The Butts

The Butts

  • Interesting Facts and information about Medieval Butts used to practise warfare during the Middle Ages
  • Description of the Butts
  • Training methods
  • English Archery Laws of the Middle Ages

Background of the Butts
The areas designated for archery training during the Medieval period of the Middle Ages were called the butts. The following description of the Butts provides basic facts and information:

  • Skill in using the Medieval longbow had to be acquired over many years
  • The first Medieval Archery Law was passed in 1252 when all Englishmen between the age of 15 to 60 years old were ordered, by Law, to equip themselves with a bow and arrows
  • The second archery Law of 1363 made it obligatory for Englishmen to practise their skills with the longbow every Sunday!
  • The Archery Law led many accidents when people were hit by 'loose' arrows
  • Special places were assigned for the archery training
  • These places were called the Butts
  • The Butts were usually located on the margins of villages or towns on common land
  • Definition: The word Butt is derived from the Anglo French word 'bouter' meaning to expel. It is now virtually obsolete but still lives on in English place names such as Newington Butts in South London
   
  

The Butts

The area used for archery training during the Middle Ages ( Medieval period ) by Archers
especially using the longbow weapon

    Description of the Butts
    A description of the butts is as follows:

    • They were situated on a flat area of land, up to 200m long
    • The Butts were usually located on the margins of villages or towns on common land
    • A range was designated where archers could practise shooting their arrows
    • The targets were originally made of a number of circular, turf-covered target mounds with flat tops
    • The mounds then provided a level platform for the targets
    • The mounds ranged between 2m to 8m across and 1m to 3m in height

    Training at the Butts
    Skill in the use of Medieval weapons and understanding the strategy of Medieval Warfare was necessary and a played a vital part in Medieval life. The training required by Archers at the Butts :

    • Training method - The training method practised in the use of the Butts was  
    • The draw weight was up to 120 pounds
    • The bow was drawn 'to the ear'
    • The attachment points for the string were protected by horn ‘nocks’
    • The training included much practised commands and motions which could be carried out automatically in battle

      • "Ready your bows!"
      • "Nock!"
      • "Mark!"
      • "Draw!"
      • "Loose!"

    • The cries of " Nock! Mark! Draw!" would have resounded across the battlefields of the Middle Ages
    • A trained archer was expected to shoot 12 to 15 arrows per minute
    • He was expected to hit a target at a minimum of 200 yards with an ordinary bow
    • The range of a longbow was about 400 yards
    • The longbow could pierce armour at ranges of more than 250 yards
    • The standard archery target developed into five colored rings, each divided in two bands. each band of the target has the same width

      • The central two bands (bullseye, 10 points) and the ring valued at 9 points were yellow
      • The next two bands from the center out were red
      • The were blue
      • The next were white
      • The outer bands were black

    The Importance of Training at the Butts

    • The medieval knight had no protection against the arrows of the longbow - this enabled an ordinary soldier to kill a noble knight
    • Up to the advent of the longbow a knight was deemed to be worth the equivalent of ten ordinary soldiers
    • The power of the longbow was so great that at the Battle of Crecy, in 1346, the French army was decimated. It is estimated that nearly 2000 French knights and soldiers were killed by the longbow arrows. The English lost just 50 men!
    • It can be understood why Archery Laws were passed and why training at the Butts was so important during English Medieval life in the Middle Ages!

    The Archery Laws
    The first English Archery Law was passed in 1252. In 1252 the 'Assize of Arms' ensured that all Englishmen were ordered, by law, that every man between the age of 15 to 60 years old should equip themselves with a bow and arrows.

    The Plantagenet King Edward III took this further and decreed the Archery Law in 1363 which commanded the obligatory practice of archery on Sundays and holidays! The Archery Law "forbade, on pain of death, all sport that took up time better spent on war training especially archery practise".

    King Henry I later proclaimed that an archer would be absolved of murder, if he killed a man during archery practise!

    In 1542 another Act established that the minimum target distance for anyone over the age of 24 years was 220 yards.

    The Butts
    Each section of Middle Ages Weapons provides interesting facts and information about Medieval warfare in addition to the Butts. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Medieval period of the Middle Ages!

    The Butts

    • Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times
    • Middle Ages Castles, Knights, Crusaders, Crusaders and Weapons
    • Interesting Facts and information about Medieval Butts used to practise warfare during the Middle Ages
    • Description of the Butts
    • Training methods
    • English Archery Laws of the Middle Ages

    The Butts

    The Butts - History of Butts - Interesting Information about Butts - Butts Facts - Butts Info - Middle Ages Weapon - Middle Ages Weapon - Middle Ages Wepon - The Butts - Butts History - Information about Butts - Butts Facts - Butts Info - Knights weapon - Crusaders Weapon - Wepon - Training - Use - Makers - Crusades - Castle - Castles - Armor - Siege - Weapon training - The Butts - History of Butts - Information about Butts - Facts - Butts Info - Middle Ages Weapon - Middle Ages Weapon - Middle Ages Wepon - Butts History - Information about Butts - Facts about Butts and Info - Knights weapon - Crusaders Weapon - Wepon - Training - Use - Makers - Crusades - Castle - Armor - Siege - Weapon training - Written By Linda Alchin