Together with spears, axes, knives, hoes, shovels, crossbow has been become an indispensable tool in the process of conquering nature to survive and thrive. In addition to be a powerful weapon to protect against wild animals, hunt for food, it also is a tool for men showing his talent in the community and especially a weapon against the foreign invaders.
Making a crossbow is not easy because it not only requires ingenuity, meticulousness, but also the know-how in selecting materials and crafting. The most important part of the crossbow is the bow stave - the heart of the crossbow. It’s considered as the convergence of power which creates the force to shoot the arrow at the target when pulling the string. Choosing kind of bamboo to make crossbow is very important because it affects on the range and shooting force of the crossbow. The best material is Luồng, which should be at least 10 years old. The crossbow’s body is made of wood, of which rosewood is the best. This solid wood is less warped, tough, and not brittle, making it very suitable for the body of the crossbow. The string is made of thorns, join them to have enough length and then sewing. But this also does not give the string the necessary toughness yet. To make the string stronger and more durable, people stretch it then use Thé, a special leave from a plant that grows a lot in the mountainous region, rub leaves to get the leaf resin absorbed into the string until it turns to black dark. To make the crossbow’s accuracy, qualified arrows are required. Old bamboo is cut, dry naturally, choose straight segments with suitable length to split into small bars as the arrow’s embryo. The arrow’s length usually ranges from the tip of the crossbow body to the string’s groove.
Visiting Co Loa Vestige Site, visitors can experience shooting crossbow in traditional costume, which is one of the unique games associated with the legend of the god crossbow, of the Kim Quy God in the traditional festival in Co Loa. First, you will learn how to wear the bow, then how to hold the crossbow properly, how to keep the string so as not to lose strength but still pull the string to the nocking point. This sounds easy but not simple, some people hold it on the abdomen, some use their feet to on the bow stave, try their best to pull the small, twisted string with purplish face but still fail. The technique of pulling the bow’s string is to pull evenly, to balance the string on both sides of the crossbow, then pull slowly, not immediately. After that, learn how to aim the target correctly, then flick through the crossbow to hear a crackling sound.
It all only happen in a few minutes but give each person the excitement of a kid playing a fun game for the first time, the thrill of holding the breath, pulling the trigger, squinting, feeling hopeful when heard the crunch of bows, the sound of the wind hissing, the sound of an arrow plunging into the beer and eyes opening .... then the feeling of regret when missing the shot, or the overwhelming joy when you hit the bull's eye.
Shooting crossbow is a game with a very distinctive characteristic. It is a connection between the past and modern, both causing curiosity and encouraging sports spirit and courage. Originated from the legend of the magic crossbow during the An Duong Vuong period, this game has been maintained for years with the aim of educating the young generation about patriotic traditions, the national pride. They are actively studying, working, creating to build the country stronger.
Shooting crossbow at Co Loa Festival.
Pupils participate in a crossbow shooting experience
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF COLOA VESTIGE SITE
