MACE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS PROFESSIONAL

While we associate the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons with swords, they actually relied heavily on spears as their everyday weapons.īy the 14th century, the humble spear fell out of favor with most armies in Europe. Instead, spears served as thrusting weapons. European soldiers rarely used spears as projectile weapons. Most medieval spears measured 6-8 feet in length and were used by both cavalry and infantry soldiers. Spears were the main weapons of common soldiers in the early Middle Ages due to their simple and cheap design. Heads could be forged in triangular or leaf shapes. Medieval spears featured wooden shafts and sharpened iron heads. Spears are some of the oldest weapons in human history and were important in the Middle Ages. Brooklyn Museum, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The basic design of the spear inspired other pole arms such as the lance. 4) Spear Medieval spears were thrusting weapons. Later versions of the stave featured large spears for thrusting as well as blunt ends, hooks, and other features. Most were effective for cutting and thrusting maneuvers.Īs plate armor advanced, pole arms also became more sophisticated. Commonly called staves in the Middle Ages, pole arms varied widely in their design. Pole arms are defined as long shafts with fighting weapons on their ends. It could also be used to catch the arms and legs of enemies and the reins and legs of horses. The war hammer’s long spike could cause damage even without puncturing this new type of steel. New forging technologies allowed smiths to create surface hardened steel that withstood the blows of weapons. War hammers reached their peak popularity in the 14th and 15th centuries as a response to armor advancement. Some war hammers could be as long as a halberd, but many were closer in size to a mace. Medieval war hammers closely resembled the everyday tool, but featured a long handle and spike for stabbing. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

MACE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS PROFESSIONAL

Variations of the weapon were crafted for professional soldiers, peasant militias, and ceremonial uses.ģ) War Hammer Medieval war hammers were made for damaging plate armor. Both cavalry and foot soldiers carried morning stars.

This weapon became widespread in Europe by the 14th century. Morning stars usually had wooden handles and could measure up to 6 feet in length. It resembled a spiked club and featured a long spike at its end with many smaller spikes radiating from a central ball. The morning star is one of the most menacing-looking medieval weapons. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons These weapons are characterized by their many points. Both foot and cavalry soldiers wielded maces.Ģ) Morning Star A knight holding a morning star. They were widely used in peasant rebellions and major conflicts. Maces were common due to their simple design. Regardless of the shape, maces could damage plate armor and cause major injuries without puncturing the armor. The sizes and shapes of maces varied widely, as shown in the illustration above. While most mace heads were crafted from iron, other materials like copper, bronze, and stone were also used. Maces featured radial symmetry to allow for deadly blows from any angle. Developed from the club, a medieval mace was made up of a handle with a heavy head. The mace is one of the simplest weapons on the list. Charles Henry Ashdown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 1) Mace Illustrations showing the variation in maces throughout the Middle Ages. The following are blunt and close range weapons that would have done serious damage to a soldier’s body, armor, and horse. Swords were highly effective in close combat, but many other options existed for medieval soldiers. They are categorized according to their construction and use on the battlefield. The following list does not contain swords, knives, and daggers, but instead focuses on other forged medieval weapons. While swords proved highly effective in close combat, they could not be used in other types of fighting. Close combat weapons, siege weapons, and ranged weapons developed to meet the needs of soldiers in different fighting scenarios. Weapon usage also varied depending on the type of warfare required. As armor technology improved, the types of weapons altered to be more effective in battle. The advancement of plate armor is an important factor to consider when studying forged weapons of the medieval period. However, dozens of other weapons were used by soldiers during the Middle Ages for various purposes. Books, movies, video games, and historical reenactments have convinced most of us that the sword was the most common and important weapon of this time period. The medieval sword is arguably the most famous weapon in history. Forged Weapons of the Middle Ages That Aren’t Swords

Mace medieval weapons