Crossbows

Crossbows in use. 1405 - Gaston Phoebus, Book of the Hunt

Bow and Crossbow, MS Bodley 264 fol 51v

There is lots of information on crossbows and arbalests at crossbows.net Here is a “Straight Bow” ca. 1100-1550:

Straight Bow from New World Abalest

“This is a very common bow throughout medieval and renaissance Europe. It may be rectangular in cross-section (western Europe) or oval in cross-section (central Europe) The stock has a grooved top to guide the quarrels (bolts) and is usually rather plain, The pattern was in use from tenth through sixteenth centuries, with a number of variations.” (From the above Web site)

Chap holding crossbow in the Voynich Manuscript

Here is a chap (on the right) wearing similar headgear (from a fresco on the walls of Castle Runkelstein, in the South Tirol):

Hunters (from a fresco on the wall of the Castle Runkelstein in South Tirol)