Medieval Weapons

The term Samurai was first noted in writings of the Eighth Century.  The first Samurai were servants. The word, “Samurai,”means retainer.  As precarious circumstances developed around the inhabitants of the castle, the Samurai were asked to perform military duties.

They first fought with bows and arrows.  As the battles became more fierce, fewer of the archers were seen, because very few possessed the skill to ride and manage to hit their human target.  A more accurate weapon was the  spear (yari) which was  ideal for stabbing a foe to death as well as throwing from the back of a horse.

Confucianism and Zen Buddhism were very strong intellectual influences on the Samurai.  The most important ethical demands made by Confuscianism were filial piety and loyalty, both of which were fundamental to the beliefs of the Samurai. 

When the famous Samurai sword became the most important weapon of the Samurai, it was not a simple matter of just the mastery of the sword.  Confuscianism which was part of the core of the Samurai’s belief, stressed the prowess with the sword combined with the need to serve the master.  The sword was to be more than a simple weaspon, it had to be an answer to life’s questions.

In this blog we have written about swords that possess souls, have names, and are an extension of their human bearer.  The Samurai sword is perhaps the most soulful weapon of any, and we will explore all the facets of the Samurai and his weapons in weeks to come.

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 following description appeared in a 1997 calendar, entitled Medieval Women.  The calendar was published by the Workman Group and the title described the women as the following:  “The Strong, The Resilient, The Accomplished.” One of the writings from this calendar told the story of those Medieval women who went to war in full armor, bearing swords and pole arms just like their masculine brothers.

“During the 9th and 10th centuries, noblewomen were often directly involved in war.  Emma, granddaughter of the Capetian king Robert the Strong, headed the defenses of Laon in 927, and led a siege against Chateau Thierry in 933 that resulted in its surrender: Aethelflaed of Mercia ruled part of England from 911 to 918 and defended it from the Vikings.  The medieval custom of siege warfare, in which an attacking army tried to invade or starve out a walled fortress, frequently meant that noblewomen had to be left in charge while their warrior husbands were outside the walls, conducting the battles.

For later medieval queens, especially those married to kings of distant countries, survival could mean a great deal of military strife.  Margaret of Anjou, married to the simpleminded Henry VI of England in 1445 educated her young son in “nothing else but cutting off heads and making war.” After the young prince was killed in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, Margaret was put in the Tower of London for five years; she died in penury in 1482.

Average women might also expect to experience war; but they were often victims instead of warriors.  Joan of Arc, a peasant girl from a small town in France, broke the mold in the early 15th century by becoming a military leader.  She led the French army in several successful battles against the English army in the last stages of the Hundred Years’ War. When the English captured her in 1431, she was tried and burned for heresy.  Thomas Basin mourned her death his History of Charles VII:

“Joan was sent by God to save the kingdom and the people of France.”

Although wearable armor weighs from 35 to 60 lbs.,  the modern woman would look stunning in the ultimate Medieval costume.

On Tuesday the world will celebrate the most famous of the Irish holidays.  Most will wear green, party with green beer and feast on corned beef and cabbage.  The airways will be filled with the exotic music of Enya, Clannad, and the many other Irish musicians that produce the unique flowing sound that screams Ireland.  Most everyone is aware of where Ireland is today, and what the country encompasses, but from where did this spirited, talented and renown people evolve?

Several Celtic burial sites have been excavated that reveal something of these hardy people.  A rich princely grave was found in Hochdorf in Baden-Wurttemberg.  This Celtic chieftain was found with a gold band around his neck, a gold armlet, a belt and shoes embellished with gold and an exquisite gold dagger.  The couch he rested on was made of bronze, embossed with ritual dance figures, some of them wielding swords.   Another Celtic settlement was unearthed at La Tene on the edge of Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland.  The settlement was typical of a rich civilization which probably lasted from about 500 B.C. until the first century B.C.  Some of the weapons that were found there related the Celtic genius for sophisticated curvilinear design and fantastic abstraction on natural themes.  These Celtic swords were some of the most elegant weapons of any age.  The sword often had a human head on the pommel, and sophisticated carving on the handle.  Further attesting to the imagination and creative genius of these early Celts, the scabbard for these early swords was brilliantly decorated with dragons, bird pairs, triskele and other geometric designs, floral and animal motifs. 

These were the swords that carried the Celts north into Britain and Belgium.  In 390 Celts from Gaul invaded Italy and sacked Rome,  the capital of the fledgling Roman Republic.    The Greek historian Polybius, described the Celts at the battle of Telamon in 225  BC,  says: ‘Very terrifying too were the appearance and the gestures of the naked warriors in front, all in the prime of life, and finely built men, and all in the leading companies richly adorned with gold torques and armlets.’    Another Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus spoke of the fighting style of the Celts, ‘they would raise their swords aloft and smite after the manner of wild boars, throwing the whole weight of their bodies into the blow like hewers of wood or men digging with mattocks, and again they would deliver crosswise blows aimed at no target, as if they intended to cut to pieces the entire bodies of their adversaries, protective armour and all……’ Celtic society was heroic and tribal, and the exploits of these great warriors were celebrated in poetry and song, echoes of which survive in epics, such as the Ulster Cycle,  Tain Bo Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley).

The Celts annihilated the Roman army of the Latin League.  The complete defeat of the Latins forced the Romans to adapt or go under.  The Celts with their superior swords and better conditioning led to the major changes that Rome made that resulted in the Empire.  They copied the short sword of the Celts( gladius), developed the pilium (pole arm) and scutum (body shield). Some historians have asserted that the Celts were paid to leave Rome.  Had the Celts not willingly left the Republic, then perhaps the Tiber would run green tomorrow.

The Halberd is one of the most effective and well designed weapons of the Medieval era.  It is a fabulous weapon for displaying your colors or herald.  It is so versatile that it has been retained as a ceremonial weapon for the Swiss Honor Guard.  

Its history is very short if compared to swords and armour.  What is this strange weapon and what is its value?

The Halberd consists of an axe blade with a peak opposite it and it is sometimes another axe blade.  There is also a long spike or blade on the end and it is mounted on a long shaft. The early forms were simple and heavy (early 13th century) but gradually became lighter and more elaborate.  The shafts had long straps on them to prevent their being cut.

It was carried by sergeants in the British army until the end of the 18th century.  The Swiss valued it so highly that they used in instead of the pike in their 15th century armies. Its use rapidly spread all over Europe.