We shouldn’t even need to discuss this. But it has become a common trope to see archers wielding their bows like clubs against swords and armor. The surprising thing is that the bows never break and the little sticks actually kill people who are wearing plate armor. This is simply ridiculous.
Unless a bow is made of high carbon steel with a steel string, using it to deflect a sword stroke will result in the bow’s destruction. Period. Anciently bows were made out of wood, horn, and sinew. Today we use fiberglass, plastics, and resins.
Even a bronze sword would cut through these materials, thus destroying the bow’s ability to be drawn. You could use it as a club, maybe, but as soon as you tried to draw a damaged bow, the bow would snap and injure you. Medieval English archers did put pointed cow horn on the tips of their longbows to strengthen the tip and to give them a stabbing weapon if the enemy pushed too close.
But that was a last ditch weapon and it was only useful against soft targets. Medieval archers also usually carried short swords, hammers, or other close range weapons because they knew that battles always closed, and in close combat a bow is useless. It is a long-range weapon.
We should also note that blocking a sword stroke with a bow would almost certainly result in the bow string being cut, leaving the archer with nothing more than an elaborate stick. And clubbing someone in mail or plate armor with a bow would do nothing to them.
If the opponent was wearing mail, he might get bruised, but probably not seriously injured. If the opponent had plate armor, he might get a small dent in is armor, but nothing else.
Nonetheless, if you watch The Lord of the Rings and Narnia (Susan Pevensie) among other movies, you will regularly see people dressed in full body armor being killed or disabled in battle by being struck with the bow. It’s ridiculous!
Cheers,
James
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