Arts: When Did Archers Start Splitting Arrows?

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Brow Beat When Did Archers Start Splitting Arrows? By Forrest Wickman Posted Friday, Jun 22, 2012, at 12:30 PM ET In a pivotal set piece toward the beginning of Brave, the redheaded heroine is charged with a seemingly impossible task: She must best an opponent's perfect bull's eye. Impossible, except anyone that's ever seen an archery contest according to Hollywood already knows exactly where the scene is going: Merida will fire her arrow straight through her opponent's, splitting it down the middle. When did archers start splitting arrows? Around the 17th century. In fiction, that is: It's unclear whether splitting an arrow from nock to tip in the manner depicted in Brave and other films and stories is possible at all in real life. Archers do plant arrows in the back of other arrows—it's a rare but not uncommon occurrence called "telescoping" or shooting a "Robin Hood," that seems to be on par with a hole-in-one in golf—but there's no evidence that it's possible to sail one arrow straight through another. The TV series Mythbusters took on just that question in a controversial episode. They found that even when fired at close range by a robot, the arrows could only partially split the target arrow. For a follow-up episode, the Mythbusters team responded to skeptics by attempting the feat again, this time using the equipment used in Robin Hood's time. Though this type of bow and arrow doesn't actually shoot very straight, one dissenting viewer donated the straightest possible grain of wood, so that the arrow might ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Sweat Is the Body's Cooling Mechanism. Should You Avoid Wiping It Off? Hey, Brave Is Good. Stop Slamming It. "The Fat Kid Is the Bottleneck": A Best-Selling Thriller About Running a Factory	Advertisement
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