FReeper Canteen ~ Part VI of The Mongols ~ December 14, 2004

www.coldsiberia.org ^ | December 14, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

ANCIENT WARFARE





Part VI of The Mongols

cont'd Mongolian Bow: Fish Glue and Sinew

As we understand, a composite bow by definition has several layers. We have mentioned the birch frame, and the layer of horn/bone. In addition to this, there is a layer of specially prepared birch bark whose purpose is to protect against penetration of moisture. In addition to this is a layer of sinew, which is taken from deer, moose or other game animals. The tendons of domestic animals may also be used, but Mongols feel that tendons from wild animals like deer, moose and mountain sheep are the strongest and best. Naturally, the bow has to be glued together. The preferred and traditional substance used for the impregnation of both leather as well as their bows is fish glue. As a matter of fact, fish glue has been proven through millennia to be highly capable of resisting moisture. Moreover, it is durable and lasts longer than modern epoxy resins, which are prone to molecular fatigue. Above all, fish glue is available in all the waters of Siberia where fish is living, among them the greatest of them all, Lake Bajkal.

How is fish glue made? The process that yields the highest quality is to take swim bladders from freshwater fish, soak them into hot water to extract the protein substance, and then boil the resultant soup for a prolonged period. If sufficient quantities of swim bladders cannot be obtained, it is also possible to make hide glue by boiling animal skins. This latter method however results in a glue of inferior quality, because it absorbs moisture, whereas glue made from ichthyic air bladders is highly moisture-resistant.

Although all materials needed to build the Mongolian bow are to be found in the immediate natural environment, the whole production process is very complex. It takes a long time to build a bow that is to meet the Old Mongol requirements. We may also assume that the selection of the best wood material for the frame requires knowledge and experience.

The usual procedure in the production of a traditional Mongolian bow is as follows: The wooden frame is cured, and the horns and/or bone to be used are boiled for softness. This makes it possible to fit the different parts together with great precision. As we understand, high-quality Mongolian bowmaking is certainly a most impressive craftsmanship. When the wooden frame, and the horns/bone parts are ready, the sinewing can take place. First the tendons have to be dried. After that, they are crushed until they form a mass of loose fibers. Next, this mass is mixed with fish glue to form a solid but not rigid layer. It is important to apply the correct thickness and amount of sinew, and it is done in a two-stage process with some days in between. Too little makes the bow weaker, too much would make it stiff. When completed the layer of sinew could be as thick as a human finger before drying. Sinew has a peculiar quality: Unlike other materials, its strength increases when subject to stretching or impact. This form of elasticity is a property stemming from the molecular structure of the protein of tendons (collagen), and can be seen as another striking demonstration of the innate superiority of natural solutions and materials. When used in a Mongolian composite bow, the effect is that as the horn plates in the front snap back to their former shape, the sinew layer in front contracts in the same split-second, adding further acceleration to the shot.

At each stage, fish glue has been applied to secure all the parts. In the horns and wooden parts, the sides that are to be glued against each other are first grafted with a toothed special tool in order to give the strongest possible hold.

The last step is usually the applying of the protective birch bark layers, which are also boiled until soft, so ensuring a proper fit before glued to the finished bow. When the layer of birch bark has been added to the composite construction, the whole bow is wrapped tightly in ropes and placed in a form where it is allowed to dry and harden in room temperature for one year or more. This ensures that the bow becomes extremely strong and that it keeps its shape and snappiness even after many years of frequent shooting.

A Mongolian bow is stored in its own leather case, protecting the bow when not in use.

The String

No bow, no matter how powerful, can be shot without a string. Traditional Mongol bowstrings are made from animal hide. First every trace of fat is removed. Thereafter the hide is stretched and twisted. After this treatment it will not stretch, but remain taut. Although the skin of many fur-bearing animals can be used, horse skin is often preferred since it is said that this material maintains suppleness in the exceedingly low winter temperatures of Siberia and Inner Asia. It is also possible to use the intestines of animals as string material, but such strings are not water resistant and thus only suited for use in dry and hot weather.

