Susan's bow and arrows

"You must use the bow only in great need, for I do not mean you to fight in the battle. It does not easily miss."

- Father Christmas

Susan's bow and arrows were the prize possessions of Susan Pevensie when she reigned in Narnia as Queen Susan the Gentle.

The bow was thought to have been magical, though the truth of that claim has been debated. Whatever the case, the arrows shot from this bow were highly unlikely to miss their target.

The bow and arrows were accompanied by a horn.

Description
In C.S. Lewis' original novels, Susan's bow was not described in great detail, but certain features were mentioned; for example, the quiver for the arrows was made of ivory, and the bowstring apparently retained its strength and tension for hundreds of years after it was crafted.

In the films produced by Disney/Walden Media, it is depicted as a short, recurve- style bow made from wood. The handgrip is red leather decorated with gold, and the tips seem to be made of ivory.

The arrows are, apparently, made of the same ash wood, with red feathers at the back end, and ivory tips at the front.

History
Susan was given her bow and arrows, along with the Horn, by Father Christmas, near the end of the Long Winter (1000 NY). She used it briefly during the First Battle of Beruna.

During her reign (1000 - 1015 NY), it was unknown precisely how often Queen Susan used her bow. Prince Corin of Archenland mentioned that although Susan didn't ride to wars like her siblings, she was an "excellent archer", indicating that she used her bow frequently enough to impress people with her skill.

In 1015 NY, when Queen Susan and her siblings vanished from Narnia, her bow and arrows were placed in the Treasure Room of Cair Paravel. When she returned to Narnia one year later, (1,300 years in Narnian Time), she found the items still there.

After retrieving her bow, she used it to frighten off two Telmarine soldiers and save the life of Trumpkin the dwarf. She later used in an archery contest against Trumpkin.

Later, Susan attempted to shoot a bear with her bow, but was unsuccessful (due to the fact that she was unsure whether or not it was a Narnian bear).

Film Adaptation
In the Disney/Walden film of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Susan practices with this bow while at Aslan's camp, and uses at least two arrows. She also later uses it to dispatch Ginarrbrik.

In the film version of Prince Caspian, Susan shoots two arrows at the Telmarines, but does not shoot at the bear. She also does not compete with Trumpkin.

She does, however, use her bow a great deal more overall. First, she takes part in the Night Raid on Miraz's Castle, where she shoots down multiple soldiers. She later escapes the Narnian camp, and shoots four soldiers before returning to battle and killing many more.

Trivia

 * Actress Anna Popplewell, who portrayed Susan, noted that her kill-count in the Prince Caspian (Disney movie) was higher than that of several of her male co-stars.
 * In Prince Caspian, as Susan fights in the Battle of Aslan's How, she is seen shooting down many Telmaraine soldiers as well as knocking two of them out by striking them with her  bow.
 * In the film version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy uses it while fighting the sea serpent.
 * It seems as though Susan's quiver, which holds her arrows and bow, when not in use, is also enchanted. When Father Christmas gives Susan her gifts, the quiver appears to have only a few. But it could be possible that the quiver is enchanted so that it never runs out of arrows. It is quite noticeable, when you look at the arrows in the quiver very closely, you can see at least 7-9 arrows inside.
 * See also Archery.
 * See also Bow and arrows.