Weaponry of Medieval Times

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 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 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 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.

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Weaponry of Medieval Times