Foot soldiers would carry a much shorter mace than a horseman for example and two-handed maces could be even bigger and heavier to allow for an even more impactful blow. The length of maces differed throughout the period. This allows for blows to be delivered effectively from any side of the head.Īs it evolved a mace would combine a strong shaft or handle with a head made from stone, copper, iron or steel. The mace is an evolution from a standard club and differentiates from a hammer as the head of a mace is radially symmetric. It utilises a heavy head attached to a handle to deliver blunt, traumatising blows. Here are three to examine more closely to explore their usage and popularity: MaceĪ mace is a simple blunt weapon that is highly effective. There are a wide range of melee weapons, many of which have a rich history. Read more about: Medieval History 6 bloodiest battles in medieval history >Other weapons, such as whips, don’t fit into any category. They’re most suitable for battling the least armoured opponents. Edged weapons are designed to cut, stab and even dismember. They are likely the most traditional type of weapon you imagine when thinking about medieval battle and amongst the most commonly used. Edged weapons include swords, daggers, axes and scythes. The final category of weapons is perhaps the most immediately recognisable to the contemporary eye. Common types of blunt weapons included war hammers, flails, staves and maces. They were useful as an alternative when pointed or edged weapons may have been less effective due to strong armour. Blunt weaponsīlunt weapons rely upon blunt force to cause trauma and damage. Pointed weapons are often suitable for horseback use as well and common types include spears, pikes and lances. Most pointed weapons are long, allowing the soldier to remain at a distance from their target. High quality pointed weapons will be able to cause damage even when the opponent is heavily armoured. Pointed weaponsĪs the name suggests, pointed weapons are designed with a thrusting action in mind and the aim of inflicting penetrating trauma and damage. Melee weapons come in a diverse range of shapes and sizes but usually fall into one of the three following categories: 1. And so it went through several changes, and eventually settled on a new form, which we will examine next.Read more about: Medieval History The longest sieges in medieval history In the late 12th century, during the meteoric rise and central importance of the mounted medieval knight became a central factor to victory on the battlefield, the Type X slowly stated to lose favor as it was becoming ineffective against plate armor that was becoming more commonly used for protection - a medieval arms race if you will. The blade was usually between 31-33" in length, with a wide blade and hollowed out in the middle to lighten and balance it with what is called a fuller (sometimes mistakenly referred to as 'blood groove') and typically weighed between 2-3lbs. In many respects, it shares a lot of characteristics of earlier Viking and transitional medieval sword types. Out of all the medieval sword types, Type X spanned the longest period in medieval history (from the 9th to the 12th centuries) - and was a sword that was used by late period Vikings, the Normans, Crusaders, Anglo Saxons, Templars and Knights alike.ĭesigned to be used in one hand, either on foot or from horseback, while it could thrust its primary purpose was to cut, and was usually used in conjunction with a shield, helmet and possibly a maille hauberk that would at least deflect some of the damage, but was hardly invulnerable. The 5 Most Important Medieval Sword Types If you want to delve in deep and get the big picture of ALL the major medieval sword types, check out article where we attempt to make a rather complex sword classification system easily digestible. RELATED ARTICLE: Oakeshott Typology Made Easy! Oakeshott typology that you should get to know first. That we call the medieval period, the 5 most important swords from the Order they appeared in the 500 years from the 10th to the 15th centuries Quite doable, right? So without any further ado we present them in the This is probably the best way to immerse yourself in the typology - and learning 5 sword types in a single sitting or two is The development of the European sword in the medieval period. Really stand out, representing major turning points in the history of Out of the 24 swords, there are basically 5 that Pareto Principle* - the so called 80/20 rule - it applies here as much as In our case, it would mean that 20% of the swords in the typology represent 80% of the swords that were in use over the period.īut what if you wanted to shortcut the process? * The Pareto Principle: law of the vital few. Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA).Ultra Durable 'Beater' Katana under $400.Affordable Traditional Blades with 'Hamon'.
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