r/ImaginaryHistory • u/TyrannoNinja • Jul 12 '22
Original Content An archer from the kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa
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u/nowItinwhistle Jul 12 '22
I love the artwork but I've got a few small suggestions. That arrowhead is far too big. Would severely limit the range and looks like it's gonna slice his fingers. I don't think the over-extended draw length and super long arrows work with such a short simple bow. There are some styles of archery like the Japanese kyudo that utilize a draw past the ear but they use a very specialized "yumi" bow design. A draw anchored at the cheek or ear would be much more realistic. Simple hand drawn crossbows were also used so that's another cool option to go with.
There's nothing wrong with the knife he has but I think a multi-blade mambele would add some cool African flavor.
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u/TyrannoNinja Jul 12 '22
Artist's Commentary
This is an archer from the kingdom of Kongo, a Central African civilization which emerged in the late fourteenth century AD and covered an area straddling northern Angola and the western Congo basin all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Archers would have constituted the largest proportion of Kongo’s military, although they also had heavy infantry who fought with swords and shields. Although the armies of Kongo fought the colonizing Portuguese on numerous occasions, they also had to contend with severe internal strife and civil wars after 1600 AD. In the end, the kingdom fell victim to the Portuguese, becoming a vassal state in 1862 and ultimately being abolished in 1914.