Translatiion of ?ber Bogen und Pfeil - by Dr. F. Hammer-Purg

rednbluearmy · Post by **rednbluearmy** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:54 pm

For those interested there is an English translation of the German work "?ber Bogen und Pfeil" by Dr. F. Hammer-Purgstall available at http://www.tuba-archery.com/article/On- ... lation.pdf

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:08 pm

Red; Thanks for that link. A very importand document. How did you find it? How long was it there? Another good reason to keep in touch on ATARN. -j-

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:51 pm

Has anyone noticed that this text is rife with references to divinitation by the arrow?

In the bi-line; " It was not you who shot when you shot the arrow. it was God" Koran, 8:16

There is a centuries earlier reference to this idea that the bow is an authorative instrument of judgment. From Psalm 38. "Oh lord, thy arrows have pierced me."

Go back maybe even 1000 years earlier to the book of Job "My wound (caused by an arrow of God) is incurable, through no fault of mine." This refers to using arrows to divine the will of the Almighty in settling a dispute, and the possibility of a false judgement.

But even before all these, back to the Neolithic, it is believed that archers shot arrows into the sky, to Tengrin, the Ever Blue Sky, in order to divine his will.

Belomancy, divinitation by the arrow, was a popular thing to do until just a century or so ago in some places. -j-

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:31 am

Jack, do you remember Dr. Celia Imunu's lecture at FD? Arrow magic is also important in Sudan - especially in traditional medicine. S

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:45 am

Stephen; I missed that talk and more as I was watching my display to make sure it did not walk off. But i am not surprised that belomancy might even be used today given the remaining widespread distribution of shamanism. I saw a blurb about how archery symbolism was used in traditional Tibetian shamanism. I read while in Korea that about 2% of the people of that country claim shamanism as their religion.

This would be a good time to say that I have come to doubt if whistling arrows were really that useful for signaling, hunting or warfare. I have come to conclude that their important place was in the realm of belief; to notify the spirits or deities or to scare away demons.

Besides, is is just not credible that an arrow's whistle could be heard above the clamor of clashing armies. Asserting so can only be based on supposition. -j-

rednbluearmy · Post by **rednbluearmy** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:50 pm

Hi Jack

I paid to have it translated a while ago but it took this long to publish it. Slowly trying to get through some of the important Islamic texts re: archery so saving up for the next one!

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:33 am

Red; You did good! What a guy! Now what about those illustrations of tools and such? Are you able to include those? -j-

rednbluearmy · Post by **rednbluearmy** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:26 pm

One day when I find time! For now you'll have to go back & forth between the English & German files I'm afraid. Unless there are any volunteers that want to do this.......??

Ashbow · Post by **Ashbow** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:48 am

The use of ritual arrows in various Bon and Buddhist rites is mentioned in Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche?s work on pre-Buddhist tradition in Tibet ?Drung, Deu, and Bon?, e.g. in ransom rites in which one tries to satisfy other class of beings responsible for the disturbances. Here along with objects of ransom one puts (or draws) an arrow crossed with a spindle (an arrow represents male aspect).
I read also of ?soul retrieval ritual?, here the bamboo arrow has been used as a supporting object as a connection to the elemental energies.
I don?t remember well but I think there is a Tibetan divination method in which one uses two special arrows, I don?t remember what is the name for that and how is it preformed, the arrows are stuck in some kind of small pile and then watched for they movements I think.
Another references to bows, quivers etc. are present too.
There are thanka? paintings representing deities holding bows and arrows.
But this is all for a completely different subject I think?

Thanks rednbluearmy! Would be nice to know German, anyway, learning other languages pays off.