Concerning the question > -Did any contemporaries actually take note of the ruling? An article cited by the OP brings up a couple of possible groups which may have complied with this, The [Holy Roman Empire][1] under [Conrad III][2] and the region referred to as [Flanders][3]. So we can look at the extent of any ranged weapon bans in those locations. ---------- - Conrad III This source, [International Encyclopedia of Military History edited by James C. Bradford](https://books.google.com/books?id=xq_lCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT360&lpg=PT360&dq=holy+roman+empire+conrad+3+crossbow+ban&source=bl&ots=MfbufhMbcL&sig=U76lh4odzsPxiU874JH5exW8LYQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiboLffnt_YAhVL3WMKHcQ5DoIQ6AEISDAJ#v=onepage&q=holy%20roman%20empire%20conrad%203%20crossbow%20ban&f=false), while discussing *crossbows*, confirms the information that [Conrad III][2], (Holy Roman Emperor from 1138-1152), > condemned their use in his domains. (The same source mentions that the Magna Carta in 1215 banned the use of crossbows specifically.) Conrad III is also mentioned in an article which appeared in The Nation, (in 1961), entitled '[UNILATERAL DISARMAMENT: 1139 A.D.][4] - - by Jack Rothman', > > "So, moved by humane considerations, the Lateran Council, which > advised the Pope on secular affairs, in 1139 declared the crossbow 'a > weapon hateful to God.' The ban was observed unilaterally by Conrad > III of Germany, who forbade its use in his armies for thirteen years, > meanwhile trying to persuade other powers to do likewise. He failed, > and by 1152 Conrad's soldiers were again using the crossbow." So it appears that Conrad made *some attempt* at abiding by the Popes wishes (at least concerning the use of crossbows),but was only was able to uphold this ban for 13 years, and then resumed the use of crossbows as well. No information here concerning the inclusion or not of long bows in this , and this article,as most that I found, seems to also interpret the papal ruling as mainly directed at crossbows. ---------- - Flanders Concerning Flanders, which was another area mentioned as banning ranged weapons, this ban is brought up in the book [Archery and Crossbow Guilds in Medieval Flanders][5], 1300-1500 By Laura Crombie. In this text,it states: > In England all men were required, from 1363, to practice archery at > the local butts each week. In contrast, Flemish towns passed laws > *against* anyone using bows or crossbows, and later guns, within their > walls... It later mentions that shooting outside the city walls was allowed, so it seems this was not a ban on the use of these weapons in war such as canon 29 seems to indicate, but just local ordinances to make it safer *in the city limits*. (The presence of archery and crossbow related guilds there would also seem to agree that military use was still allowed). So the above Flanders reference, though it did actually specifically include bows, seems to have little relation to the ban from the Second Council of the Lateran. ---------- So some sources indicate that the Holy Roman Empire under Conrad III, (who took power in 1138) did try to follow the ruling (which was in [in April 1139][6]), it was for only a limited time at best, while others (apparently everyone else) 'skirted the rules'. Most information I find seems to be treating this as a crossbow ban, regardless of our interpretation of the actual text of the Canon. (I have seen several [sources][7] listing it as *slingers and archers*). I have not found any mention of an actual ban of the use of bows (beside the later Flemish cities reference). [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_III_of_Germany [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders [4]: https://books.google.com/books?id=zdZNAQAAIAAJ&q=unilateral%20disarmament%201139AD&dq=unilateral%20disarmament%201139AD&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixifSupN_YAhUBXK0KHXjYD0wQ6AEIKzAA [5]: https://books.google.com/books?id=BCcbDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA64&dq=flanders%20crossbow%20ban&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjr4O3S1N_YAhUI6GMKHQkfCx8Q6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=banned&f=false [6]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Council_of_the_Lateran [7]: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/lateran2.asp