow you to saw the desired straight-faced board of pine, fir, larch or ash.

In the old days, arrows were individually stripped or looking for straight branches of walnut and dogwood. These branches were hung in a place where the sun did not hit, attached to them a heavy load to delay future arrows.

There are different ways of shooting. For example, the Mediterranean, when a person uses three fingers. There is an Asian one - shooting with two fingers: a special ring is put on the thumb and this string holds the bowstring. These are the two main methods of shooting. Both methods are typical in Abkhazia.