Medieval Weapons

Readers of this blog are probably asking what do these three things have in common?  Footballs are pigskin balls that young men use to play a popular game.    Lances and swords on the other hand are ancient weapons that were utilized in many wars of the past.

Being very good at playing football entitles young men to many privileges.  Highschool football players are some of the most popular boys around.  At least that is the situation in the southern United States.  These athletes are even more revered in college.   It requires a certain toughness to play football, and it is likely one of the most dangerous sports.

In the Middle Ages, there were sports that nobles enjoyed watching as much as we enjoy football.  These were tournaments which were thrilling but potentially dangerous for the contestants just like football.  Christien de Troyes remarked in Yvain, or the Knight with the Lion, that “people are wont to rush up when they are eager to see swordplay.”

Some of the participants in this ancient sport were sons who would not inherit property or a title because they were not the first son.  Often they participated in tournaments to make money just like our professional footballs players today.  One of the most famous of these professional sword fighters was William Marsechal.  Because he was the most powerful man with a sword, he acquired a castle and land through a marriage to a wealthy noble woman.  Medieval times were not so different than the modern day. A powerful athlete often attracts money and beauty.

 Many times wealthy young men played the game just for love of the sport or to prove their superiority in arms.  The Plantagenets, a famous ruling family, of Medieval Britain participated in this dangerous sport.  Richard the Lionheart was an avid participant in swordplay games and also jousting.  He usually won.  His brother, Geoffrey, however, was not so lucky; he was killed in a tournament .  He suffered a broken neck when he was knocked from his horse with a lance.  Had he not been addicted to this dangerous sport, the Plantagenet line of ruling monarchs would likely have been much changed.  Richard, who became King of England was killed in a trivial skirmish at a very young age.  Geoffrey would probably have acceded to  the the throne at his brother’s death, and since he had children they would have been in line to rule the British Empire.

Things change but not dramatically.  Certainly we live in a different age; we play different games than the Medieval athlete.  The results of being great at a sport still apply.  Rewards are waiting for the “best of the best.”

The legend prevails that Rome ascended with the fall of Troy.  Aenas, the famed Trojan, escaped the destruction of Troy and made his way to Italy where he married a princess.  They bore two sons,  Romulus and Remus; the boys were left to die by the Tiber river.  A she-wolf saved them.  They decided to consecrate a city by the river where the miraculous she-wolf saved them.  They fought over the name of the city and Romulus son and thus began the powerful city-state of Rome.

Many historical events and persons of the ancient past are often shrouded in legend and they make great stories.  Whatever the origins of Rome, it became one of the most powerful states that ever existed under the sun.

The Legionnaire was the foundation of the Roman army.  The Legions of the early Roman army were an outstanding group, formidable in battle and in all areas of seige warfare.  They were also excellent engineers; they built roads, bridges, and water systems for the empire.

They were professional soldiers who served with each other often for twenty years.  They fought very hard for the empire, but they were more dedicated to their legion than to the state.  The system worked well for Rome, because each Legionnaire fought his heart out for his comrades  They were prohibited from marrying, so their loyalty was to their fellow soldiers  After service of twenty years, they were allowed to retire with a pension and an allotment of land.  Perhaps they married at this late stage of life.

They had the finest weapons of the day.  They often made changes to make them more efficient.  They wore a breast plate armor called lorica segmentata.  It was made of iron strips that were held in place by leather strips.  This replaced the solid breastplate which restricted movement.  They wore an iron helmet with a peak to prevent blows to the head.  They carried a colorful shield made of wood and metal.  The Roman foot soldier carried three weapons.  They carried a 7 foot javelin which is now referred to as a pilium.  By their side was also a pugio ( small dagger) and a two foot short sword (gladius).  On their feet they wore sandals with hobnails on the bottom.  With this equipment they conquered most of the ancient world.

The Roman Legionnaire was powerful, dedicated to his legion, and a very effective fighting machine.  The colorful Roman soldier is a popular character for reenactors or even with the individual that desires a unique Halloween costume.

The Vikings gave their swords names such as ‘Gramr’ (fierece), and ‘Fotbitr’ (legbitr).  Viking swords were also valuable family heirlooms, and were passed down from father to son.  They were decorated with gold and valuable stones set in the hilt. 