Silk and cotton, and mixes of these, can also be used. Modern archers generally use dacron and other man-made materials that require high technology to produce and therefore cannot possibly be made by the archer himself. Here we see another example that the use of primitive materials, although demanding in terms of individual skills and work, is the more reliable and sustainable strategy when viewed in a wider perspective.

When the bow is strung, the archer may sit down, using both feet to press against the bow as the limbs were bent while the string was attached. Using another technique, he or she could also stand upright, bow bent under one leg while the other leg holds the outer end. On horseback, the Mongol archer routinely stringed the bow by placing one end of the bow between the foot and the stirrup while the arms pressed against the bow.

Source: http://www.coldsiberia.org/monbow.htm

Next Tuesday Part VII of The Mongols

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on December 14:
1503 Nostradamus, (Michael de Notredame), French astrologist/prophet/some say fraud, born in St. Remy, Provence, France.
1546 Tycho Brahe, Knudstrup Denmark, astronomer (Golden nose)
1829 John Mercer Langston 1st black to hold US political office
1830 Allen Thomas Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1907
1832 Daniel Harris Reynolds Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1902
1837 William Wells Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1895 George VI, king of England (1936-52)
1896 James Doolittle (aviator: U.S. Army Air Force Lt. General awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for leading 1st U.S. aerial raid against Japan in WWII)
1897 Margaret Chase Smith (politician)
1909 Edward L Tatum, US, molecular geneticist (Nobel 1958)
1911 Spike (Lindley) Jones (musician: drummer; band leader: City Slickers: Cocktails for Two, Der Fuhrer's Face)
1914 Morey Amsterdam (comedian, actor: The Dick Van Dyke Show; radio: NBC Monitor)
1917 Dan Daily (singer, dancer, actor)
1922 Don Hewitt, NYC, CBS news executive producer (60 Minutes)
1932 Abbe Lane (Lassman) (singer)
1932 Charlie Rich ('The Silver Fox': Grammy Award-winning singer)
1935 Lee Remick (actress)
1942 Dave Clark (singer: group: The Dave Clark Five)
1946 Patty (Anna Marie) Duke (Academy Award-winning actress: The Miracle Worker)
1946 Stan Smith (tennis: Amateur US Open Champ [1969], US Open Men's Singles Champ [1971], Wimbledon Men's Singles Champ [1972])
1949 Bill Buckner California, 1st baseman, error cost Red Sox 1986 world series

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Deaths which occurred on December 14:
0872 Adrian II, Italian Pope (867-72)/last married pope, dies at about 80
1542 James, king of Scotland (1513-42), dies at 30
1754 Mahmud I sultan of Turkey, dies at 58

1799 George Washington, 1st president USA (1789-97), dies at 66. Some believe from incompetence of physicians who bled him to death while fighting acute laryngitis.

1861 Albert, prince consort of England/husband of Queen Victoria, dies in London at 42 .
1873 J Louis R Agassiz Swiss geologist/paleo-biologist), dies
1903 William Ennis, 1st cop to die in electric chair
1918 Sidonio Pais, prince of Portugal, murdered
1926 Theo van Rysselberghe, Belgian painter (pointillism), dies at 64
1945 Josef Kramer known as "beast of Belsen", & 10 others
hanged for crimes committed at the Belsen and Oswiecim Nazi concentration camps
1947 Stanley Baldwin English premier (1923, 24-29, 35-37), dies at 80
1964 William Bendix actor (Life of Riley), dies in Los Angeles at 58
1974 Walter Lippmann US journalist (One of Dynasty), dies at 85
1985 Roger Maris, HR hitter (61 in 61, NY Yankees), dies of cancer at 51
1989 Andrei Sakharov, father of the Soviet H-bomb, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize (1975) winner for defending human rights, died at age 68.
1989 Lee Van Cleef actor (Good Bad & Ugly, Sabata), dies at 64
1997 Owen Barfield philosopher of language, dies at 99
1997 Stubby Kaye actor (Guys & Dolls, Sweet Charity), dies at 79

