Crossbow Candy Canes

The crossbow, although often thought of as used by the people of middle ages and crusades, was actually created by the Chinese and used by the Greeks in the 4th century BCE.  

The Greek name for the crossbow was the gastraphetes, or “Belly Bow”.  This is because warriors held the end then of the bow against their stomach in order to absorb the force of the weapon’s kick back. 

This large piece of equipment might be found in Ares arsenal, along with many other weapons. 

In the ancient world, crossbows were NOT the weapon of choice. Most armies would have traditional bowmen. The crossbow was remodeled to be more practical and became more popular in the crusades.

To add a little bit of Christmas spirit to this craft, I decided to create these decorative crossbows out of candy canes, licorice and jelly beans. And, yes you can eat them, if you use edible glue or make icing! 

Although this takes a little longer, it is fun and tasty. Adult supervision may be required when using the oven.