Knight Weaponry

        Another sharp-edged weapon during this period was the Axe.  The axe had seen use all the way from the Neolithic period.  Axes were once made of wood and stone but were modified with metal for the medieval battlefield.  Halberds were pole axes use widely knight for their ability to reach farther.  One-handed axes were commonly used in battle for their speed to hack and slash.  The axe, too, could tear through armor; pass through the skin and all the way to the bone.  Despite their weight, axes were carried on horseback as well.  A battle scene from L’estoire de Seint Aedward le Rei is depicted with a horseman in the center of the picture raising a spiked axe.  Battle-axes were just a larger version with a double blade that required two hands.  This also required much strength like the greatsword.  Some may see axes as a lower status weapon because of their use in farming and by peasants but they were also used by higher status knights seen in the illumination from the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

        War hammers and mauls were the brutal blunted weapons used in battle.  Some of these war hammers included small sharp protuberances.  This allowed the weapon to puncture armor and rip it open with a strong pull.  After the armor was severely damaged or all the way off, these blunt weapons would destroy anything body part that was left unharmed.  Even chainmail armor could not repel these strong weapons.  War hammers were heavy weapons and used their weight to cause most of the damage on a foe.  The mauls were less sophisticated to the rest of the medieval arsenal.  The maul started out as domestic tools, used for purposes on farms and such.  These were seen used by poorer knights because of their cheap expense compared to swords. 

        The ball and chain weapon was one of the more interesting weapons used by knights.  This weapon consisted of a heavy metal ball connected to a handle by a two or three foot long chain.  An enemy that bore a shield could not protect himself from a knight that manipulated this instrument.  The metal ball could be swung over an enemy’s shield.  In some cases it would be used to pry the shield out of the enemy’s hand.  With the lengthy chain it could also throw a mounted soldier from his stead.  The ball and chain could be varying how much power it could yield.  Multiple swings could increase the power and momentum of each blow. 

        Maces and flails were used but not to the extent of swords or axes.  The mace was just a glorified club.  It could dent, crack and damage armor.  These weapons were also cheap and very accessible.  In times of peace, maces grew to fancy symbols of royal power called scepters.  A flail was more related to the ball and chain.  The flail had multiple chains with a spiked ball at each end.  A single chain with a ball was difficult but possible to counter and block.  An enemy could not possibly block four or five chains, which made the flail relentless. 

        The lance is another weapon that is pictured with many medieval knights because the famous tournament jousts made this weapon popular.  This development from the spear was made of wood with a metal head for battle and striking enemies from a distance.  The version was modified for jousting in tournaments.  The lance would have been modified with a fanning out base so the weight could be balance for one hand.  The jousting lances were only made of wood because lances with metal were far to heavy to hold with one hand and jousts were for sporting and entertain, not killing. 

        The weapons that were very rarely seen or associated with the knight were the bow and crossbow.  The bow was another ancient weapon that was developed during the Middle Ages into the composite bow.  The added materials of wood, bone, horn, sinew, and glue increased the range and power.  The new materials led to the advancement of the English longbow.   The longbow made its first appearance in the twelfth century in Wales and could extend its reach over four hundred yards.  The English caused massive causalities to the French with this weapon.  In response the French would cut off the index finger of English prisoners never to use a longbow again.  The English’s reply to this was always sticking out the index and middle finger at the French, which originated the insult and stemmed the American middle finger gesture.  Bows were easily produced and cheap.  Possibly a poorer knight would use a bow or a knight that was less concerned with his reputation.  Generally knights were conservative in their beliefs and refused to use bows.  Some historians would agree that a knight would never dream of using a bow because it was a peasant’s weapon.  One knight expresses his opinion with the statement: ‘Cursed be the first man who became an archer; he was afraid and did no dare approach.’

        The knight’s role in battle was heavily influenced by the armor that he wore.  The trade off for more protection instead of mobility was almost always taken.  The primary armor that was used by knights was the heavy hauberks.  The hauberk weighed up to twenty pounds and covered the entire torso and some had sleeves covering arms and joints.  The early knights also used chainmail.  The chainmail was hundreds interlocking metal rings designed to cover the upper body.  This made the knight more mobile but less protected since it was not as heavy as the hauberk.  The manufacturing of these types of armor was extremely laborious and too expensive for any regular soldier.  Only knights could afford premium protection.   Although the armor covered most the body and joints it was still subject to blunt weapons.  As technology increased the plate armor became more vulnerable to piercing weapons and crossbows.  A knight in full armor riding on a horse a full gallop was still very difficult to penetrate or knock off but not impossible.  If he was knocked off he was in danger because his heavy armor limited his mobility.  Different variations were made throughout the years and armor developments were also made for jousting.  The armor was more for show and made to only take a wooden lance instead of metal weapons.  At the height of the fourteenth century the knight was far superior to any foot soldier.          

