Post by Virgo on May 19, 2007 16:51:05 GMT
Due to wars and criminal activity being high in medieval times, people would be expected to carry a weapon with which to defend themselves with. The army often had subdivisions for different types of weapons. A list of weapons can be found here. Information is from the Wikipedia List of Medieval Weapons page and associated pages.
Blade
A blade is the flat part of a tool or weapon that normally has a cutting edge and/or pointed end typically made of a metal, most recently, steel intentionally used to cut, stab, slice, throw, thrust, shoot (an example of this is the ballistic knife) or strike an animate or inanimate object.
Blade
A blade is the flat part of a tool or weapon that normally has a cutting edge and/or pointed end typically made of a metal, most recently, steel intentionally used to cut, stab, slice, throw, thrust, shoot (an example of this is the ballistic knife) or strike an animate or inanimate object.
Axe
The axe (occasionally ax) is an ancient and ubiquitous tool that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, harvest timber, as a weapon and a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has many forms and specialized uses but generally consists of an axe head with a handle, or helve. It is considered a simple machine. The earliest examples of axes have heads of stone with some form of wooden handle attached (hafted) in a method to suit the available materials and use. Axes made of copper, bronze, iron and steel appeared as these technologies developed.Battle axe
A battle axe is an axe specifically designed as a weapon. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were wielded two-handed. Axes designed for warfare ranged in weight from just over 1 lb to 6 lb, and in length from just over a foot to upwards of five feet, such as the Danish axe or the sparth axe. Anything longer than five feet would arguably fall more into the category of polearms. Through the course of human history, commonplace objects have been pressed into service as weapons. Axes, by virtue of their ubiquity, are no exception. Besides axes designed for combat, there were many axes that were both tools and weapons. Axes could be designed as throwing weapons as well. Axes were always cheaper than swords and far more available.
Danish axe
The Danish long axe went by many names, including Dane-axe, English long axe, Viking axe, and hafted axe. Originally used by the Northmen in Viking times, the Danish axe was a modification of a woodsman's axe that made it an amazingly effective weapon of war. The shaft of the axe was usually between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) long, and quite heavy. The blade itself, was reasonably light and forged very thin, making it superb for cutting. It could be swung at very great speed. Although the name retains its Viking heritage, the Danish axe became widely used throughout Europe through the 13th century.
Doloire
The doloire (or wagoner's axe) intentionally handled and painstakingly honed as a weapon or a tool used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the form of an axe with a wooden shaft measuring approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length and a head that was pointed at the top and rounded at the bottom, resembling either a teardrop or an isosceles triangle. The top of the shaft was fitted with a metal eye or socket that was welded to the head of the axe near the base of the blade with the upper part extending above the eye, while the opposite side of the socket was provided with a small blunt hammer head. The head of the axe itself measured approximately 44 cm. (17 inches) in length, uniformly decorated with punched and incised abstract floral patterns, and sharpened on the back and flattened bottom edges.
Mattock (improvised)
A mattock is an agricultural tool similar to a pickaxe. It is distinguished by the head, which makes it particularly suitable for breaking up moderately hard ground. A mattock has a broad chisel-like blade, which twists so that the side of the blade is pointing upwards. This broad bladed end is effectively an adze that could be used as a hoe as well. If the reverse has a pointed end the tool is called a pick mattock and if it instead has an axe-like splitting end it is a cutter mattock. Mattock heads range from 1.5 to 3.5 kg (3 to 7 pounds) in weight, and are normally mounted on a 90 to 120 cm (3 to 4 foot) shaft. The shaft is often heavier than the head, sometimes possessing twice the mass and density of a baseball bat.
Dagger or knife
A dagger is a typically double-edged blade used for stabbing or thrusting. They often fulfil the role of a secondary defence weapon in close combat. In most cases, a tang extends into the handle along the centreline of the blade. Daggers may be roughly differentiated from knives on the basis that daggers are intended primarily for stabbing whereas knives are usually single-edged and intended mostly for cutting. However, many or perhaps most knives and daggers are usually very capable of either stabbing or cutting. Much like battle axes, daggers evolved out of prehistoric tools. They were initially made of flint, ivory, or even bone and were used as weapons since the earliest periods of human civilization. The earliest metal daggers appear in the Bronze Age, in the 3rd millennium BC, predating the sword, which essentially developed from oversized daggers. Although the standard dagger would at no time be very effective against axes, spears, or even maces due to its limited reach, it was an important step towards the development of a more useful close-combat weapon, the sword.Baselard
The baselard (also Basilard, the name is probably from the town of Basel) or Swiss dagger (Schweizerdegen) was a weapon popular with Europeans from the 13th century to the early 17th century. It was also very popular with the Swiss pikemen throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. Those were somewhere between a long dagger and a short sword, with a blade length averaging some 40 cm in the early 15th century, reaching up to 70 cm towards the end of the 15th century.
