weaponry of medieval times
DESCRIPTION
Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe, technological, cultural, and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery. In terms of fortification, the Middle Ages saw the emergence of the castle in Europe, which then spread to southwestern Asia.TRANSCRIPT
Weaponry of
Medieval Times
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Table Of contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 2 Hand-and-a-half sword…………………………………………………… 3 Rapier…………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Small sword………………………………………………………………………. 5 Parrying Dagger…………………………………………………………………. 6 Baselard…………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Ballock Dagger/Dirk…………………………………………………………… 8 Rondel/Roundel Dagger…………………………………………………. 9 Stiletto………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Quarterstaff………………………………………………………………………. 11 Flail……………………………………………………………………………………. 12 Mace………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 Halberd………………………………………………………………………………. 14 Lance…………………………………………………………………………………. 15 Pike………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 Spear…………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Trident………………………………………………………………………………. 18 Glaive………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Armor………………………………………………………………………………… 20 Glossary…………………………………………………………………………….. 21 Pictures Cited……………………………………………………………………. 22 About the Authors…………………………………………………………….. 23
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introduction
The Middle Ages were a time of war. The quest for wealth
and power, driven by greedy kings, queens, and aristocrats, led
to conquests and invasions. Countries began to assemble larger
armies than ever before. The weapons used by the soldiers of
these armies varied greatly. The variations of simple weapons,
such as the sword, and the spear, produced new, specialized
weapons that were unique. Some weapons were designed to
excel in one specific way, while others were engineered to be
versatile and have multiple uses. Each weapon had strengths
and weaknesses. Every weapon was popular and used by most
armies of the world at one time and was at some later time
replaced by a new weapon.
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Hand and a Half Sword
The hand and a half sword was a very useful weapon during
the Middle Ages. Weighing anywhere from just under three
pounds to four and a half pounds, this sword was light enough to
be wielded by one hand, but long enough (thirty-five inches) to
be a two-handed sword. Thus, it is named the hand and a half
sword. These were often made of steel. The hand and a half
sword was double edged, and the blade was flattened into a
hexagonal shape in cross-section. The blade tapers as well,
meaning that near the handle the width is the widest, and it
slowly narrows down to a point at the end. The sharp edges
made it ideal for cutting, although the point on the end made
for effective thrusting as well. The hand and a half sword was
one of the most versatile weapons of the Middle Ages.
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Rapier
The rapier was a very popular weapon in the seventeenth
century. It was a thin and light sword, weighing slightly over two
pounds on average. At the time, the rapier was the smallest
sword could be used by itself, with no additional weapon.
During the seventeenth century, the thrusting style of fighting
was becoming more popular. Swords were not being used to cut
the opponent, but rather to thrust into the opponent. This
meant that the top of the hand needed to be protected, rather
than the side of the hand. The rapier was ideal for this, as it
supplied protection from blade thrusts by protecting the top of
the hand. Also, rapiers were longer than the average sword
(forty inches) and had a very sharp point at the end. However,
since they were designed solely for thrusting, most rapiers did
not have sharp edges. The rapier was designed for thrusting, and
so, when the thrusting style of fighting became obsolete, so did
the rapier.
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Small Sword
The small sword derived from the rapier. The small sword
first became popular in the late seventeenth and early
eighteenth centuries. It was even lighter (just one pound) and
thinner than the rapier, but was typically significantly shorter as
well, being only just over thirty inches in length. The light
weight allowed for the small sword to be very maneuverable,
and not tiring to the arm of the user. This weapon was also
designed for thrusting. Because of this, numerous small swords
had a triangular blade with an extremely sharp point. However,
some had flattened diamond blades. The small sword could
make cuts, but was not very effective at it. Still, many people
who used the small sword found it to be easy to wield and
effective to thrust with.
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Parrying Dagger
The parrying dagger was used in Europe during the late
Middle Ages. It was made from steel, iron and wood and
weighed about fourteen ounces. It was an off-hand weapon
used in conjunction with a rapier or small sword. As the name
implies, it was a dagger specializing in parrying, or defending
against attacks. It had a wider guard and other defensive
attributes for the hand. There were two specific kinds of
parrying daggers: sword breakers and trident daggers. Sword
breakers were sturdy and had teeth on one side of the blade to
catch the blade of the sword. Trident daggers were built so that
a portion of the blade on each side would spring outwards. This
created a dagger capable of trapping blades more securely and
more easily.
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Baselard
The Baselard is also known as the Swiss dagger. Its name comes from Basel in Switzerland, where it originated. This powerful dagger spread through Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The pommel and cross guard were often crescent-shaped in Swiss designs, but not imitated in other countries. The blade itself was characteristically forged out of double-edged steel, lending strength that was useful for piercing armor. The average blade was forty centimeters long, but no standard form was developed as they were purchased privately by soldiers. Numerous variations in hilt and blade design emerged until it declined in use during the seventeenth century.
