Archery - Mythology

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow. Archery being present from ancient times has lot to do with Mythology. Deities and heroes in several mythologies are described as archers. It includes Robin Hood, to name the most famous one. References to archery are also frequently made in Greek mythology, in which the story told of Ulysses in the twenty-first book of the Odyssey is a well-known example.

Ulysses is indeed mentioned as being eminently skilled in the art of archery. Penelope, thinking that her husband will never come back after twenty year of absence, forms a resolution to determine which of her suitors shall receive her hand by shooting with Ulysses’s bow. Ulysses, back from the Trojan War and disguised as a shepherd, is the only one able to draw his own bow and shoot an arrow through twelve rings. This way he can prove his wife who he is and defeat all of those who had taken advantage of his long absence.

It also includes the Greek Artemis and Apollo, the Roman Diana and Cupid, the Germanic Agilaz. The list continues in legends like those of William Tell, Palnetoke, or Robin Hood. Armenian Hayk and Babylonian Marduk, Indian Karna, Arjuna, Rama, Abhimanyu, and Shiva, and Persian Arash were all archers.

Earlier Greek representations of Heracles normally depict him as an archer. The Nymphai Hyperboreioi (Νύμφαι Ὑπερβόρειοι) were worshipped on the Greek island of Delos as attendants of Artemis, presiding over aspects of archery; Hekaerge (Ἑκαέργη), represented distancing, Loxo (Λοξώ), trajectory, and Oupis (Οὖπις), aim. In East Asia, Yi the archer features in several early Chinese myths, and the historical character of Zhou Tong features in many fictional forms.

Jumong, the first Taewang of the Goguryeo kingdom of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, is claimed by legend to have been a near-godlike archer. In West African Yoruba belief, Osoosi is one of several deities of the hunt who are identified with bow and arrow iconography and other insignia associated with archery.

English literature also honours the longbow for famous victories in the battles of Crecy, Agincourt and Poitiers. The first known organised competition in archery was held at Finsbury, England in 1583 and included 3000 participants. By the time of the 30 Years War (1618-1648) it was clear that, due to the introduction of the gunfire, the bow as weapon belonged to the past. Since then archery has been developing as a recreational and competitive sport.