Weapons of Middle Ages
Swords and hand weapons
 

    Knights were men of sword. They had weapons which were heated, cooled and hammered several times before they became steel premium weapons. Their weapons were often decorated with silver or gold. A long sword used by the knight usually weighed over two kilograms and was used in close combats to cut though chain mails. When the sword was not in use, it was carried in a scabbard. During the battle, the sword was usually attached to the knight’s breastplate by a thin chain so that it would not get lost.
    In addition to the swords, the knights also had other weapons such as the lance, battle axe, mace or the war-flail. The lance was made of ash, pine or some other wood and was between 2.5 and 4.5 meters long with a triangular shaped point on the end. The battle axe was a formidable weapon which could cut through chain mails easily. Maces were clubs with spikes. The war-flail was even more dangerous. It consisted of a spike iron ball at the end of the chain connected to a handle and was used to strike the knight.
    The main weapons of the foot soldiers were the long bows and the cross bows. Longbows were made of strong, supple yew. The arrows were about one meter long with a metal tip at the end. Cross bows which were discovered in 11th century were mad of wood or horn. After shooting, the string was drawn back by the archer placing his foot in the stirrup. The bow was usually shot by means of some kind of trigger. A big shield protected the archers when they were loading. Crossbows shot short wooden or iron arrows called bolts. Although much slower to load than the long bow, the crossbows were much stronger and accurate.

 
Swords: Swords were usually used by the knights. It was the most common hand weapon. The weighed over two kilograms. They were used in close combats to cut through chain mails. When not in use, they were carried in scabbards.

Dagger: This weapon was not widely used in by the knights, but they had one of two of these. This weapons were short, about a foot long and generally they were very sharp. They were used for either throwing or hand-to-hand combact. They were very popular among merchants and theives.



Spear: The spear was also one of the most common weapons used during the middle ages. The spears were made of ash with a metal tip on the end. They were used for either throwing or percing in the knights body.


Axe: Axes were also used widely during the middle ages. There were several different types of axes which were used. During the Roman times, the axes were used as tools to make weapons and armor. It was during the Viking age when axes were actually used in battles. The most common and dangerous axe was the battle axe. Axes were quiet heavy and so they were carried in two hands. They could easily cut through chain mail.
 
Battle axe: Battle axe genetally consists of a broad, socketed head attached to a wooden handle. Metal bands extend down from the head to help prevent it from being broken off in combat
 


Long bows: Longs bows were the most common weapons which were used by the archers. There were difficult to handle but they shot arrows up to 100 yards. The bows were made of supple yew. Both, the bow and string were waxed to keep them in good condition.


Cross bows: A short steel mechenical bow. It took some time for cross bows to load but they were extremely dangerous and powerful than long bows. Cross bows changed a lot over the time during the middle ages. They were invented during the 11th century.
 



Maces: Maces were clubs with spikes or flanged heads.

War flail: War flail consisted of of a spiked iron ball on the end of a chain connected to a handle and was used to strike the knight. ]



War-hammer: War hammer was a piercing impact weapon mainly used in Europe. A blunt hammerhead on one side and a sharp point on the other was mounted on a wooden plank.

 

 
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