        With all the aggressive weaponry that the knight possessed there were also shields that he held for defense.  There were various kinds of shields that a knight carry but the simplest shield would have been the buckler.  It was small and usually made of wood and was cheaper to purchase.  The size was meant to deflect and block blows from an enemy rather than protect the body.  In a battle scene image from the fourteenth century from the Holkham Picture Bible Book, bucklers are shown being held high to blow the enemy’s blows. The most common shield that is pictured with the knight is the kite shield.  This shield was also made of wood but also reinforced with metal making it heavier, protective and, of course, more expensive.  The size and kite-shape gave mounted warriors perfect protection that he needed from shoulder to waist.  The tower shield was another shield seen with the medieval knight.  It was rectangular but curved towards the body offering full body safety.  It was most effective against arrows and lances.  It was very heavy but protection was always favored.

        Lastly, the helm was one of the final pieces of armor that was put on.  The helm protected the head and neck.  This piece of armor changed over time with advancements in technology and preference in style.  It started off as a mail hood or coif with an iron nasal strip covering the nose, which was very vulnerable.  As helms evolved they became more elaborate with designs such as the open face burgonet with a visor, much like the modern day baseball cap.  The helm that is seen most often in images and in art is the armet.  This was a helm that was fully closed face.  It had a skull-like piece shell, hinged cheek pieces that locked together in the front and a visor.  A helm that branched off of this type was the great helm.  This is also seen in art with crusader knights.  The sieges of Jerusalem, from the fourteenth century St. Mary’s Psalter, knights are shown dressed in great helms.  This was a very intimidating piece of armor.  It was made in a cylinder shape that flattened at the top.  Some were made up to twenty-five pounds.  The knight only had two very narrow eye slits and very small holes near the mouth for breathing.  This helm was very hard to penetrate but offered poor visibility and ventilation.  The great helm was the epitome of favoring protection over comfort and mobility.

        The helm is the one piece of armor that makes the knight mysterious.  The images seen in art of today and of the time make the knight mysterious because you cannot see who the person is.  People are always intrigued by something they cannot see, especially if the knight is doing good deeds and fighting evil. 

        The most important instrument of war to the knight’s arsenal was his horse.  Without his horse he was a not a knight.  The horse itself was a symbol of status because they were very expensive.  A single knight could have owned and used multiple horses.  As a knight rode into battle a squire would have followed him with a spare horse if the first horse would have been wounded or killed.  If the knight was wealthy enough he might have had lesser quality horses for his squires and pages to ride on.  Even more horses were desired to pull carts filled with supplies, his armor and other affects.  Some knights had an extra horse just to travel on to keep his war horses fresh and rested for battle.  The number of horses displayed how wealthy a knight had been.

        The qualities of horses were a definite concern of the knight.  Quality horses were imported from Spain, Lombardy and Italy.  All warhorses were stallions.  Stallions were prized for their size and aggressiveness.  Some were able and trained to bite and kick the enemy and their horses.  The Destrier was the favored horse for battle.  They were the strongest and most expensive of course.  Some were strictly used for tournament jousting.  The destrier had good lungs and thick necks.  It was very muscular for carrying an armored rider.  The Courser was a lesser expensive and lesser quality horse.  This horse was still strong enough to carry a knight but not as aggressive or strong as the destrier.  The least desired horse for battle and riding was the Rounceys or Ronsons.  These were horses of poor quality and much smaller than the destrier and courser.  Horses of this worth were given to squires to ride and travel on.  The poorest horses were the Hackney horses.  These were only used for carrying supplies and pulling carts.  Some were given to pages to mount on.

        The warhorse was often without any protection but after the knight had armored himself he was able to protect his horse. To armor a horse was one of the most expensive costs since the horse’s body was more to cover but the need for the horse was too important to leave without protection, much like protecting an investment.  A cloth caparison was sometimes worn for padding to limit the effect of an enemy’s blow.  It was more of a decorate blanket divided into two parts.  One part covered the backside and tail while the other piece covered the head and neck.  Sir Geoffrey Luttrell is pictured from the Luttrell is Psalter in the twelfth century on a horse with a caparison that matches his colors.  A testier was a pad worn on the head of the horse for light defense and might be covered by a crinet, a plate mail piece to cover the whole neck.  More plate mail was worn on the outside of the cloth for more security but was heavy.  The crinet made for Henry VIII’s horse in 1544 is decorative with etched designs to match his gauntlet to boost his esteem status.  Most designs covered the rear and chest area of the horse. 