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Ballock Dagger/ Dirk
The ballock (or bollock) dagger is one with a distinctively
shaped shaft, with two oval swellings at the guard. The wooden
grip and the guard are often in one piece and reinforced with a
metal washer. It was popular in England and Scotland between
the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries and was commonly
carried as a back-up weapon for the lance and the sword. It was
similar in use to the Scottish dirk, which was often held in the
left arm behind a shield.
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Roundel Dagger
The roundel (or rondel) dagger evolved in fourteenth and
fifteenth century Europe. Used by merchants and knights alike,
the steel, twelve inch blade was diamond-shaped, lenticular, or
triangular. The handle was cylindrical (from rondel meaning
round) and crafted from wood or bone. They were designed for
stabbing opponents, underarm or overarm, and for cutting.
Ideally used to puncture chainmail, rondel daggers could not
puncture heavy armor. However, they could be forced between
the joints in the armor and helmets.
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Stiletto
A stiletto was a short knife or dagger with a long, slender
blade of various designs. It was primarily designed as a stabbing
weapon: a narrow shape, ending in a rigid pointed end, allowed
it to penetrate armor deeply. However, it was not suited for
cutting. A typical stiletto was a one-piece cast-metal handle and
blade. Used by artillerymen as a defense, cannonball
measurements were often engraved on one edge of the blade.
The weapon is most associated with assassins due to small size
and light weight (about nine ounces). Because of that, it could
easily be used to thrust through clothing without much difficulty
or attracting attention.
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Quarterstaff
A quarterstaff was a medieval English weapon consisting of
a hardwood shaft, sometimes with metal-reinforced tips. It may
be made from many kinds of wood, commonly ash, oak, hazel,
or hawthorn. The length of the staff varied, typically ranging
from two to three meters. The quarterstaff was effectively a
long two-handed club, although its weight distribution was
generally even throughout its entire length. However, some
forms did have weighted tips. It was used both to deliver
crushing blows, and to thrust like a spear. The art of using the
staff was closely related to that of other polearms, and it was
often employed as a training weapon.
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Flail
The flail is a heavy weight, often with spikes, which is
attached to the end of a handle by a chain. When swung, it
generates a tremendous amount of force to slam into
opponents, and it even has the ability to reach over or around
armor and shields. In medieval times, knights regarded the
sword with such high esteem that the flail was not widely used.
Besides being used in war, the flail was also used to torture and
punish those who commited crimes against the state or the
church. It is a common misconception that a flail and a mace
are the same, but they are in fact quite different. The mace has
a fixed head while the flail has a head (or heads) that can be
moved separately from the handle.
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Mace
A mace is a simple weapon that uses a heavy head on the
end of a handle to deliver powerful blows. It is a development
of the club that is with a symmetrical head so a blow could be
delivered with equal effectiveness with either side. A mace
consists of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal shaft, with a head
made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. The shapes and
knobs on the head are designed to penetrate various types of
armor. Maces were approximately two to three feet in length for
foot soldiers, while those used by cavalry were longer better
designed for blows from horseback. However, a mace is not a
flail. The head of a mace is fixed onto the handle, whereas the
flail can be swung.
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Halberd
The halberd was a variation of the spear that was first used
by the Swiss army in the fifteenth century. A halberd was not
very light and so was a two handed pole weapon. The halberd
was usually at least five feet long, but no more than eight feet
long. The halberd had four main parts. The first was the shaft,
which was used for thrusting. The second was the axe, which
was used to cut. The third was the hook, which was used for
grappling up walls and for dismounting opposing horsemen. The
final part is the handle. The halberd was not used in all
countries and was not used for a very long time. However,
several armies used them, and they were very effective due to
their versatility.
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Lance
The term lance refers to several different pole weapons
based on the spear. In the original sense it describes a javelin-
like weapon meant for throwing. But by the seventeenth
century, the term referred specifically to spears not thrown, but
ones used for thrusting. In medieval times, infantry lances were
more often referred to as pikes and lances were more commonly
used by cavalry, especially in jousting. The wooden pole was
about two to three meters in length, and the spearhead was
made of iron or steel. These weapons could apply tremendous
force and significantly injure a knight wearing even the heaviest
armor.
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Pike
The pike was an elongated, two-handed spear. This weapon was
used in battle from the fourteenth century until the eighteenth
century, when the bayonet was invented, which effectively
turned the musket into a combination of gun and pike. The pike
was used by almost every army in the world during the Middle
Ages. The pike could be up to twenty feet long, but was more
often ten to fourteen feet in length, but often weighed less than
six pounds due to the thinness of the shaft. The pike was
effective because of the tip, which was usually a triangular or
quadrangular blade honed to an extremely sharp point. The pike
was used for both stabbing and throwing. Pikes were made of
wood, specifically ash, and later on they were manufactured
from steel and brass.
