[Dragaera] Arrows vs Javelins

[Jon_Lincicum at stream.com]

"Louis Eastman" <almagaiz at gmail.com> 
Sent by: dragaera-bounces at dragaera.info
08/04/06 05:26 AM

To
"Jon Lincicum" <lincicum at comcast.net>
cc
Dragaera list <dragaera at dragaera.info>
Subject
Re: [Dragaera] Bear with me please? (Spoliers for Orca, Issola, SL, 
others)




>On 8/4/06, Jon Lincicum <lincicum at comcast.net> wrote:
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>> >             Why are Bow-and-Arrows called Javelin-Shooter?
>> >
>> >
>> > Because they don't use arrows, or bows. They fling javelins, also 
known
>> as
>> > pilums,
>> > farther than you could throw them-think of a slingshot and you're 
close.
>> > More info; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilum
>> >
>> There are actually a few references to arrows in various points in the
>> books, although I don't recall exactly where. These may have gone in
>> before SKZB decided to call them all "javelins" instead.
>>
>> Of course, it's possible that "arrows" and "javelins" have been used by
>> different armies at different times in Dragaeran history, and that
>> "arrow" is simply not the term that is currently in vogue.
>>
>> This may also be one of those things that can be explained away by
>> "mistranslation" from the Dragaeran tongue to English, also.
>>
>>
>> Majikjon
>
>
>Well, it sounds reasonable, but unless these are very big arrows, I don't
>know
>how effective they would be by sticking into a shield and levering it 
aside,
>like
>Vlad does in Dragon. Also the fact that they are throwing weapons on 
Vlad's
>side
>pretty much discounts the arrow theory- I can't think of a useful way of
>throwing three
>arrows that would be accurate and have enough force to hurt someone.

Vlad does state that the "Javelin-shooters" are firing "javelins" that are 
much skinnier than those that Cropper Company use, and have feathers 
(read: fletching) on the back. 

Likely, Cropper Company is using something rather like a Pilum, and the 
javelin shooter is more like a crossbow.

Majikjon