        Technical advancements in the horse’s equipment had seen little progress but were still important.  The knight’s horsemanship skills were mainly due to the stir ups and spurs.  The reigns were not always held in battle.  The knight’s hands were used to carry sword and shield.  Some images have described the flanks of horses being bloodied from the pointed spur.  The stir ups gave the knight more balance in the saddle and a more secure seat.  With more balance the knight could wield heavier weapons.  Some historians have claimed that a fully armored knight was incapable of mounting by himself but certain illustrations of the Poems of Christine shows a knight in full plate armor climbing into his saddle.  The stir ups were definitely the only way to control the steed in battle. 

        If the knights were so vital to the battlefield and to culture, why did they decline?  The medieval knight could fight almost anything except the constant change and advancement of technology.  Most historians have agreed that the invention of gunpowder and other firearms led to the downfall of the mounted warrior but others have begun to believe the demise of the knight began much earlier with other advancements in weapons without gunpowder.

        The final development of the ancient spear was the pike.  It gave way to new advancements that would be able to counter the knights.  The pike was a two-handed pole-arm weapon.  It was extremely long that was carried by foot infantry.  New advancements in treating and curing wood made the pikes stronger and were able to be made up to twenty feet in length.  There was a steel tip that was bigger than the spear’s and was designed to detach and reuse if the whole pole was broken.  The invention of the pike made way to even more advancements on the battlefield to counter horseback warriors.

        The pike square was a group of one hundred men.  The men were trained to be able to point the pike in any direction while in the square. Men in the back lines were still able to have an effect on the front line because of the long reach of the poles.  Even if the pike was surrounded it could attack and defend in multiple directions.  Knights had a very difficult time in outmaneuvering the pike square.  Knights on the best warhorses could be kept at bay from charging the line by twenty feet.  At the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the Scottish pikemen were able to defeat the English knights using the pike.  The pike square had become nearly invisible on the battlefield. 

        Projectile weapons had always been an advantage with their reach.  Advancements in the bow and crossbow made them more deadly.  The crossbow had been invented in Italy in the eleventh century but was still not an effective weapon.  In the early stages the bow could fire up to six more shots than one bolt of the crossbow but the crossbow still packed a powerful punch.  It was still effective up to three hundred yards and able to pierce the mighty hauberks of the knights.  In the fourteenth century Lincoln Cathedral the carving of a fallen knight is depicted, the knight is shown being mortally shot by a crossbow bolt.  The result of the devastating damage even led Pope Innocent II’s condemnation of the weapon.  At the Lateran Council of 1139 he claimed that Christians should not kill others in the way.

        The longbow, as discussed earlier, had a huge impact on warfare.  As technology sophisticated medieval weaponry, development in the arrow reached perfection.  Bodkins were arrows with steel tips.  Bodkins were designed to spin as it was shot to drill and deeply penetrate heavy armor.  The picture of The Dauphin defeated by Sir Richard Beauchamp displays English long bowmen opposing French crossbowmen with bodkins arrows.  The effect with the distance it could reach made it lethal to horseback soldiers.  The longbow required minimal training and therefore a man of lesser strength and less training could take down a man with great strength who had trained his whole life.  The longbow had the ability to pierce through armor and kill a man or even a prized horse with one arrow. 

        Medieval warfare was centered on the knight’s role in battle.  The steel mail and the deadly arsenal made him nearly invisible.  His horse and his weaponry gave him exclusive status in society.  It almost seemed that the knights would remain superior among other warriors and social classes forever.  Technical advancements in pole arms and arrows may have slowed the knight but the invention of gunpowder and firearm would bring the knight to a halt.  The true weapon that killed off the knight completely was the firearm. 

        Knights were conservative in their thinking and were against these weapons in warfare.  The change was a direct hindrance to their life’s work.  The knight had trained since his childhood for his advanced skills in weaponry and now could be killed by even a peasant who wielded a gun with hardly any training.  Knights soon faced other cavalry who wielded pistols.  Glory and honor would soon be replaced effortless skill.

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