WHAT WEAPONS DID SOLDIERS USE?
In battle, in order to defeat the enemy, weaponry was used. Medieval weaponry included swords, maces, bows, mauls, spears and axes, as well as many others. Swords Swords were sharp, long bladed weapons used to slash, stab or occasionally club the enemy. A sword consists of a blade and a hilt. Swords came in many different shapes and sizes, long, short, broad, thin, curved. Other variations of swords include knives and daggers, which were used to stab and slice at the enemy. These commonly used as a secondary weapon for close combat because they were lightweight and small. Spears Spears were medieval weapons that included a long wooden pole, with a sharp tip, made from a sharpened rock or flint, or metal. Two kinds of spears were used in combat. These were Thrusting spears and Throwing spears. Thrusting spears were used for stabbing and Throwing spears were thrown. Other variations include winged spears, javelins, pikes and lances. Lances were spears used by the cavalry. Javelins were lightweight throwing spears. Winged spears were spears used for thrusting, that had "wings", which were beneath the tip. Pikes were longer spears which were held up against a charging army as a "wall". Bows Bows were medieval weapons that shot sharp arrows at the enemy. Arrows could easily pierce armour and could be fired from a distance. A group of archers could easily soften up an enemy army. The bow is made from wood, and the arrow is fired from the bow using an elastic rope or string. The arrow is made from wood, with feathers on the end and a metal, sharp tip. A soldier that handles a bow is called an archer. Archery is now a worldwide olympic sport. A later version of the bow and arrow was the crossbow, which was a shorter and smaller, horizontal bow and arrow that fired bolts. It was similar to an arbalest. Axes Three kinds of axes were used in battle. These were throwing axes, used for throwing, handheld axes, which were held in the hand, and pole axe, which was an axe with a larger and longer handle. Axes consisted of a razor-sharp metal blade, and a wooden handle. Pole-axes had a longer handle (up to 2 metres long!), and sometimes a spear point for thrusting. Throwing axes were used to throw at the enemy.Handheld axes were swung and used to mutilate the enemy. WHY DID SOLDIERS USE WEAPONRY? Soldiers used weaponry in battle to ensure victory, and to protect themselves from the enemy. |