One can easily take a look at a sport in the prime of its existence and admire at its current state. However, every sport has a unique history and origin that is worth exploring. It is always good to look back and examine the history of a sport to look at the original purpose and the original rules that were put into place. It is interesting to compare and contrast the rules that existed when the sport was first created versus the rules that are in existence today.
The sport of archery has a rich history. Archery is one of the oldest sports that has ever existed. In this piece, we will take an in-depth look at the overall history of archery.
First of all, one would interested to know that the concept of archery originated from Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago. During that time, archery was used for hunting as well as in times of war. There were drawn figures on tombs that were depicted giving archery lessons. The sport can be traced back to the Stone Age. However, the sport would gain momentum and development in Asia. Archery was brought to Japan by the Chinese way back in the 6th century. Archery would become a staple of Chinese culture as well as Japanese culture. Along with developing one’s physical body, Archery is utilized in terms of developing one’s mental and spiritual fortitude.
Archery became so engrained in Japanese culture that Japan developed a martial art around the sport. The martial art is known as kyudo. Kyudo is otherwise termed as “the way of the bow”. Today, the practice of kyudo is done by thousands of folks around the worldwide. According to the International Kyudo Federation, there are over 100,000 members worldwide.
Archery was also very popular in Middle Eastern culture. The Mongols ended up conquering lands with a bow and arrow thanks to the leadership of Attila the Hun.
The sport of archery is heavily rooted in mythology. Many are well-aware of the fact that archery was a big part in the novel “Robin Hood”. However, archery was a big part of Greek mythology. Odyessus was a noted master of the sport of archery. He had to utilize his archery skills in order to win the love of his life back.
Archery also played a big role in British history. The use of archery was a big use in British battles during periods of war. It was especially used during the Hundred Years War. Archery was a part of the Battle of Agincourt as well as the Battle of Crecy and Agincourt. In addition, it is no secret that archery was a major part of some popular fantasy fiction novels.
Archery can be seen in the Lord of the Rings Series. It can also be seen in the novel that was the first part of the Game of Thrones series. There is no way to underscore archery as a significant and sophisticated form of battle in fictional novels.
As time has evolved, it is no secret that the need for archery has diminished. Archery is not as celebrated anymore in a lot of cultures. However, it is still a very good skill to have. It tests the accuracy of individuals. It also tests the level of one’s hand-eye coordination.
This is an activity that is done in many summer camps under the supervision of well-trained instructors. However, archery is still a competitive sport in the Olympics. There are individual as well as team events for archery. There are medals that can be won for individuals and teams for men as well as women.
