The Middle Ages were witness to some of history's most brutal conflicts. There was the Battle of Hastings which saw William crush Harold's forces. And then there was the battle at Bosworth Field which was the decisive moment during the War of the Roses and figured prominently in the rise of the Tudor Dynasty. These and other Medieval clashes were not short on brutality, largely because of the weapons used. With this as a background, let's delve into some lethal Medieval weapons.
Knights on charging horses was not an uncommon sight during the Middle Ages. As a means to neutralize these cavalry assaults, groups of pikemen were used to blunt the onrush. These were infantry soldiers, even sometimes peasants, who were armed with pikes. A pike is a pole weapon. At the pole's end is a finely honed steel or iron spearhead. The strategy was to point the pike ends toward the oncoming horses and riders.
Another pole weapon, related to the pike, is the halberd. This weapon is triply lethal. The pole's end is topped with a multi-function battle-axe blade. The blade's design includes a hook-shaped back end for grappling and a spike at the top for stabbing enemy horses or soldiers.
Blunt weapons is another category of arms to consider. Every battle had its fair share of men wielding these powerful arms. Many an opponent would be clad in armor. As such, flanged maces and war hammers were used to either dent or break the metal breastplate. Peasants involved in the fray and who were untrained in weaponry were issued cudgels with which to attack.
Archers, with their ranged weaponry, figured prominently in battles. This was no better illustrated than during the Battle of Crecy. English archers, equipped with longbows, caused mayhem among their French opponents. Even though the bow could loose an arrow over three hundred yards, accuracy was not its long suit. In light of this, longbowmen would fire in concert into a specific area, raining destruction to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the arrow storm.
From a purely militaristic standpoint, no other weapon symbolizes warfare quite like the sword. Its sole function is to destroy an enemy. The most common types wielded during the Middle Ages were the broadsword, longsword and the claymore.
This has hardly been an exhaustive list of the weaponry brandished during the Medieval era. Others include siege weapons, like battering rams and catapults, and bladed weapons, such as knives and stilettos.
medieval weapons
Knights on charging horses was not an uncommon sight during the Middle Ages. As a means to neutralize these cavalry assaults, groups of pikemen were used to blunt the onrush. These were infantry soldiers, even sometimes peasants, who were armed with pikes. A pike is a pole weapon. At the pole's end is a finely honed steel or iron spearhead. The strategy was to point the pike ends toward the oncoming horses and riders.
Another pole weapon, related to the pike, is the halberd. This weapon is triply lethal. The pole's end is topped with a multi-function battle-axe blade. The blade's design includes a hook-shaped back end for grappling and a spike at the top for stabbing enemy horses or soldiers.
Blunt weapons is another category of arms to consider. Every battle had its fair share of men wielding these powerful arms. Many an opponent would be clad in armor. As such, flanged maces and war hammers were used to either dent or break the metal breastplate. Peasants involved in the fray and who were untrained in weaponry were issued cudgels with which to attack.
Archers, with their ranged weaponry, figured prominently in battles. This was no better illustrated than during the Battle of Crecy. English archers, equipped with longbows, caused mayhem among their French opponents. Even though the bow could loose an arrow over three hundred yards, accuracy was not its long suit. In light of this, longbowmen would fire in concert into a specific area, raining destruction to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the arrow storm.
From a purely militaristic standpoint, no other weapon symbolizes warfare quite like the sword. Its sole function is to destroy an enemy. The most common types wielded during the Middle Ages were the broadsword, longsword and the claymore.
This has hardly been an exhaustive list of the weaponry brandished during the Medieval era. Others include siege weapons, like battering rams and catapults, and bladed weapons, such as knives and stilettos.
medieval weapons
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