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Title
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17th Century Crossbow
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Collection Location
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The National Museum of Finland, Helsinki
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Date
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c. 1646
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Location
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Maaninka, 1904
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Description
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The prod and the stirrup are made of metal, having a wooden stock with iron and bone inlays. A cloth binding attaches the bridle block to the metal prod. There is a roller nut made of bone on top of the cavity of the trigger mechanism, and an iron trigger is located beneath the tiller, which is not visible in the image. There is no rear sight built for this crossbow and the butt stock is narrow, making this weapon more simplistic in terms of design and usage. According to the source, the user would be placing one foot in the stirrup and pull the string into the nut. The string would be made of moose sinew, and it is assumed that the string shown belongs to a later century, composed from a different rope-like material.
The bone inlay states the date as 1646, but it is unclear whether other parts also belong to that specific date or whether they were altered later in the century.
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Source
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The National Museum of Finland
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Link:
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https://www.kansallismuseo.fi/en/digitaalinen-kokoelma/tutkijan-valinta/jalkajousia-ja-vasamia
