WEAPONS OF THE EARLY AND MIDDLE AGES
[Illustration: FIG. 428.--1. Halberd, 1470. 2. Bill. 3. Two-handed
sword.]
_The Guisarme._--This may be claimed with all confidence to be one of
the most ancient of weapons, as its first inception occurred in the
Bronze Period, and from that remote age down to the seventeenth century
it was more or less in evidence (Fig. 428). It terminated generally in
an extremely strong and sharp point; the two sides were approximately
parallel, and both brought to a keen and almost razor-like edge, while
a short way down the blade a hook was fashioned. During the Mediæval
Period, when it was known by the name of the fauchard, an agitation
for its abolition occurred in consequence of the deadly and ghastly
nature of the wounds inflicted by this weapon. There are many forms,
and additions of various hooks and spikes occur in varieties of the
guisarme; the point also was at times modified, and instead of being
straight partook more of the form of the curved bill-hook of modern
times. The blade lent itself to elaborate ornamentation, and many
examples of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries exhibit splendid
specimens of the work of the engraver. It was used in England as late
as the battle of Flodden (Fig. 429).
[Illustration: FIG. 429.--1. Pole-axe. 2. Fauchard (guisarme). 3.
Halberd. 4. Glaive, 1550.]
_The Pole-Axe._--The battle-axe and the pole-axe may be claimed as
one and the same weapon, simply differing in the length of the shaft,
which necessitated the use of both hands in the case of the pole-axe,
whereas one was sufficient for the other. It is essentially a weapon
of the northern nations of Europe, and in its primitive form was the
flint axe of the Stone Age, subsequently fashioned in bronze in the
succeeding period. The form was as a rule very simple from the Saxon
Period to the fourteenth century, consisting merely of an axe-blade
upon one side balanced by a spike upon the other; in that century and
also in the following it became one of the most important weapons
of war, and saw many alterations and modifications. The blade, for
example, became enormously lengthened, broadened, and flattened, and
the spike occasionally became lance-shaped, or falcon-beaked, like a
military pick, while the head of the shaft developed into a spike or a
short, double-edged sword-blade. In the fifteenth century it became the
favourite weapon for encounters on foot, when the pole was furnished
with one or two guards for the hands, and was strengthened with iron
splints; the lateral spike developed into the shape of a war-hammer
having a broad head furnished with rows of pyramidal studs or spikes,
the vertical blade at the head being retained. The earliest preserved
in the Wallace Collection dates from _c._ 1350, and is similar in form
to a pole-axe delineated in Roy. MS. 16, G. VI., which shows a straight
cutting blade rectangular at the base, and with the top edge forming
an acute angle with the cutting edge. Another, of date _c._ 1420, has
a strong semi-circular axe-blade balanced by a hammer with pyramidal
projections upon the face, the head terminating in a strong spike. Two
iron pieces almost cover the shaft for a distance of nearly three feet.
In Edinburgh an axe is preserved dating from the Maximilian Period
(Plate XXVII.) which shows an axe-blade with a circular cutting edge
balanced by a spike, the head being furnished with a pike-blade. The
shaft is protected for some distance from the axe-head.
[Illustration: PLATE XXVII
Arms from Edinburgh Castle
1. Bill.
2. Halberd.
3. Military Fork.
4. Two-handed Sword.
5. Arquebus.
6. Pole-Axe.
7. Glaive.
8. Halberd.
9. Ranseur.]
_The Halberd._--This weapon consists essentially of an axe-blade
balanced by a pick, the head of the shaft being prolonged in the form
of a spike. In the northern part of Europe the weapon had been in use
from an exceedingly early period, but was not introduced into France
and England until the end of the fourteenth century. The forms are
many and varied, the blade developing from a crescent shape to that
of a square, which prevailed in the fifteenth century and preceded
the curved form. The spike also underwent changes, broadening and
flattening at times until it presented a blade-like aspect, which was
often curved downwards towards the shaft. It was essentially a weapon
for the foot soldier, and although it is occasionally seen with a very
long shaft, these are for pageant purposes, the war weapon seldom
exceeding five or six feet in length. The form of the halberd probably
lent itself more to ornamentation than any other weapon of the age, and
those made for parade purposes exhibit at times a remarkable wealth of
decoration. The halberd became obsolete when the pike came into favour.
