Artemis and Archery

Quiver before me, for I am the goddess Artemis.

I am the world-renowned huntress and—with my golden bow and divine arrows—I make stags my prey. There is nothing more exciting than the hunt. To chase and take down one's quarry is the height of venery. It always brings me such pleasure. Forgive me if I neglected to properly introduce myself. I am Artemis, the goddess of the hunt—of wild beasts and the woodlands in which they dwell. I am a chaste and virtuous deity, which makes me the ideal guardian of prepubescent girls and their sacred virginity. No man or satyr shall violate the innocence of young maidens while I can still draw my bow and arrows. Great woe upon he who pursues the huntress!

Though I am vestal in nature and undefiled in body and though I have been the carnal focus of many gods and mortal men, I do possess one passionate love in this world. His name is Orion, my companion hunter. Together we share the pleasure of cynegetics with our adept and tenacious hunting dogs.

There is, however, one who does not share the joy of the hunt with his own dogs—and it is he who is called Actaeon. The fool stumbled upon me in the woods as I was bathing. Forbidden of mortals to marvel at the naked beauty of a goddess, so I had to punish him for his egregious transgression. First, I took away his ability to speak. This prevented him from communicating with his hounds. Next, I turned him into a stag. He was then set upon by his own faithful dogs, who chased their master not knowing his true identity—oh, the delicious irony! Not one arrow from my infinitely-supplied quiver did I expend to punish Actaeon.

I am here at the behest of Zeus to discuss with you, mortal, the fine martial art of archery. Take what knowledge I impart and use it to improve your own hunting skills.

The basic mechanics of firing a bow is to pull back on the bowstring and propel the arrow towards your target. There are two methods of aiming at your target: mechanical sights and what is known as "barebow."

Mechanical sights are any enhancements to the bow that allow for visual targeting, such as a pin or optical device that allows for distant viewing. Yet truly skilled archers do not rely on mechanical sights.

Barebow incorporates the techniques of instinctive shooting. The archer has no visual aid, other than the eyes. When following a moving prey, it is important to focus on a point just in front of the target—depending on the distance—so that the arrow does not overshoot. This is called "leading the target." As the target moves left to right, the bowman keeps the bow and arrow fixed just ahead of the prey's predicted course so that when the arrow flies, it will reach the same point and place as the target.

All this leads us to bow hunting. This sport is a game of distance. The closer the archer is to the prey, the more humane the kill. Woodland creatures frighten easily, therefore, the exceptional bow hunter must be skilled in the art of stealth and stalking as well as archery.

As the call of the hunt beckons me, I must leave you now, mortal. If you desire more archery instruction, then learn more from a Minnesota Bow Expert by reading his bow hunting tips.