The Norse sagas are full of accounts of combat using swords.  The Lausaviser, a Norwegian epic,  recounts the story of the revenge of Einar, son of Ragnvald.  Ragnvald was a chieftain who ruled in Orkney around 860.  He was burnt to death in his own house by two of Harald Fairhair’s sons.  Einar fought with one son, Halfdan Halegga, and killed him.  Halegga was found the next morning on the side of a hill and his back had the shape of an eagle cut into it with a sword.  The ribs had been separated from the backbone and the lungs had been pulled out on either side to represent an eagle’s wings.  This was Einar’s victory sacrifice to Odin. 

The Viking blades were most often pattern-welded.  The pattern-welded technique was accomplished by the smith welding together long strips of iron and steel.  Then he forged them into square-sectioned rods, which he twisted or folded and welded together in groups of three or four.  These were used for the central core of the blade.  The edges of the blade were then welded to it.  After grinding and polishing, the twists and folds of the core pattern were brought out with acid. 

The crossguard was very simple.  There was elaborate decoration on the pommel.

The Vikings were some  of the most feared and highly regarded warriors of any age.  These Viking  swords with a soul were a mighty extension of the legend of the Norsemen.  Many reenactors choose the Viking persona for this reason.

Swords and Hilt Weapons published by Prion, 20 Mortimer Street, London WIT 3JW is an excellent resource for information on Viking and all other swords.

When caring for a sword collection, it’s important to be aware of the factors that can cause damage to the blades and hilts of swords. The leading cause of damage to collectible swords is the oil from human fingers. For example, if the blade is touched by human hands and then not wiped clean, small stains will develop that can cause blemishes to appear over time. These blemishes are near impossible to remove after appearing, so it’s important to avoid touching the blade when possible, and if touched, remove the oils with a soft rag or even a t-shirt. The same principles can apply to the hilt and all other areas of the sword that are metal.

In order to store collectible swords, it’s best to keep them on a wall rack to avoid them becoming damaged. Most collectible swords don’t have sharp edges, so never attempt to cut or hack at an object or risk damaging the blade. For swords with sharp edges, be careful to exercise caution, and keep out of reach of small children and even older children. Collectible words are still weapons and can be dangerous.

There are several noticeable differences between European swords and those forged in the East in countries like Japan, Thailand, and China. Most oriental swords are lightweight and have a slim blade. In addition, several oriental swords, such as those used by the Japanese samurai, have a small hilt with no separation between the hilt and the blade. Because of the relative size of the blades, sword fighting in the East was developed around finesse and technique. While this was also done in Europe with slim swords like the rapier, almost all Eastern swordsmen used the slim blades, while most Europeans used broader blades like the long sword or broad sword.

The sword fighting techniques used all across Asia are quite different than those found in Europe. The Japanese sword fighting technique known as Kendo involves quick and relentless strikes to overwhelm the opponent, while European techniques often utilize a shield in the off-hand, and are centered around powerful thrusts or slashes to batter the opponents defenses.

We’ve all seen those enormous and at times gaudy swords often found in fantasy films, books, and comics. But many people often ask… would those swords actually work? There is some truth to the oversized and ornate fantasy swords, as such swords did exist in the past. The claymore, a two handed sword that originated with highlanders in Scotland, is big enough to not be out of place in fantasy. There were even larger swords that were more often than not designed to take down a knight and a rider with a single slash. While the claymore had practical uses, it’s about as large as a sword can become before it becomes useless except in specific situations. The giant swords used to take down horse and rider could be used for that purpose alone to their unwieldy size and the extreme strength needed for one swing.

Even the claymore would fall victim if it missed the target with consecutive blows, as a faster fighter with a sword and shield could deflect the blow and then jab at the wielder from behind the protection of the shield. The gaudy features that make swords look cool don’t do much to change their effectiveness, it’s more the length of the blade and the weight that contribute to its usefulness.

Unlike a broadsword, short sword, or side sword, the rapier features a thin blade that is used for thrusting rather than slashing. The rapier acts as a piercing weapon, and was as a lightweight combat alternative to other swords during the 16th and 17th centuries. The rapier features a complex hilt that covers the hand and protects it from slashing weapons, while the blade is long and thin, and can be sharpened along its entire length or just at the tip. In addition, certain variations of the rapier exist, such as the estoc, which is a rapier without a cutting edge. The estoc is quite unique in that it was like a rapier, but intended to be used with both hands (though one handed estocs exist as well). Thus the estoc functioned more like a more precise rendition of the long spear than a sword. While estocs weren’t weapons of finesse, rapier swords were. The rapier was preferred by sword masters. Rapiers were often utilized in duels, and were renowned as a blade that could provide offense and defense without requiring a companion sword or shield.

