I shot an arrow into the air,
Longfellow, “The Arrow and the Song”
It fell to earth, I knew not where…
Such a simple idea, but such a powerful creation! It turned the tide in battles, created legends, and wiped out cities–maybe even a species. William Tell used one to split an apple on his son’s head to avoid execution. Welsh longbows defeated the French at Agincourt. The Mongols nearly conquered the known world because they could shoot in any direction while on horseback, until the Mamluk archers in Egypt stopped their advance with arrows of their own. Even Taylor Swift sang about it: “I am the archer; I am the prey.”
Continue reading “A is for Arrow”