We present a new book entitled The Bow in Medieval Hungary (Az íj a középkori Magyarországon), written by a team of authors consisting of Dr. Zoltán Henrik Tóth, Vilmos Pári, Dr. Ivana Jovanović, and James Hunt. The publication is exclusively published on the Project Forlǫg website. The total length of the book is 302 pages, and it is published in English and Hungarian.
The monograph focuses on historical archery in medieval Hungary (spanning from the 11th to the 18th century) and is the result of many years of academic research, interdisciplinary study, and experimentation. It features more than 350 illustrations, drawings, and photographs, some of which have never been published before. The focal point of the publication is the research and historically accurate reconstruction of a rare 15th-century Hungarian composite bow (the so-called Tomas Nagy bow, preserved in the Bargello Museum in Florence). The book includes an extensive experimental section covering the complete production processes of replicas, the reconstruction of period bowstrings, the crafting of quivers and arrows, and, above all, precise speed and distance shooting tests (with a measured range exceeding 210 meters for 110-pound replicas).
At the same time, the book offers a comprehensive overview of written, iconographic, and archaeological sources, examines the operation of medieval guilds of bowyers, fletchers, and quiver makers (in cities such as Bardejov, Brașov, and Cluj), and maps the role of the bow in the Hungarian army and society.
We hope you enjoy the book.
English version
Hungarian version
One Response
I found this very interesting. My father’s surname was Tegzes. In researching possible ancestors I found reference to a Peter Tegzes de Anarcs (in Szabolcs) who apparently was given the title “Tegzes” in the late 1300s/early 1400s in return for his service to the kingdom, presumably as a mounted archer. He is from the Gutkeled clan and your book (pages 44-45) references Istvan Gutkeled who was given charge of a wing of the Hungarian Army in the mid-13th Century because he was familiar with horseback archery tactics. Do you have any further information on Istvan Gutkeled that might link him to Peter Tegzes de Anarcs?
thank you