SV: [Y-Indology] How long is "the length of a bow"? Ameasurem. from YKU.

[Guest guest]

I remember some Greek source (Megasthenes?) talking about Indian longbowmen.

Apparently the bow was 3 meters / yards long (unstringed?). This bow, like

its British counterpart, was extremely strong, Indian longbowmen could shoot

an arrow through any kind of armour.

 

Lars Martin

 

 

 

Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse

Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,

0674 Oslo - Norway

Phone: +47 22 32 12 19 Fax: +47 850 21 250

Mobile phone: +47 90 91 91 45

E-mail: lmfosse

http://www.linguistfinder.com/translators.asp?id=2164

 

 

 

> -----Opprinnelig melding-----

> Fra: INDOLOGY

> [iNDOLOGY] På vegne av Allen W Thrasher

> Sendt: 22. april 2005 18:17

> Til: INDOLOGY

> Emne: [Y-Indology] Re: How long is "the length of a bow"?

> Ameasurem. from YKU.

>

>

> Which implies the dhanus meant is a longbow, not a recurved

> composite bow, which would be far shorter.

>

> I seem to recall lots of images of Rama and Laksmana with

> longbows about their own height. Presumably the pair are the

> ideal height, i.e. tall, say 6 feet.

>

> Is six ft. the height of gods and heroes in the iconographic

> textbooks?

>

> Allen

>

>

>

> Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

> Senior Reference Librarian

> Southern Asia Section

> Asian Division

> Library of Congress

> Jefferson Building 150

> 101 Independence Ave., S.E.

> Washington, DC 20540-4810

> tel. 202-707-3732

> fax 202-707-1724

> athr

> The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of

> the Library of Congress.

>

> >>> ymalaiya 04/20/05 4:45 PM >>>

>

>

>

> From Apte's dictionary,

>

> 1 hasta = 24 angulas = 18 inches

>

> which would give dhanu = 6 feet.

>

> Hasta is from elbow to the tip of the finger, and is same as a cubit.

>

> Yashwant

------------------------ Sponsor

> --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child.

> Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.'

> http://us.click./i8TXDC/5WnJAA/HwKMAA/x3XolB/TM

> -----------------------------

> ------~->

>

>

> Links

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's not Megasthenes but Nearch (in Arrian, Indica 6), see my India and

the Hellenistic world p. 32.

Klaus

On Apr 22, 2005, at 11:08 PM, Lars Martin Fosse wrote:

 

>

>

> I remember some Greek source (Megasthenes?) talking about Indian

> longbowmen.

> Apparently the bow was 3 meters / yards long (unstringed?). This bow,

> like

> its British counterpart, was extremely strong, Indian longbowmen could

> shoot

> an arrow through any kind of armour.

>

> Lars Martin

>

>

>

> Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse

> Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,

> 0674 Oslo - Norway

> Phone: +47 22 32 12 19 Fax: +47 850 21 250

> Mobile phone: +47 90 91 91 45

> E-mail: lmfosse

> http://www.linguistfinder.com/translators.asp?id=2164

>

>

>

Klaus Karttunen, Ph.D.

Research Fellow,

Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies

P.O. Box 4

FIN-00014  University of Helsinki

Finland

 

Tel +358-(0)9-191 23500

Fax +358-(0)9-191 24509

Email Klaus.Karttunen

 

also

Docent of Indology and Classical Ethnography

Institute of Asian and African Studies

PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B), 00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND