Tag Archives: fitness

The Ancient Art of Archery

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Version française

By Dylan Roy

This article contains historical language and content that may be considered offensive, such as language used to refer to racial, ethnic and cultural groups. Please see our historical language advisory for more information.

Archery, like most other sports or physical endeavours, can teach an individual many things, including discipline, perseverance, patience and focus.

I began my archery saga very recently and, despite my obvious inadequacies in the sport, I have had a great time learning about its various intricacies. This newfound hobby led me to scour the published and archival collection at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to see what could be found about the bow and arrow.

Lo and behold, there was a plethora of books to read and many interesting archival materials to choose from. Like Robin Hood of yore, I shall share some precious gems from the rich resources we have at LAC.

First, if you were ever stuck on where to start for archery, there are many beginner guides and archery club-endorsed publications available. One of my personal favourites, due to its charm and whimsical cartoon art style, is the book Archery is fun! This book is mainly geared towards children, but it can also teach adults the basics of archery. With this swell book, you’ll be shooting arrows like Katniss in no time!

Second, as noted in the title of this blog, archery is an ancient art. To learn about the history of archery, why not use a book that was written over a century ago? Archery, by C.J. Longman and Henry Walrond (published in 1894), is a wonderful piece of literature to learn about archery’s ancient roots. Moreover, the book can enable you to understand the shifting thought patterns and language of authors writing over a hundred years ago.

The spine of an old-fashioned book with the title “Archery” printed in the middle.

Spine of the book Archery by C.J. Longman and Henry Walrond. (OCLC 342853)

According to Longman and Walrond, only hunting “can lay greater antiquity than archery.” The archaic allure of archery is one of the things that attracted me to the sport. It’s fun to think that, long ago, our far-distant ancestors were most likely taking part in archery in much the same way as we do today. This intriguing sport connects us with the past through actions in the present.

Longman and Walrond also included a quote in their book from a Hindu poet, which can be seen below:

“May the bow bring us spoils and oxen, may the bow be victorious in the heat of the fight; the bow fills the foe with terrible fear, may the bow give us victory over the world.”

This poem demonstrates the importance of archery and the impact that it has had on human civilization. The unknown poet declares that with the bow, humans may ultimately be victorious over the earth itself—thus indicating the sheer power associated with archery.

The book also provides lovely illustrations of some prehistoric arrowheads, which can be seen below:

Black-and-white illustrations of five arrowheads with a description under each of the drawings.

Five different prehistoric arrowheads found on page 19 of the book Archery. (OCLC 342853)

Many societies have held archery in high regard and many deities have been associated with it, especially in relation to hunting, such as the Greek goddess Artemis.

With the history of archery behind us, I will now share some sources that provide insight on how to get in shape for archery. You’ll be looking buff like Hawkeye in no time!

Floyd W. Johnson’s Fitness for Archery is a wonderful read for anybody looking for some pointers on the types of exercises that facilitate archery. Johnson advises that there are four main criteria needed for fitness as an archer: aerobic capacity (or stamina), flexibility, strength and relaxation.

According to Johnson, “aerobic capacity is the maximum amount of oxygen that can be taken into the blood and delivered to the muscle. Flexibility is the range of movement in a joint or series of joints (spinal column). Strength is the capacity of a muscle to exert force against a resistance.” Finally, relaxation is important because “archery is a sport which demands full mental and physical concentration at all times.” Therefore, if one wishes to practice archery, it is crucial to address all four of these fitness priorities.

Johnson also supplies the reader with several exercises to enhance one’s fitness, which you can see in the images below:

Page titled “Archery: Strength–Endurance Circuit” with illustrations of figures showing how to do seven exercises.

Seven different exercises for building strength and endurance, including bent-knee sit-ups, push-ups, bent-arm weight pulls, bent-over lateral arm raise, star jumps, twisted sit-ups and bent-over rowing. (OCLC 15918112)

Page titled “The Bow Arm (Isometrics)” with instructions and illustrations of figures doing the exercises described.

Three different exercises for bow arm isometrics: shoulder blade lock, arm throw and arm rotations. (OCLC 15918112)

Page titled “The Bow Arm cont’d” with instructions and illustrations of figures doing the exercises described.

Three other exercises for bow arm isometrics: elbow rotations, finger spreads and finger presses. (OCLC 15918112)

By including these exercises in your regimen, you’ll be fit enough to surf down a flight of stairs on a shield while shooting arrows, just like Legolas!

Although our published section provides a vast array of content concerning archery, we also hold many records about archery in our archival holdings.

A good fonds to consult is the Federation of Canadian Archers fonds. This fonds contains a multitude of records concerning the federation. Researchers can garner a wide array of information by consulting the sections found under “Record information – Details.” For example, the “Scope and content” section conveys the following information:

Fonds consists of publications, bulletins, minutes and correspondence; competition records; finances, membership, history; instructional programmes, rules; scrapbooks; athletes’ files; president’s files.

Photographic material depicts various Canadian archery championships and activities of the Federation of Canadian Archers, 1949–1972. Medallic objects consist of six competition medals (1966–1971), and one 1969 Federation of Canadian Archers pendant. Maps contain plans of the competition sites in Montréal and Joliette during the 1976 Summer Olympic Games.

Something interesting I learned from the “Biography/Administrative history” section—also located under the “Record information – Details” header—was the fact that the first time Canada competed internationally in archery was in 1963 at the world championships in Helsinki!

Aside from this fonds, I located many photographs of archery that are available entirely online in our archival holdings. You won’t need to scour the physical records for these!

Some of our photographs show how much a delight archery can be, such as the photograph below:

One woman holding a bow and arrow while another woman with arrows in her pocket helps her with her form.

Two women participating in archery while smiling. (e000762820)

Other photographs demonstrate that archery is practiced by a wide variety of individuals—for example, wheelchair archery is a prominent part of the Paralympics:

Three men and one woman in wheelchairs in position to shoot their arrows.

Four Canadian Paralympic archers in a field. Left to right: Pierre Brousseau, Roch Poirier, Jean Rochon, Thérèse Tourangeau. (e011176636)

Some of our photographs demonstrate some remarkable archery techniques, like the one below wherein the archer is drawing the bow while holding it with his feet—let’s see Robin Hood do that!

A man preparing to shoot an arrow holding the bow string with his hands and bracing the bow with his feet.

Archer John Jamieson Jr. drawing a bow with his feet while lying down. (e011310538-037_s3)

During my search, I noticed that we had several pictures of military service women practicing archery. The photograph below shows a Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) member next to a target, demonstrating that they were indeed a force to be reckoned with!

A woman in military uniform taking an arrow out of a target while holding her bow.

CWAC archer in front of target. (e010778805)

Throughout my hunt for archery photographs, I came across some offensive language that I think is important to highlight as it is an unfortunate part of LAC’s archival history, such as the original title of the photograph below:

Man kneeling on snow in position to shoot his bow and arrow, with a woman standing behind him.

Inuk man using a bow made of muskox horn as his wife watches. (a211284)

Archival descriptions such as the one above reflect historical language and content that may be considered offensive—for example, language used to refer to racial, ethnic and cultural groups.

Items in the collection, their content and their descriptions reflect the time when they were created and the views of their creators. The items retain their original descriptions to ensure that attitudes and viewpoints are not erased from the historical record. LAC provides additional descriptive information to give background on such records. This is an ongoing process.

If you see records with inappropriate language or content that you think LAC should review, please contact us at reference@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Archery is a sport that requires many faculties to perform well. Although it can be frustrating at times, it is so rewarding to see the arrow strike the centre of a target and to hear that triumphant *thump* as the arrow penetrates its target.

I hope you enjoyed looking through some of the archery-focused holdings we have at LAC, and I hope it inspires you to get out there and try your hand at the ancient art of archery.

Dylan Roy is a Reference Archivist in the Access and Services Branch at Library and Archives Canada.

“Are You Fit, Soldier?”: Fitness in the CEF during the First World War

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By Dylan Roy

Are you fit, soldier? Do you have what it takes to make it in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)? War is upon the world since 1914, and we need brave young recruits like yourself to take up the mantle of freedom and fight for the Crown!

However, before you can join the fight, we need to ensure that you are ready for the arduous rigours of battle! I do not say that lightly; it will be a gruelling task. Are you up for it?

To get you in shape, we need you to exercise regularly. However, the Special tables. Physical training note that “Exercises if correctly performed strengthen and stimulate every portion of the body. Some are harmful if correct positions are not assumed.” So remember, not only do you need to exercise, but you need to do it properly for it to be effective.

To get you in gear whilst carrying your gear, we need you to carry out the following exercises.

First, we need to train you how to stand at attention. Although it may seem like a simple thing, you must avoid two main faults: do not slouch back nor lean too far ahead. We need you straight and narrow. If you can first properly stand at attention, you are well on your way to being a disciplined soldier. For visual cues, consult the picture below:

Guide with two figures in incorrect positions of attention and two figures in correct positions of attention.

Guide on how to stand at attention (MIKAN 3831498).

Marching effectively is a fundamental aspect of any soldier worth his salt. However, one cannot simply march around willy-nilly. There needs to be structure and order in the way a soldier marches. The image below shows how to execute both a proper march and jump within the CEF’s principles:

Guide with three figures showing how to slow march, double march and upward jump.

Guide on how to properly march and jump within CEF’s principles (MIKAN 3831498).

Now that we have the fundamentals in order, we need to show you how we are going to make you true soldiers who can overcome the numerous obstacles that await you on the other side of the pond. This requires strength, agility and flexibility, and there are numerous exercises that will test such abilities.

“On-the-hands” exercises will allow you to rise up from a prone position. This is essential in warfare as taking cover and recovering from the prone position is crucial to success during battle. It could also be the determining factor between life and death.

Leg raises will test your core muscles as well as your upper body and legs. All these muscles work in conjunction with one another to facilitate full-body movements. A good soldier needs to be able to contort and control his body in many ways in order to execute both simple and complex actions.

Leg raises are great exercises as they can be performed in a variety of ways. You can do a sideways one-handed leg raise; a two-handed variation with the trunk facing the floor; and, finally, leg raises with your back on the ground. Remember, the core is the connector of both the arms and legs, and it therefore needs to be strong and flexible!

Below you will find examples of on-the-hands movements and leg raises, as well as the trunk backward-bend, which aids in flexibility. All these exercises will help to ensure both your safety and that of your comrades-at-arms while in battle!

Guide with five figures showing exercise positions of on the hands, on the left hand turn with leg raised, on the hands with leg raised, trunk backward-bend and right leg raised from lying on back with arms raised upward.

Guide of leg raise exercises and trunk backward-bend (MIKAN 3831498).

Where would the CEF be without the speed and agility of its soldiers? One way to ensure quick speed is through strong legs. To make a powerful lower body, train it! Exercises like heel raises and knee bends will strengthen the multitude of leg muscles necessary to run, sprint, march, jump, dip, duck, dodge and dive. Fortify them and you in turn fortify yourself! For examples of these two critical movements, see the picture below:

Guide with five figures showing position of closed, open and full open feet, heel raises and knee bends.

Guide on how to build strong legs (MIKAN 3831498).

Where would the legs be without the arms? We need strong soldiers who can lift their share and shoulder the burden that is sure to surface during the war. One of the best types of exercises to improve the strength of the arms is heaving exercises. As the Manual of physical training explains, “Heaving exercises are those in which the body hangs by the hands from some apparatus, either without other support or with the weight partially taken by the feet.” To see examples of heaving exercises, consult the image below:

Guide with eight figures showing the proper positions of pull-ups and one figure showing the incorrect way to do a pull-up.

Guide on how to improve arm strength through heaving exercises (MIKAN 3831502).

To conclude, we need soldiers who can not only face the hardships of war but who can overcome them. To do so requires strict discipline, obedience and regimentation. So what say you, soldier, are you fit enough to join the CEF?

Dylan Roy is a Reference Archivist in the Access and Services Branch at Library and Archives Canada.