- where is that bowa -
Until the mid-fifteen hundreds, the crossbow was still widely used as a weapon. In Spain, crossbow factories were widespread.
The most highly prized craftsmen in these factories were the "Constrictor" craftsmen. It was their task to apply the initial bending or "constricting" to a new crossbow cross arm.
It required both great strength and the special knack of applying pressure to "tension" the bow. Hence these craftsmen were called "Bowa Constrictors".
In time the importance of the crossbow diminished and the term "bowa" had changed to "boa" constrictor. Extensive examination of the many diaries kept by the early explorers has revealed why this change came about.
As more and more of the New World came under Spain's dominance, the Spaniards came in contact with much of South America's wildlife, including snakes, some of which were huge.
When one was encountered, it was often wished "a bowa constrictor" was with them because they had the strength to fight the enormous snake with a reasonable chance of surviving.
In time, the name "boa constrictor" was applied to the largest of these snakes and has remained so.
the end...