Cinquedea
The Cinquedea is a civilian short sword (or long dagger). It was developed in northern Italy and enjoyed a period of popularity during the Italian renaissance of the 15th and early 16th centuries. The name means "five fingers", and it describes the width of the blade next to the guard. The blade was heavy, about 45cm in length, and tapered to a somewhat rounded point. The grip was simple with a small pommel, and the guard was curved with the concave side toward the point. There were typically several furrows along the wider sides of the blade to lighten the weapon. The wide blade was useful for decorative etching. This weapon was varied in size, being anywhere in size from 10" to 28". Often carried in place for a knife or larger sword.
Dirk
Dirk is a Scots word for a long dagger; sometimes a cut-down sword blade mounted on a dagger hilt, rather than a knife blade. The word dirk could have possibly derived from the Gaelic word sgian dearg (red knife). It may also have been a corruption of the Low German terms Dulk or Dolk. The shift from dearg to dirk is very minimal. In Bronze Age and Iron Age Scotland and Ireland, the dirk was actually considered to be a sword. Its blade length and style varied, but it was generally 7-14 inches. However, the blades of Irish versions often were as much as 21 inches in length.
Ear Dagger
An Ear dagger is a relatively rare and exotic form of dagger that was used during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. It is so named because the pommel of the dagger has a very distinctive shape, in some cases not altogether unlike a human ear. Ear daggers frequently have a single sharpened edge that ends in an acute point.
Grosses messer
Much less expensive than other types of available swords, it was the weapon of the common man. Used for menial work in addition to battle, the großes Messer sported a blade with a single curved edge that led to a clipped-back tip (like a kilij). Its hilt included a straight cross-guard and Nagel (a nail-like protrusion that juts out from the right side of the cross-guard away from the flat of the blade) to protect the wielder's hands. Quite notable in its construction was the attachment of blade to the hilt via a slab tang sandwiched between two wooden grip plates that were pegged into place. Also of note is that many pommels were 'drawn out' or curved to one side of the hilt (edge side), a feature known as a "hat-shaped pommel". Extant examples seem to have an overall length of 40-46 inches (1.0-1.2 m), with a 31-inch (79 cm) blade, and a weight between 2.5 and 3 pounds (1.1-1.4 kg).
Machete
The machete is a cleaver-like tool that looks like a very large knife. The blade is typically 50–60 cm (18–24 in) long, usually with a thin blade under 3mm thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet (though the name 'machete' enjoys greater currency). The 'machete' is normally used to cut through thick vegetation such as sugar cane or jungle undergrowth but it can also be used as an offensive weapon. There are many specialized designs for different regions, tasks, and budgets. In Central America it is not uncommon to see a machete being used for such household tasks as cutting large foodstuffs into pieces — much as a cleaver is used — or to perform crude cutting tasks such as making simple wooden handles for other tools.
Mercygiver
A mercygiver (or misericord) was a long, narrow knife, used in medieval times to deliver the death stroke (the mercy stroke, hence the name of the blade, derived from the Latin 'misericordia' or 'mercy') to a seriously wounded knight. The blade was thin enough so that it could strike through the gaps between armour plates.
This weapon could be used to dispatch knights who had received mortal wounds, which were not always quickly fatal in the age of bladed combat; it could also be used as a means of killing a live adversary, as during a grappling struggle. The blade could be used against an opponent's face, or thrust through holes or weak points in armor, such as under the arm, with the aim of piercing the heart.
Poniard
A poniard is a form of dagger with a slim square or triangular blade. It was primarily used for stabbing in close quarters or in conjunction with a rapier. The poniard is almost identical to the dirk. Shorter than a short sword and longer than a dagger, this blade is used more as a decorative weapon than for practical use.
Rondel
A rondel or roundel was a type of stiff-bladed dagger in Europe in the late Middle Ages (from the 14th century onwards), used by a variety of people from merchants to knights. It was worn at the waist and might be used as a utility tool, or worn into battle or a jousting tournament as a side-arm. The blade was typically long and slim, measuring 12 inches (30 cm) or more; the whole dagger might be as long as 20 inches (50 cm). Rondel means round or circular; the dagger gets its name from its round (or similarly shaped, e.g. octagonal) hand guard and round or spherical pommel.
Scramasax
A Seax (also Hadseax, Sax, Seaxe, Scramaseax and Scramsax), was a type of Germanic single-edged knife. Seax seem to have been used primarily as a tool but may also have been a weapon in extreme situations. They occur in a size range from 7.5cm to 75cm. The larger ones (langseax) were probably weapons, the smaller ones (hadseax) tools, intermediate sized ones serving a dual purpose. Wearing a seax may have been indicative of freemanship, much like the possession of a spear since only free men had the right to bear arms.
Stiletto
A stiletto is a long, narrow-bladed dagger. This dagger is designed as a stabbing weapon, rather than for cutting, since its long narrow shape allows it to penetrate deeply in a point. The stiletto began to gain fame during the Renaissance when it was popular as a tool against heavily armoured knights. The thin blade could easily pass through most chainmail, or find its way through tiny gaps in a knight's armour.