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BRIGHAM ALBERT---SAVANNAH GA.
1966 HOLMAN GERALD A.---NORTHVILLE MI.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURV REFNO 0548]
1966 KOENIG EDWIN LEE---SPOKANE WA.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURV REFNO 0548]
1966 MOWREY RICHARD L.---SHAWNEE MISSION KS.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURVIVED]
1966 NEWELL MICHAEL T.---ELLENVILLE NY.
1966 WILSON CLAUDE D. JR.---STOCKTON CA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/89]
1967 SEHORN JAMES E.---FOREST GROVE OR.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1971 BOYANOWSKI JOHN G.---HARRISBURG PA.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 BREMMER DWIGHT A.---OAKLAND TN.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 CALDWELL FLOYD D.---ST LOUIS MO.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 HOLLINGER GREG N.---PAUL ID.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 PERKINS CECIL C.---PORTSMOUTH VA.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 PERRY OTHA L.---DETROIT MI.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0644 Osman ibn Affan appointed 3rd kalief of islam
0867 Adrian II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0872 John VIII begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1124 Theobald Buccapecus elected Pope Coelestinus II (he refuses)
1287 Zuider Zee seawall collapses with loss of 50,000 lives
1799 George Washington dies on his Mount Vernon estate.
1819 Alabama is admitted as the 22nd state, making 11 slave states and 11 free states.
1861 Prince Albert of England, one of the Union's strongest advocates, dies.
1863 Confederate General James Longstreet attacks Union troops at Bean's Station, Tenn.
1863 President Abraham Lincoln grants amnesty to the widow of Confederate General B.H. Helm after she swears allegiance to the Union. Mrs. Helm is the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln.
1882 Henry Morton Stanley returns to Brussels from the Congo
1900 Max Planck presents the quantum theory at the Physics Society in Berlin.
1906 The first U1 submarine is brought into service in Germany.
1908 The first truly representative Turkish Parliament opens.
1909 The Labor Conference in Pittsburgh ends with a "declaration of war" on U.S. Steel.
1911 Roald Amundsen and four others discover the South Pole. ("It's right over there.")
1915 Jack Johnson is 1st black world heavyweight boxing champion
1920 The League of Nations creates a credit system to aid Europe.
1941 German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel orders the construction of defensive positions along the European coastline.
1941 1st NFL division playoff, Bears beat Packers 33-14
1941 Prime Minister Winston Churchill travels to US on board HMS Duke of York
1946 The United Nations adopt a disarmament resolution prohibiting the A-Bomb. (Well that worked out real well)
1949 Bulgarian ex-Premier Traicho Kostov is sentenced to die for treason in Sofia.
1960 A U.S. Boeing B-52 bomber sets a 10,000-mile non-stop record without refueling.
1969 Jackson Five made their 1st appearance on "Ed Sullivan Show"
1977 War criminal Pieter Menten sentenced in Amsterdam to 15 years
1977 "Saturday Night Fever,"starring John Travolta, premieres in NYC
1980 NATO warns the Soviets to stay out of the internal affairs of Poland, saying that intervention would effectively destroy the détente between the East and West.
1981 Israel annexes Golan Heights (seized from Syria in war of 1967)
1986 The experimental aircraft Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world.
1990 Right to Die case permits Nancy Cruzan to have her feeding tube removed, she dies 12 days later
2000 U.S. businessman Edward Pope was pardoned and released by Russia after being convicted of espionage.
2000 President-elect George W. Bush conferred by phone with congressional leaders of both parties and planned a goodwill tour of Washington, D.C.; he also received a flood of congratulatory calls from world leaders on his first full day as president-elect
2003 Saddam Hussein(Lion of Iraq, Scourge of the Crusaders) shows off his latest palace and proves to the world that he doesn't have lice.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Alabama : Admission Day (1819)
El Salvador : Revolution Day
Iran : Death of Iman Ja'far Sadeq Day
Turkey : Festival of Mevlana-Jelaeddin Rumi (Whirling Dervishes)
World : Halcyon Days
US : Halcyon Days Begins (7 days, 1st of two zones)
US : Tell Someone They're Doing A Good Job Week (day 2)
Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month