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SPEAR
The spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually made of
wood, and a sharpened head (made of either the same material
as the shaft or another material) fastened onto the shaft. The
spear is the predecessor of the pike, halberd, and lance. The
spear was used commonly in combat during the Middle Ages.
This is because the spear was made typically of wood or iron,
which made it inexpensive to make. The length and weight of
different spears varied greatly, and the spear could be wielded
by one or two hands. These weapons could also be used by foot
soldiers or by horsemen. These numerous variations led to more
specific weapons, such as the javelin (spear for horsemen) and
the pike (elongated spear).
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Trident
A trident was a three-pronged spear prized for its long
reach and ability to trap swords between the prongs to disarm
an opponent. Often made from steel and a leather-bound
handle, over two hundred variations have been discovered,
including the bident. The design may represent that of a
pitchfork, but the trident is a separate piece of equipment. A
pitchfork has two to six prongs shaped such that they can be
used to lift and throw loose material. It was not used in combat,
where the trident excelled.
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Glaive
The glaive is a steel, polearm weapon that has a single-
edged blade on the end of a pole. Similar to spears, they were
often used for dismounting horsemen. The long, elegant blades
had a reverse spike, known as a gisarme, to help catch these
riders. The design and method of construction was developed by
peasants of the time period. Common hand tools, such as the
pruning hook, were attached to long poles and used as
weapons. The glaive-gisarme was used primarily between the
eleventh and fifteenth centuries.
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Armor
During the Middle Ages, new weapons were always being developed. Each unique design could penetrate armor differently. In order to protect the soldiers, armor had to advance as well. As time went on, armor had to allow for free movement during combat. Slowly, armor lost its weight and full protection, only covering the essential areas of the body (chest, upper legs and shoulders). Eventually, however, weapons like the sword, lance, etc. became less useful as muskets and firearms were produced. Chain mail, which could protect knights from high-speed projectiles, was used more frequently. After the Middle Ages had passed, armor had become obsolete. In modern times, soldiers mainly need protection from firearms, so bullet-proof vests and tanks are used to attack opponents while maintaining a defense. However, even now, more weapons, such as anti-armor grenades that can pierce even the most heavily armored tanks, are being produced and that safety is almost impossible to keep.
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Glossary
Bayonet: a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used
as a weapon
Crossguard: bar of metal at right angles to the blade, placed
between the blade and the hilt that stops the wielder from
punching shields while swinging the weapon
Gisarme: a weapon such as the glaive that had a reverse spike
to better dismount horsemen and knights
Lenticular: resembling a lens, convex on both sides
Off-Hand Weapon: when wielding a one-handed weapon, the
off-hand weapon was held in the other hand as an extra
defense/offense
Polearm: a group of pole-mounted weapons usually featuring a
cutting or slashing weapon on one end.
Pommel: a rounded protrusion on the handle of a sword or
dagger which prevents the hand from slipping
Pruning Hook: a long-handled edge tool with a curved blade at the end
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picture credits
title: taken from http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1223462840054228433NCmgdM
page 2: taken from http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-
weapons/siege-weapon-design.htm
page 3: Higgins Armory Online
page 4: Higgins Armory Online
page 5: taken from http://images.coldsteel-
knives.com/Lg/3292_1/88SMS_Cold_Steel_Small_Sword.jpg
page 6: taken from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/decw/ho_26.145.94.htm
page 7: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/decw/ho_26.145.94.htm
page 8: taken from http://www.powning.com/jake/images/0ballock1.jpg
page 9: taken from http://antoinemarcal.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/dague-a-
rouelle-rondell-dagger/
page 10: Higgins Armory Online
page 11: taken from http://www.practice-swords.com/european-wooden-practice-
weapons.shtml
page 12: taken from
http://www.digitalapoptosis.com/archives/lightbox/000760.html
page 13: Higgins Armory Online
page 14: Higgins Armory Online
page 15: Higgins Armory Online
page 16: Higgins Armory Online
page 17: Higgins Armory Online
page 18: Higgins Armory Online
page 19: Higgins Armory Online
page 20: taken from http://z.about.com/d/gonewengland/1/0/H/I/armor1.jpg
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About the authors
Nick Frongillo is a senior at the Massachusetts
Academy of Math and Science at WPI. He is a
huge sports fan, playing several himself, such as
baseball and basketball. When he is not playing
sports, he is sleeping. He will be attending WPI
in the fall and likes going to the beach and
other fun places. He resides in Dudley,
Massachusetts.
Nick Moisan is a senior at the Massachusetts
Academy of Math and Science at WPI. He
enjoys sleeping late, playing video games and
having swordfights with his friends. He is
never found in public without his headphones,
jamming out to music, and he is learning to
play the guitar so that eventually he can play
his favorite songs.