Talk:Arbalest

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RE: the very last line Do we really need a link to arbalest on the site for arbalest? -- DUFFMAN Sun 3 Jul 2005 (AEST)

[edit] How old is the distinction?

Since the name "arbalest" is essentially just the French word for crossbow, borrowed into English, I would be inclined to think that the distinction between the two terms is modern, and that in the period they were in use they were both just called "crossbows." Yet the text of crossbow seems to imply that this is not the case:

Pope Urban II banned the use of crossbow against Christians in 1097, and the 
Second Lateran Council did the same for arbalests in 1139. 

If this is true, there must have been separate words for "crossbow" and "arbalest," at least in Latin in which such declarations would have been made. But so far as I know these are both usually termed arcuballista in Medieval Latin.

I have already asked this question at Talk:Crossbow, but have yet to get a full answer. I was hoping maybe someone who watches this page can fill me in.

As far as I know you are correct. The OED quotes "arbalest" from c. 1100, long before the crossbow with steel bow and windlass was used. A quick Google suggests that the earliest record of a steel bow is from 1314, and that these didn't become common until the end of the 14th century, which agrees with what I've read elsewhere. In fact OED doesn't cite "crossbow" until the 15th century. If this distinction exists (and I've never heard of it), it must be a modern one.

The Second Lateran Council actually banned something that can be translated as "slingers" as well as "crossbowmen" ("ballistares", IIRC), in addition to archers. It also banned fighting in general except on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays! I can't find the text of Urban's ban, but apparently it was canon 7 of the Lateran Synod of 1097. Megalophias 04:02, 8 March 2006 (UTC)