Medieval Weapons

The Excalibur sword is a cornerstone of Middle Age lore, but few people know the true story behind the blade. Sure, we’ve seen “Wart” pull the sword from the stone in the classic Disney cartoon, but what’s the real legend behind the quasi-mythical blade? In fact, some people debate if the Sword in the Stone and Excalibur are even the same weapon.

According to legend, Excalibur is the blade that King Arthur used in battle. And in some legends, the sword wields magical powers. There are dozens of versions and variations of the tale; you are basically left to your own devices to cater the story in whatever way you please. Personally, I prefer the grandiose version, where Arthur pulls mighty Excalibur from the stone, leading to his staunch defense against the Saxon forces.

Today we think of dragons as abstract mythical creatures - hardly a pressing concern when real dangers exist around every corner. In the Middle Ages, however, myth and superstition were as good as reality. People had a tendency to believe whatever they heard, no matter how fantastical the story might be. When Crusaders returned to England from their exploits in the Holy Land, they brought with them a whole new brand of tales.

They claimed that in ancient times England had been a dangerous place where dragons roamed free. By the time St. George came on the scene, all of the dragons save one had been slain. Still the kingdom was living in fear of the last remaining dragon, and George set out in with his medieval weapons and armor to vanquish it. When he did, he was celebrated as a hero. Even though none of this ever happened, people were uneducated and gullible during the Middle Ages.

When many of us think of Roman gladiators, we immediately revert to the glorified role these figures play in Hollywood movies. The truth of the matter, however, is that the life of a gladiator was not as glamorous as the films depict, and most of the warriors met an early death. In a recent NPR podcast there was a story highlighting a new archeological discovery: a massive burial site for Roman gladiators in Northern England. (Gladiators used to go on tour).

Although they can’t be certain the burial site was exclusively for Rancient roman swordsoman gladiators, several signs seem point to that conclusion. One arm on each of the skeletons had much more muscle than the other, which is probably due to the constant swinging and training with ancient Roman swords. There is evidence of a lion or tiger bite on one of the soldiers, both of which are foreign to the area and were used in gladiator battles. Finally, a hammer had damaged many of the skulls, a tactic used to disorient the gladiators.