The Holmegaard Bow
The Lykopis Museum
Housed in Auroch Gallery of The Danish National Museum in Copenhagen
7000 BCE. 9000 years old (Mesolithic Period in Scandinavia)
Roughly 154cm long
It is a self bow, meaning it’s made out of one piece of wood.
Limbs are wide and flat, tapering toward the tips.
It has side-nocks.
It has stiff outer limbs, meaning the outer third of the limb has a squarish profile tapering into “shoulders”, transitioning into a wide flat limb with a rounded back and a flat belly. When the bow is released, these stiff outer limbs snap it back into its original profile.
The grip is transverse to the limbs, with the limbs widening into it. This creates a lever-action when the bow is drawn, with just the limbs bending but not the grip. This allows the bow to be kept at draw for an extended period of time—a benefit while hunting.
Crafted from an elm sapling that was growing in the shade of another tree3, leading it to develop compression wood4 as it grew sideways towards the sun.
Given the climate in what is now Scandinavia during the Mesolithic, the wood used is most likely wych5 elm (Ulmus glabra6). It has the widest range of European elm species, and is also known as the Scot Elm. It is the most prolific of the European elm species, found from the north in the Arctic Circle, east to the Ural Mountains (Russia and Kazakhstan), to the south in the Peloponnese Region in Greece, to the west in Ireland. Even today, the wych elm can be found across Scandinavia.
For further reading:
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Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.
The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.
You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.
Turn Intention Into Action
It All Begins Here
Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.
The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.
You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.
Make Room for Growth
It All Begins Here
Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.
The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.
You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.