A beautiful example of a halberd of the date _c._ 1470 from Edinburgh
Castle is shown in Plate XXVII., which exhibits a singularly long and
formidable spike, with a concave cutting edge to the axe-blade balanced
by a drooping pick. The shaft is ironed for a good distance from the
head. Fig. 428 exhibits a halberd of the date 1470 where the axe-blade
is crescent-shaped and the beak slightly drooping, as in the Edinburgh
example; the spike, however, is not so long, but has a stronger section
of diamond shape. The oldest specimen in the Wallace Collection dates
from about 1430, in which the axe-blade possesses a straight cutting
edge, and the spike is superseded by a strong tapering blade. A later
example, dating from _c._ 1550, from the Edinburgh collection is shown
in Plate XXVII.
_The Partisan._--This weapon was introduced into England in the middle
of the fourteenth century, and from the fifteenth to the seventeenth
centuries was used extensively on the Continent, but especially in
France. It consists of a long double-edged blade, wide at the base,
where it is provided with projections of various forms, hooked,
crescent, &c., and tapering to a point. It is always symmetrical, both
sides balancing in form. The Ranseur and the Spetum are modifications
of the partisan. In Plate XXVII. a ranseur is shown from the Edinburgh
Collection, dating from the early sixteenth century: here the two
points on the lateral projections give a graceful outline to the
weapon, while at the same time increasing its efficiency. A spetum from
the Wallace Collection is shown in Fig. 430; it dates from _c._ 1490.
_The Pike._--The pike was the “bayonet” of the mediæval and later
periods, and only disappeared at a comparatively recent date. It was
one of the simplest of weapons, being merely a long, narrow, lance-like
head of steel strengthened by lengthy strips of metal, which ran for a
considerable distance down the pole, rendering it almost immune from
sword-cuts. The length of the weapon varied very considerably, from
over twenty feet to less than ten, but the latter was the usual length.
For resisting a cavalry charge the base of the pike was fixed into the
ground, an iron shoe or point being provided to protect that part. The
long strips of steel down the shaft may be considered one of its
special features, as it could not be put out of action by any ordinary
cuts of the sword, axe, &c.
[Illustration: FIG. 430.--1. Spetum (partisan), 1490. 2. Partisan,
1570. 3. Partisan, 1580.]
[Illustration: FIG. 431.--1. Glaives. 2. Ox-tongue partisan. 3.
Guisarme. 4. Bills, 1540.]
During the eighteenth century a half-pike was carried by infantry
officers which was known as the Spontoon. It had a long shaft with a
leaf-shaped head, the latter having as a rule a cross-guard beneath it.
_The Voulge._--This weapon may be regarded as a cousin to the guisarme,
from which at times it differed but little. In its simplest form it
consists of a broad blade fixed at the side of a shaft, and attached to
it by two or more rings which spring from the back of the blade. The
latter is invariably carried up to a sharp point over the axis of the
shaft, and some examples show a spike upon the side opposite to the
blade. The voulge is a Swiss weapon, and was in use by that nation at
a very early period; it did not become popular among the Continental
nations, although the French seem to have used it in the fifteenth
century, when the arbalestiers were armed with it.
_The Fork._--The military fork undoubtedly owed its conception to the
agricultural implement, and in its earlier forms was of equally simple
construction. The two prongs were eventually made of unequal length,
and examples are to be found having three prongs, all unequal. As usual
with shaft weapons, hooks were added with which a horseman might be
dismounted from his charger, and barbs were occasionally added to give
effect to side blows. During the fourteenth century it was much used;
it appeared as early as the eleventh century, and was not entirely
discarded until the end of the seventeenth. Plate XXVII. from the
Edinburgh Collection is a scaling-fork with a particularly long shaft,
the very prominent hooks being designed to drag defenders off the
battlements.
