Eskimo Bow

The material culture of Eskimo archery produced unique and remarkable adaptations for archery.

Both defense and hunting requirements.

Due to the lack of wood resources, alternatives to bow and arrow were adapted in the Arctic environment.

bow

Spruce, the wood most commonly used in Inuit bows, is not considered a good wood for bows, but it is the best they have. Inuit bow makers also used driftwood and sometimes caribou or musk ox antlers.

The Eskimo bowmaker makes a bow with a reinforced back by wrapping reindeer sinew around the bow. The bow's wide shaft, more than 5 cm wide, relieves stress on the wood during bending and stores the energy that recoils when the arrow is released. This is preferable to animal glue, which gels almost instantly in freezing air.

The bows had to be constantly adjusted by the archer. The bow is built with an axe and knife, then steamed and shaped into three curves. There is a curved bend in the middle and a curved bend at each end to form the recurves. It is backed with a braided cord consisting of approximately 20 lengths of sinews attached to each end of the bow.

Six holes are left in the string through which pointed ivory cable twisters are inserted. The cable is then twisted to the desired length and tension. A carved ivory stiffener is lashed tightly with sinew between the bow and the string.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University contains several examples and pictures of Inuit-made bows. To make the bow more elastic, a series of small strings, each consisting of three tendons, are attached to the back and to the knobs at each end.

The bows were sometimes reflex bows. Reflex refers to the shape of a bow, which, when not drawn, forms a "C" opening away from the hunter. The reflexed bow type of the Western Arctic was first described by ethnographer John Murdoch as one commonly used by Eskimo cultures in the north.

The bows could be very powerful. The Eskimo design used available materials that many consider unacceptable for a hunting bow. They produced a weapon that could function in extreme cold and was strong enough to take on large animals and fight enemies.

arrows

The arrows used included special arrows with ivory barbed tips and a red cord. The barb used for hunting sea otters detached from the arrow shaft and was held together with a long red cord. The hunter would use the cord to locate the sea otter. The otter would simply be pulled up by it when it was exhausted from the hunt.

Arrows for poultry had similar tips. "Geese, gulls, and other large fowl were shot with arrows that had long, five-sided heads made of walrus ivory. These were not very sharp and were barbed on one edge, while for hunting small birds, they used an arrow with a blunt, club-shaped head made of reindeer antler. Such an arrow kills a small bird or animal by stunning it and does not tear a large hole in it. Boys' arrows today are often tipped with empty copper cartridge cases.

Bows and arrows used to hunt polar bears were powerful enough to penetrate the bear's body completely without touching bone. Arrows used to hunt reindeer also had removable arrowheads. For hunting reindeer, the arrow had a long, sharp, bayonet-shaped head made of antler, barbed on one edge, and loosely fitted into the shaft.

quiver

Bows and arrows were sensitive to wet weather and humidity. A sealskin cover protected the bow and arrows from moisture. Ivory tools were also carried for twisting, tightening, and adjusting the bow and string as needed.

In the late 19th century, sealskin cases were discovered for protecting bows and sealskin quivers. The bow was carried ready for use in a tanned sealskin bag, slung over the shoulders so that it could be easily pulled out from under the right arm. Attached to the bag was a quiver, also made of sealskin, in which they stored a selection of arrows, several of each type, depending on the hunter's needs.