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.
One of the most effective pole weapons against cavalry assaults was the pike. This weapon was long, sometimes up to twenty-five feet in length, and had a razor sharp spearhead attached at the end. Formations of pikemen would stand in tight groups, pikes pointing forward, and attempt to halt the onrushing cavalry charge.
Staying in the pole weapon class, another deadly tool of the trade is the halberd. The attacker using this weapon can exert three different types of lethal strikes. First chopping and hacking with the axehead. Second, grappling with the blade's hook end. And lastly, piercing with the spike tip of the axehead.
Blunt instruments were a familiar sight on the battlefield. There were used to counteract the protection that armor offered. One particularly effective weapon for this was the flanged mace. Another, the war hammer, was used to devastating effect against armored troops. If peasants who were untrained in warfare were used during the fight, they would be given cudgels by their superiors.
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
One of the most effective pole weapons against cavalry assaults was the pike. This weapon was long, sometimes up to twenty-five feet in length, and had a razor sharp spearhead attached at the end. Formations of pikemen would stand in tight groups, pikes pointing forward, and attempt to halt the onrushing cavalry charge.
Staying in the pole weapon class, another deadly tool of the trade is the halberd. The attacker using this weapon can exert three different types of lethal strikes. First chopping and hacking with the axehead. Second, grappling with the blade's hook end. And lastly, piercing with the spike tip of the axehead.
Blunt instruments were a familiar sight on the battlefield. There were used to counteract the protection that armor offered. One particularly effective weapon for this was the flanged mace. Another, the war hammer, was used to devastating effect against armored troops. If peasants who were untrained in warfare were used during the fight, they would be given cudgels by their superiors.
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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