[Ansteorra] arrowhead type identification

[mikea]

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 10:04:15AM -0500, Kazimierz Zowieszczy wrote:
> It appears to me to be a Broad Arrow.
> 
> On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 12:47 AM, Coblaith Muimnech
> <Coblaith at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
> 
> > There's an arrowhead in a heraldic device in a period armorial at <
> > http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0001/bsb00018706/images/index.html?seite=543>.
> >  It looks a little different from most I've seen in similar contexts, and
> > I'm wondering if that's because it's a special type.  Can anyone tell me if
> > there's a name for it?

That's the British-English name for it, certainly. It was, and may still
be, used as a marking on prisoners' uniforms in British prisons. 

In archery context, it's an anti-personnel (and anti-horse) weapon: the
very broad head and barbs make it difficult to extract from flesh or
from between bones. <shudders>

-- 
Mike Andrews        /   Michael Fenwick    Barony of Namron, Ansteorra
mikea at mikea.ath.cx  /   Amateur Extra radio operator W5EGO
Tired old music Laurel; Chirurgeon; SCAdian since AS XI