Medieval Weapons

Over the past weekend the historical movie,  Elizabeth-The Golden Age, was shown on a premium movie channel.  I have seen the film at least four times.  The music is outstanding and inspiring; Cate Blanchett did a remarkable job of portraying the controversial monarch.  One of the most picturesque scenes was the young Elizabeth, wearing full armor, addressing her army to inspire them to greatness against the Spanish invaders.  Who knows if Elizabeth I really straddled a stead,  wore battle armor and carried a sword and lance when she stood before her army? Historical documents report that she did indeed wear armor.  Perhaps she did make the inspiring speech that  in part resulted in  England’s prevailing during this dark time .  They soundly defeated the invading Spanish army and naval fleet.  They became the most dominating and progressive country in Europe.  This action alone led to the British Empire.  Their leader was a young, female Queen, the daughter of Henry VIII’s second murdered wife, Anne Boleyn.

During her time history reports that Elizabeth took a backseat to no one.  She ruled her country with a firm hand, opened its Parliament and helped to enact laws that led to the resurgent European nation.  We need Elizabeth I today “to kick some butt.”

Despite being extinct for hundreds of years, the horse riding, jousting, sword wielding knights of old are still widely celebrated today.  Knights are a popular theme in some of the most famous stories of the ages, including tales like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, The Once and Future King, and The Sword in the Stone.  These tales, while fanciful in nature, relate majesty and valor of these brave souls.  The physical appearance of a knight is almost important as their mental fortitude.  Knights carried swords, shields, lances, and wore suits of armor that were near impregnable.  In fact the suits of armor knights wore were so sturdy that only massive amount of blunt trauma could cause the knight inside damage; slashing and piercing weapons would just glance off the armor.  This made knights quite powerful on the battlefield, but because the armor was so heavy, the knights were also quite slow.

When not in armor, knights were guests at the tables of kings and lords, wearing well tailored clothing and medieval cloaks.  Knights were the epitome of high class in the days of yore. 

While cultures around the world were still using bows and arrows and throwing spears at each other, the Japanese were developing some of the most advanced warfare tactics in the world.  Japanese swordsmen, called samurai, were some of the most feared warriors the world over.  Despite being known as devastating warriors, samurai, in Japanese, means to serve.  While some samurai were mercenaries, most were found to be in the service of a lord or even the emperor himself.  It was a samurai’s duty to protect his lord at all costs.  In some respects, samurai were like the knights from European nations of old.  Japanese weapons were well balanced and deadly, representing superior craftsmanship.  Japanese armor, which the samurai wore into battle, was just as durable and resilient as the suits of armor worn by crusaders of old. 

The samurai were known to wear masks and helms with menacing horns, designed to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies.  On the battlefield, the samurai fought like demons, which caused many of the samurai legends that still exist today. 

An old French legend passed down from generation to generation relates how the Main Gauche, or left hand dagger could have been born.  A noble family of the thirteenth century had lost prestige, and had drifted to near the poverty level,  because  the male offspring were inept at the tasks that added prestige to a family—military expertise.  The family was unable to provide the crown support with its wars with the English, because they could not wield a sword effectively.   They were all left-handed, and the sword they used did not adapt well to the left hand.  Lefties were often frowned upon in Medieval Europe, because they were too odd.   Everyone, called them the  stupid, “Main Gauche.”  In French the word means, left hand. 

The third born son of this unfortunate family had no hope at all because of the law of primogeniture or the rights of the firstborn son. The only job he could find was a lowly task of feeding the animals of a noble who lived near his family.  He realized that the had to come up with some solution to this problem, or he eventually would be forced to sell himself into slavery.    He was also one of the Main Gauche fools of the family.

While watching the animals, he had a lot of time to think and ponder his sad situation.  He began amusing himself by carving a knife with his sword barn.  It was sharp and it was designed for his Main Gauche hand.   Although he was more adept with his left hand, he had been taught swordmanship with a master before his father had fallen to his lowly state.  He always had a sword and several  hand-carved left hand daggers in his possession as he guarded the horses of the great nobleman.

He was eventually employed to keep the animals of the upper- tier noble all day and night.  Because of his willingness to submit to a lowly position, he was able to eat, so he was not forced to roam the streets for food. 

One night a band of outlaws invaded the barn.  They felt there was nothing to fear because the poor Main Gauche boy was guarding the animals.  The thugs felt there would be no problem in getting away with  some of the finest horses in France. 

Five men assaulted the barn.  First the Main Gauche boy grabbed his sword.  The marauders easily deflected his blows.  He ran near the wall of the barn and was ready to give up his life, but suddenly he drew one  the hidden Main Gauche daggers from under his shirt.  The first man fell and the others were slow in reacting because they were attempting to lead out the horses. 

The agile lefty felt powerful for the first time in his life.  He drew one dagger after the other, and while the horses trampled and he stabbed with all his might, the barn became awash with the blood of the outlaws. 

The Main Gauche boy won.  What happened to the boy after this is only heresay.  Many relate that he joined the Crusaders and became an assassin.