Saracen Mounted Crossbowmen

[Druzhina]

Contemporary images of 13th century Saracen mounted-crossbowmen are rare but they do exist.
An image of an Ayyubid mounted-crossbowman on a Glass Water-Flask, Syria, 1250-60. The trigger mechanism can be seen.

Other illustrations of Ayyubids on a Glass Water-Flask, British Museum 1869,0120.3

Another illustration from the Levant is The base of the Freer Canteen, with friezes of Christian or Muslim horsemen including two mounted-crossbowmen.


From a later period is Mamluk mounted crossbow & bow shooting in Kitsab al-makhzun jami` al-funun by ibn akhî hizâm - A Mamluk manual of military practice and horsemanship, Egypt or Syria, 1470

Mirror site
Ayyubid mounted-crossbowman on a Glass Water-Flask, Syria, 1250-60.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Egyptian and Syrian Costume & Soldiers

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

This is a very interesting and rather unknown topic.

[Temüjin]

yes indeed. most people aren't even aware of the use of the crossbow in the middle east in the first place.

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Is it the same weapon depicted in this picture?

Attachments:

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Well apparently not, this is a "dart-thrower" shooting small darts. What is this weapon called?

[Druzhina]

Jan 10, 2016 19:59:53 GMT 3 H. İhsan Erkoç said:

Well apparently not, this is a "dart-thrower" shooting small darts. What is this weapon called?

It may be an 'arrow-guide'. Known as the nāwak in Persian and the ḥusbān in Arabic, the arrow-guide perhaps had an Iranian origin. From "Arrow-guides, Pellet-bows and Crossbows" an extract from The military technology of classical Islam by David Nicolle.
Traditionally, this weapon was believed to have been invented on the Transoxanian frontier, though by Muslims, for use against Turkish raiders who would otherwise pick up their foes' arrows and shoot them back.

Do you know the sources used for this reconstruction?

Mirror site
"Arrow-guides, Pellet-bows and Crossbows" an extract from The military technology of classical Islam by David Nicolle.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Thank you for the information, Druzhina.

Unfortunately I have no idea about the sources used by Angus McBride for this reconstruction.

[Temüjin]

Koreans also used the arrow guide. first and third picture defintiely show a crossbow though. on the first pic, you can see the trigger of the crossbow mechanism. on the third, you can see the stirrup used to fix the crossbow on the ground while the string is being pulled back with both hands.