Medieval Weapons

Medieval times were a time of chivalry, battles and warfare. During this time the armor and weapons used by the Knights went through vast improvements. As the armor got better so did the weapons in response. As the weapons got better so did the armor and so forth.

The Knights spent a great deal of their time mastering the weapons that they used on the battlefield. Probably the most well known weapon was the sword. The evolution of the sword started with the Celts in 1500 BC with the one-handed sword. At that time the swords were made of copper, which unfortunately was a soft metal for a sword and easily dulled. As metals were advanced swords began to be made of bronze, which is a much better metal for swords than copper. Further metallurgical advancements produced a mixture of copper and tin which was both stronger and more flexible than copper.

At the beginning of the middle ages the soldiers primarily used a shield as their defense. The sword was wielded with one hand and was around 3 ft in length. This fit with the fighting style of using a shield. The sword was also thin and light and held a sharp edge.

With the evolution of armor the one-handed sword became less effective. In response the use of iron allowed the sword to become longer and thinner. This allowed for the swords to get sharp tips, which were able to pierce through the armor. Further enhancements resulted in a balanced two-handed sword with a curved blade. These swords include the 'Greatswords'.

Another weapon of the medieval era that was commonly used was the mace. The mace was a short handled striking weapon with a ball on the end of it. The ball would have spikes or flanges on it and was able to penetrate the armor of a Knight. This was able to happen because of the tremendous blows that the mace could deliver. The force could easily be more than what could be done with a sword. Given that the mace was also economical to make it made it a popular weapon.

The same type of weapon is the flail. This is a short handled weapon with a length of chain with a ball or flail on the end of it. By swinging the flail around a great amount of force can be generated. The flail could also be swung not just down on an opponent but also up, which allowed for it to pass under a shield.

Added to these weapons was a rather gruesome weapon called the 'War Hammer'. This weapon was a modified blacksmith's hammer. One side was made flat for striking with the other side having a long spike. The spike could easily pierce through armor and delivered devastating blows.

Medieval times were a time of chivalry but also very effective and lethal weapons came from this age. In fact many of modern day weapons are directive descendants of this time. It is a romanticized time but should be also remembered for harsh brutality that went along with it.

Other outstanding armor and weapons are found in Japan and used by the samurai. Samurai armor and weapons were second to none and as deadly as they were beautiful.