Skåne lockbow

The Skåne lockbow was an early form of crossbow from Skåne or Scania, then a province of Denmark. (It has been part of southern Sweden since 1658.)  An example was discovered in 1941 in Sweden dating from the 16th century, but seems to be similar to earlier models. The lockbow was used throughout northern Europe between ca. 900-1600 CE. Modern reproductions indicate an effective range of about 50 yd and a draw weight of 55 lb. It worked by drawing the bowstring back into a groove, from which it was dislodged by a wooden peg attached to the top of one end of a wooden lever. The upper part of the peg was pushed sharply upward, through a hole drilled underneath the groove holding the bowstring.