Sword breaker
The sword-breaker was a unique weapon developed and used during the Middle Ages. It was a long and very sturdy dagger that had slots on one side much like the teeth of a comb. It was a standard off-hand weapon that was used to capture an opponent’s blade. Once the blade was caught, a quick twist of the sword-breaker would snap it.
Sword
A sword is a long-edged cutting or thrusting piece of metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world. A sword fundamentally consists of a blade and a hilt, typically with one or two edges for striking and cutting, and a point for thrusting. The basic intent and physics of swordsmanship has remained fairly constant down the centuries, but the actual techniques varied among cultures and periods as a result of the differences in blade design and purpose.Arming sword
The arming sword (also sometimes called a knight's or knightly sword) is the single handed cruciform sword of the High Middle Ages, in common use between ca. 1000 and 1350, possibly remaining in rare use into 16th century. Typically used with a shield or buckler, the arming sword was the standard military sword of the knight (merely called a "war sword", an ambiguous title given to many types of swords carried for battle) until technological changes led to the rise of the longsword in the late 13th century.
Broadsword
During the 17th through 19th centuries, the term referred to contemporary European straight-bladed, double-edged, basket-hilted swords, like the Italian schiavona and the Scottish claymore. Surviving examples of such swords are around 105 cm long (90 cm of which is blade) with a base blade width of 3.5 cm and a mass of about one kilogram.
Claymore
Claymore is a term used to describe two distinct types of Scottish swords.Two-handed Claymore
The two-handed claymore was a large sword used in the Medieval period. The average claymore ran about 140 cm (55") in overall length, with a 33 cm (13") grip, 107 cm (42") blade, and a weight of approximately 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), the blades are most similar to the type XIIIa, using the Oakeshott typology. Fairly uniform in style, the sword was set with a wheel pommel often capped by a crescent-shaped nut and a guard with straight, down-sloping arms ending in quatrefoils and langets running down the center of the blade from the guard.
Basket-hilted Claymore
There seems to be evidence of both the two handed sword and the basket hilt being referred to as claymores. The basket was designed to protect the hand in combat. The Scottish basket-hilt sword is often distinguished from others by the velvet liner inside the basket (often in red), and also sometimes by additional decorative tassels on the hilt or pommel.
Cutlass (a little dubious)
A cutlass is a short, thick sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard.
Falchion
A falchion is a medieval one-handed, single-edged sword of European origin, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao. The weapon combined the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 11th century up to and including the sixteenth century. In some versions the falchion looks rather like the scramasax and later the sabre, and in some versions the form is irregular or like a machete with a crossguard.
Flamberge
The term flamberge, meaning "flame blade", is an undulating blade found on rapiers. When parrying with such a rapier, unpleasant vibrations may be transmitted into the attacker's blade. These vibrations caused the blades to slow contact with each other, as additional friction was encountered with each wave.
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for Fencing in general. The modern foil is descended from the training weapon for the small-sword, a lighter version of the rapier that was the common sidearm of 18th century gentleman. (Rapier and even longsword foils are also known to have been used, but they were very different in terms of weight and use.)
Longsword
The Longsword is a type of European sword used during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1250 to 1550. Longswords have lengthy cruciform hilts with grips over six inches (15 cm) in length, straight double-edged blades often over thirty-five inches (89 cm) in length, and weigh between 2 (0.9 kg) and 4.5 pounds (2 kg). The longsword is commonly held in combat with both hands, though it may be used single-handed. Longswords are used for striking, cutting, and thrusting. The specific offensive purpose of an individual longsword is derived from its physical shape. All parts of the sword are used for offensive purposes, including the pommel and crossguard.
Rapier
Rapier generally refers to a relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a complex hilt which is constructed to provide protection for the hand wielding it. While the blade might be broad enough to cut to some degree, the strength of the rapier is its ability as a thrusting weapon. The blade might be sharpened along its entire length, sharpened only from the center to the tip, or completely without a cutting edge. A typical example would have a relatively long and slender blade of 2.5 centimetres or less in width, 1 meter or more in length and ending in a sharply pointed tip.
Sabre
The sabre or saber (see spelling differences) traces its origins to the European backsword and usually but not always has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger. Although sabres are typically thought of as curved-bladed slashing weapons, those used by the world's heavy cavalry often had straight and even double-edged blades more suitable for thrusting. The length of sabres varied, and most were carried in a scabbard hanging from a shoulder belt known as a baldric or from a waist-mounted sword belt.
Spatha
The spatha was a type of straight sword with a long point, measuring between 0.75 and 1 m, in use throughout 1st millennium Europe and the territory of the Roman Empire.
Shortsword
Shortsword is a compound word neologism used for referring to a sword shorter than the “standard” ones but yet longer than a dagger.
Two-handed sword
A two-handed sword, used as a general term, is any large sword that requires two hands to use.