In the time after Europe's dark ages, there was a period of time dominated by intense political instability. With alliances changing frequently and war always a possibility, it became necessary for armies and soldiers to have the most advanced weaponry. This meant that there was a huge variety of medieval weapons.
The most basic piece of weaponry from this time was probably the sword, as few knights were ever seen without one. In particular, they preferred the arming sword (also known as the short sword), which was easy to wield, as it only required one hand. The long sword, on the other hand, necessitated two hands, but could also inflict more damage. Likewise, the claymore was a heavy and powerful instrument, and very popular in Scotland. Two other popular swords were the scimitar and sabre.
Daggers and knives were smaller than the sword, and used for a variety of tasks. The seax was a large dagger, only a little bit smaller than a sword, and it was most popular in areas like Germany and Scandinavia. The rondel was almost always at a soldier's hip as a backup to his sword, and the mercy giver was a type of knife used to dispatch wounded enemy soldiers.
To keep the opponent at more than arm's length, weapons attached to pikes or poles were useful. Most basically, the pike was employed by infantry soldiers and could be used to make thrusts and jabs towards the opposition. The halberd and bardiche were essentially axe-like devices on sticks, and they sometimes had claws affixed behind the pole for grappling. Another tool, called the man catcher, was used to capture the enemy in order to kill him or keep him for ransom.
Bows and arrows were immensely popular during these years as well, because they made it possible to do damage to the enemy at little or no risk to the archer. The standard bow was quite small, perhaps only as long as a man's arm, but featured a recurved bow in order to increase the force of propulsion. In contrast to this, the longbow was a tall instrument, usually about as tall as its user. The development of the crossbow was a huge breakthrough, because it required less energy to use, could fire arrows at much greater force, and required far less training. Guns were invented around this time as well, and the arquebus and musket completely changed warfare.
There were also a great variety of unusual weaponry used during this period. For instance, the battle axe, flail, and club were all widely used. The flail was a frightening device, with a spiked metal club connected to a handle with a chain. Battering rams were essential to any siege. Some creative generals employed animals in their armies, with elephants being both particularly frightening and effective.
Due to the constant peril of warfare and attack always present during pre-Renaissance Europe, armies worked tirelessly to come up with tools which could outdo anything their enemies would have. This led to a wide variety of fighting devices, most of which continue to fascinate and inspire fear to this day.
medieval weapons
The most basic piece of weaponry from this time was probably the sword, as few knights were ever seen without one. In particular, they preferred the arming sword (also known as the short sword), which was easy to wield, as it only required one hand. The long sword, on the other hand, necessitated two hands, but could also inflict more damage. Likewise, the claymore was a heavy and powerful instrument, and very popular in Scotland. Two other popular swords were the scimitar and sabre.
Daggers and knives were smaller than the sword, and used for a variety of tasks. The seax was a large dagger, only a little bit smaller than a sword, and it was most popular in areas like Germany and Scandinavia. The rondel was almost always at a soldier's hip as a backup to his sword, and the mercy giver was a type of knife used to dispatch wounded enemy soldiers.
To keep the opponent at more than arm's length, weapons attached to pikes or poles were useful. Most basically, the pike was employed by infantry soldiers and could be used to make thrusts and jabs towards the opposition. The halberd and bardiche were essentially axe-like devices on sticks, and they sometimes had claws affixed behind the pole for grappling. Another tool, called the man catcher, was used to capture the enemy in order to kill him or keep him for ransom.
Bows and arrows were immensely popular during these years as well, because they made it possible to do damage to the enemy at little or no risk to the archer. The standard bow was quite small, perhaps only as long as a man's arm, but featured a recurved bow in order to increase the force of propulsion. In contrast to this, the longbow was a tall instrument, usually about as tall as its user. The development of the crossbow was a huge breakthrough, because it required less energy to use, could fire arrows at much greater force, and required far less training. Guns were invented around this time as well, and the arquebus and musket completely changed warfare.
There were also a great variety of unusual weaponry used during this period. For instance, the battle axe, flail, and club were all widely used. The flail was a frightening device, with a spiked metal club connected to a handle with a chain. Battering rams were essential to any siege. Some creative generals employed animals in their armies, with elephants being both particularly frightening and effective.
Due to the constant peril of warfare and attack always present during pre-Renaissance Europe, armies worked tirelessly to come up with tools which could outdo anything their enemies would have. This led to a wide variety of fighting devices, most of which continue to fascinate and inspire fear to this day.
medieval weapons
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