--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first sound was the bowstrings, the…" description: "\"“The first sound was the bowstrings, the snap of five thousand hemp cords being tightened by stressed yew, and that sound was like the devil’s harpstri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/875/bernard-cornwell-1849_arrows-struck_the-first-sound-was-the-bowstrings-the-s_2768317.jpg" --- # The first sound was the bowstrings, the snap of five… ![“The first sound was the bowstrings, the snap of five thousand hemp cords being tightened by stressed yew, and that sound was like the devil’s harpstrings being plucked. Then there was the arrow sound, the sigh of air over feathers, but multiplied, so that it was like the rushing of a wind. That…” quote by Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/875/bernard-cornwell-1849_arrows-struck_the-first-sound-was-the-bowstrings-the-s_2768317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/875/bernard-cornwell-1849_arrows-struck_the-first-sound-was-the-bowstrings-the-s_2768317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/875/bernard-cornwell-1849_arrows-struck_the-first-sound-was-the-bowstrings-the-s_2768317.jpg) > ““The first sound was the bowstrings, the snap of five thousand hemp cords being tightened by stressed yew, and that sound was like the devil’s harpstrings being plucked. Then there was the arrow sound, the sigh of air over feathers, but multiplied, so that it was like the rushing of a wind. That sound diminished as two clouds of arrows, thick as any flock of starlings, climbed into the gray sky. Hook, reaching for another broadhead, marveled at the sight of five thousand arrows in two sky-shadowing groups. The two storms seemed to hover for a heart’s beat at the height of their trajectory, and then the missiles fell. It was Saint Crispin’s Day in Picardy. For an instant there was silence. Then the arrows struck. It was the sound of steel on steel. A clatter, like Satan’s hailstorm.”” [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Vividly describes a battlefield’s chaotic sounds, likening arrows to a storm and steel to a demonic chorus, emphasizing war’s brutal beauty. **In simple terms:** Battle sounds are fierce and overwhelming. Key Takeaway Recognize war’s destructive power. Themes war history violence Mood dramatic intense Type literary historical When to use this quote - historical fiction - epic storytelling - military strategy - sound design Key Concepts military tactics psychology of combat Questions to Reflect On - What emotions does this description evoke? - How does vivid imagery affect perception of war? A Different Perspective Romanticizing combat can obscure its tragedy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrow Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrow-sound-3223536/) [Arrows Flock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrows-flock-3223537/) [Arrows Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrows-sky-3223534/) [Arrows Struck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrows-struck-1882298/) [Clouds Arrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clouds-arrows-3223535/) ## Related quotes > [“Max took out his bow and arrow and with perfect aim shot three arrows that struck and destroyed each zombie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winter-morgan/max-took-out-his-bow-and-arrow-and-with-perfect-aim-shot-three-arrows/) [Winter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winter-morgan/) ## More by Bernard Cornwell > [“They laughed, but I was melancholy. 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It's smelling your enemy's breath while he tries to disembowel you with an axe, it's blood and shit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/a-battle-in-the-shield-wall-it-s-smelling-your-enemy-s-breath-while/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > [I'll happily mentor anyone who wants mentoring, and most of that goes on by internet rather than face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/i-ll-happily-mentor-anyone-who-wants-mentoring-and-most-of-that-goes/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > [“Nor did he care about his childhood, for certainly I never heard him speak of it. 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