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Religious Observances
Third Sunday of Advent
Lutheran : Commemoration of Teresa of Avila
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Memorial of St Spyridon
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Feast of John of the Cross, priest/doctor

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Religious History
1363 Birth of Jean Charlier de Gerson, French theologian. During the papal schism of 1378_1414, Gerson attended the councils of Pisa (1409) and Constance (1414_18). He spent his last years in a monastery at Lyons teaching children, composing hymns and writing books on Christian mysticism.
l836 Birth of Frances Ridley Havergal, English devotional writer. In frail health most of her life, Miss Havergal was nevertheless a fruitful writer, and authored such hymns as "Take My Life and Let It Be," "Who is on the Lord's Side?" and "I Gave My Life for Thee."
1922 "Toc H" (the British alphabetic letter abbreviation for "Talbot House") was chartered. A Christian fellowship which originated in 1915 in Belgium under Anglican chaplain P.T.B. Clayton, M.C., its various branches minister through a variety of Christian social services.
1955 Catholic religious leader, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, 60, was quoted in "Look" magazine on this date as stating that 'an atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.'
1981 The modern nation of Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, which had been captured from Syria during the 1967 War.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

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Modern Lies...
Don't worry, I can get another 40 miles when the gauge is on "empty."

---

How to tick off Santa Claus...
Instead of milk and cookies, leave him a salad, and a note explaining that you think he could stand to lose a few pounds.

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The Rules of Chocolate...
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.

---

Famous Last Words...
You look just like Charles Manson

[Valin]

Wow! How did you get my picture!

[HiJinx]

Dude! I don't play for that team!!!

[tomkow6]

1960 A U.S. Boeing B-52 bomber sets a 10,000-mile non-stop record without refueling.

 

[tomkow6]

............hehehehehe......I posted that for the Galz!

[HiJinx]

Beautiful topper, Kathy. I went back to Friday's thread to play some music, and of course, all the songs have come off the server by now.

We got the tree trimmed anyway...that picture is about half done. We are like so many military people who buy a few new ornaments each year, especially when overseas, and we find ourselves now with almost more ornaments than a 7' tree will hold!

There are ornaments with the boys' pictures that they made in school, special Hummel figurine ornaments, hand carved wooden ornaments from a special little old man from Augsburg, delicate crystal teardrops and stars from Czechoslovakia, annual Hallmark ornaments...you name it!

And now we get to start a collection of Piper ornaments! Life is good, eh?

[beachn4fun]

Thank you Hope. Needless to say I was quite thrilled to learn I had gotten a "B" in this class.

[darkwing104]

Good Morning Canteen FReepers! Just finished PT and ready for some coffee and history lessons. 86 days left on Active Duty...

[beachn4fun]

WOW Valin.......How come you've kept this a secret so long? You wanna come over and help me with chores? ;->

[HiJinx]

Reading over Ma's shoulder:

"Rotten Kid" comes home Saturday...come down in Mom's mini-van

That's good news, Bro. So, do you expect to fill the mini-van with Christmas presents? Or is he expecting you to give his roomies a ride home?

[StarCMC]

LOL!!!

[beachn4fun]

Good morning "86-days-left" Duck. I'm sure Ma left some coffee for you around here somewhere. Here's a cup until you can locate the other stuff.......

[beachn4fun]

Good morning Star

[beachn4fun]

Radix climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God.

Looking up, he asks the Lord...
"God, what does a million years mean to you?"

The Lord replies, "A minute."

Radix asks, "And what does a million dollars mean to you?"

The Lord replies, "A penny."

Radix asks, "Can I have a penny?"

The Lord replies, "In a minute."

[StarCMC]

roflmbo!!! gm beachie !!

[Valin]

I DON'T do chores. I'm more....decorative than utilatarian.

[HiJinx]

I thought there was no forcing a guy to buy himself a new toy!

Shhhh.....I really did it for all my Canteen FRiends...I mean, how else am I going to keep posting these?

[beachn4fun]

MINE?

[beachn4fun]

MINE?

[beachn4fun]

???