Today, most European fencers still train with rapier like swords, and the swords that most people imagine in fencing competition are thrusting swords like the rapier. Rapier fencing is in stark contrast to other fencing techniques such as Kendo, which relies on a slashing weapon.

There are several types of rapier swords that gained prominence in the Renaissance period of history.  No gentleman’s education was complete without an intense study of swordplay with these popular swords.  The Italians were pre-eminent in teaching the art of dueling or fencing.   Every court in Europe felt that they should have an Italian fencing master, and most did.

The narrow pointed blades of the rapier were designed as thrusting weapons.  One of the best known rapiers of the Renaissance era was the swept hilt rapier, which had elaborate curves.  This blade was popular in almost every country.  Very often these swords were very decorated with jewels set in a hilt of gold, silver and brass.  They were a symbol of the wealth of the carrier.  Often the swept hilt rapiers had two quillons rather than the single one of the earlier Renaissance.

Early in the seventeenth century the cup hilt rapier appeared.  The plate-like cup provided additional protection for the hand.  This type of sword is often seen in Hollywood films, such as Captain Blood and Robin Hood.  It is often referred to as the “Spanish” rapier.  This sword is the forerunner of the modern fencing weapons of today. 

A cruder form of the cup hilt rapier was called the Spanish bilbo.  These weapons were used by pirates in the Caribbean; a replica of such weapons can be seen in the movie of the same name,   Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Excalibur, the sword King Arthur received from The Lady of the Lake, is one of the most well known swords the world over.  While there are several other weapons mentioned in legend, Excalibur is the most well known.  Based on Welsh legend, the Excalibur was often said to possess magical powers.  The Excalibur sword has appeared in hundreds of different sources of contemporary media and fiction.  Excalibur is a weapon of great power that appears in video games, it’s also often referenced in popular fiction, and most if not all films based in the time of King Arthur make mention of Excalibur at some point or another.  In England, there are several historical locations that pay tribute to Excalibur, and while the real sword might have never existed, the mythology that surrounds it is quite palpable. 

Some have suggested that the legend of Excalibur is based on Norse mythology, which has several swords and weapons of legend including Gram, a sword that Sigurd used to defeat the dragon Fafnir.

On the parched ground of the Middle East in early fall, 1096, a lone European knight walked among thousands of dead bodies.   He had been away from his post for days searching for  20,000  Crusaders  who had been called to accept the crusader’s cross by Pope Urban to rescue the Holy Land from the Saracens.   What he found in the desert sickened him.  The stench from the thousands of dead bodies was so nauseating  that he threw up. 

He walked among the dead and to his dismay found not one man alive.  He determined from the decaying bodies that this was the army on which so many hopes had been placed.  He was surprised that the weapons that were lying beside the dead were mostly sling shots, flails and maces.  There were a few Crusader shields among the bodies, and a few Medieval battle swords of that time.  He wondered why there were so few weapons, and he quickly realized why they were doomed.  He wondered if the rag-tag crew lying in the hot desert sun was the best that Europe would offer to save Jerusalem. 

He continued to trudge through the bodies, and he suddenly viewed the cloak of a Monk, and beside the holy man’s decaying body, there lay a scroll.  He unrolled the document, and began to read of the disastrous crusade of Peter the Hermit. 

“I joined Peter, a fellow monk who spoke with such inspiration that I knew that we could save this land for God.  Pope Urban issued the call to crusade and we answered.  Our recruits were not the rich knights with mighty arms; our crusaders were the poor and disadvantaged who desired to escape their sordid existence and do the Lord’s work.  They had few arms, but what they could make themselves or their flails which they used as farm implements.  But what we lacked in wealth and arms we made up for in devotion.  We knew that God would bless us.  I must admit that some of our recruits did not come here with the best intentions, because they have stolen and murdered even from their comrades.   I must say however, that for the most part our band of farmers, peasants and the disadvantaged have attempted to fight like the devoted Christians that they are.   We did well until we reached Nicaea; we sacked the city of the Seljuk, one of the major cities of the Turks.  We moved a few miles from the city in the hopes of securing a castle for a headquarters.  Then we saw a large contingent of troops in the distance.  We determined that they were Saracens with their mighty swords and swift horses.  I fear we will die soon.  We are no match for them.  They have surrounded us, and we have been here for days.  We are starving to death and there is no hope.  God wills that we die here.”

The knight wondered if ever again Christian pilgrims would subject themselves to such a disastrous result.  Would Crusaders ever free the Holy Land?