You might ask yourself, what is so special about an arrow? Why not a bow? To simply put it, the standard bow that the Zande Warrior used in battle was just like most standard archaic bows. It’s a hard material, either bone or wood that is flexible enough to bend. Then a strand of horse hair or other animal hair is tied to either end to create a slingshot effect when pulled. That was the simplest way I know of describing the construction of a bow.
However, the bow is not my focus in this post. Zande warriors trained with bows as did many people of the Azande. It was a hunting tool as much as a weapon. What was different with the Zande Warrior firing a bow was that his arrow had an extra ingredient. It is something common enough that it is still easily accessible today and still as dangerous.
You have probably heard of Strychnine. This stuff is real nasty, too. Not only is it painful, it will keep you awake and alert until you actually die a slow agonizing death. Once introduced into your blood stream, Strychnine will basically cause uncontrollable muscle spasms. That includes all of your muscles, your face, abdomen, and eventually your lungs.
