Year I received it: 2008
Material: Tempered hickory core backed in laminating clear fiber glass. The belly of the bow is birdseye zebrawood and the handle is aromatic cedar.
Creator: Goyacle Redtail
Dagretha is a longbow with a draw weight of 28" or 25x lbs.
This object holds special meaning for me in several ways. Firstly, it was made by a good friend who is a professional Hopi bowyer. Secondly it was an experiment in a new method he was testing, so it is the first of its kind from his collection. Lastly the accents were painted by me, inspired by the bow used by my favorite character in an online role-playing game I used to be a part of. The name of the bow is the name of the organization my character belonged to, so I am constantly reminded of the friendships I had that grew in the game (some people I still talk to today).
The object was a gift from my friend because he does not sell his experiments, and he knew I was in the market for a bow and appreciated his work. It was delivered by his girlfriend (my roommate).
The bow is not exactly on display as I have it off to a corner in my room with the rest of my weaponry, far from the vents and windows to protect it from the elements. It is not stored in a bowsock, though, so when my door is closed, the bow is visible. One day I do intend to mount it to a wall somewhere to display it.
The other weaponry stored with the bow include some arrows, a blow gun, my boyfriend's shinai, and a spear. This spear was made by me out of foam and wood for a costume so it is not functional however. Also in that corner is a trash can I painted to match the bedroom, my closet, and a floor length mirror. In examining these objects, one might see that I like to be organized efficiently, appreciate aesthetics and take part in the arts, and have an interest in "old-technology" weaponry.
To better understand the bow, it would be useful to gain more information about it directly from its creator. Also, a study of archery, bowmaking, and the Hopi people would be advised.
People uninterested in gaming and fantasy may be turned off by the story behind the bow's accents and name. Archers who do not like longbows and people who do not enjoy archery or disapprove of weaponry in general would also not be interested in this bow.
Someone who is unaware of the name of the bow and the storyline of the MUD game may just see the roses painted on it as a pretty decoration and nothing more. They may even derive different meaning from the roses, such as associating thorns with the sharp point of an arrow. Someone unaware of who made the bow may think I bought it. A person disapproving of archery or hunting may assume I am a hunter, which may cause other inferences and misunderstandings to be made.
Whenever someone asks, I allow them to touch it. The best way to create interest in a functional object is to demonstrate its function, so taking the bow out to a range and teaching a viewer on how to use it would be an ideal way to engage him or her.
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