[Illustration: FIG. 432.--1. Military fork. 2. Halberd. 3. Corseque
(partisan). 4. Spetum]
[Illustration: FIG. 433.--1. Spontoon (partisan). 2. Partisan. 3.
Glaive. 4. Halberd.]
_The Bill._--The bill was in its incipient condition the agricultural
scythe mounted on a staff, and as such was used for many years
following the ninth century, but developments took place in its
structure, and it subsequently became much altered in form, invariably,
however, preserving the one characteristic feature of a crescent-shaped
blade with the inside edge sharpened. A small portion of the point was
double-edged. This weapon was usually referred to as the “brown” bill,
which suggests that their usual condition was a rusty one. It remained
in use until about the fifteenth century, when it was superseded by the
pike. The term “bill” is essentially a generic one, and all shafted
weapons of peculiar form which do not fall readily under any particular
heading are classified as bills. Thus the weapon shown in Plate XXVII.,
and classified under the term “bill” in the Edinburgh Collection,
has a very strong resemblance to that variety of the guisarme called
the fauchard, but its extreme narrowness in the centre of the blade
disqualifies it. It dates from _c._ 1470.
_The Glaive_ differed from the bill in having the cutting edge upon the
convex instead of the concave curve of the blade, and also in being
much broader. Hooks, spurs, and other projections appear upon the base
of the blade. This weapon was more in use upon the Continent than in
England, chiefly in France and Germany, and did not become obsolete
until the beginning of the seventeenth century. The term “glaive” may
be applied to a simple shaft weapon bearing any resemblance to a knife
blade: thus No. 7, Plate XXVII., from the Edinburgh Castle Museum,
would fall under that category.
_The Morning Star._--This was a mace with a spiked head, in great
use upon the Continent, especially among the German nations; both
cavalry and infantry were armed with it, the long-shafted weapon being
appropriated by the foot soldier. Doubtless one of its advantages was
the facility with which it could be made, a skilled armourer not being
necessary. The short weapons of the cavalry were generally made of iron.
[Illustration: FIG. 434.--1. Holy water sprinkler. 2. Military flail.
3. Holy water sprinkler.]
_The Military Flail, or Holy Water Sprinkler._--The Military Flail is
akin to the Morning Star and the Morgenstern. It consists of a shaft to
which is affixed a staple having a chain depending, and to the end of
this a ball of iron usually covered with spikes. At times a flail of
iron or wood, garnished with spikes, is substituted for the chain and
ball (Fig. 434).
_The Mace._--The mace has probably a more remote antiquity than any
other weapon. Commencing in the Stone Age, it has come down through the
Bronze Period to that of Iron, and was in general use by Egyptians,
Assyrians, and throughout the East. The Normans and Saxons both used
it at Hastings, and, as a weapon, it did not disappear until the
sixteenth century. It has undergone many changes of form, being at
times of cog-wheel shape, oval, globular, dentated, &c., but the
general form was that of radiating flanges surrounding a central head.
The knob was at times of lead, and some maces are furnished with a
spike, as a prolongation of the shaft (Fig. 435). As early as the
fourteenth century, the mace was in use as a sign of authority among
the law officers, and in the sixteenth century was the characteristic
weapon of the sergeant-at-arms. The royal arms were stamped upon the
shaft at the termination of the grip: this end became in consequence
the important part of the weapon; the ornaments and guards augmented
and developed, while the end furnished with the knob shrank into
insignificance. Finally the mace was reversed; the arms now appear upon
the upper end of the shaft in all corporation and other maces. The
mace was the weapon of militant churchmen, who sought thus to avoid
the denunciation against those “who smite with the sword”; they argued
that although the Scripture forbade the shedding of blood there was no
restriction respecting the dashing out of brains.
[Illustration: FIG. 435.--1. Morning star. 2. Mace. 3. Maces (or
goedendags, or morgensterns).]
_The Martel-de-Fer._--Under the mace variety the martel-de-fer may
be classified. It is of very ancient origin, and has at all periods
been a favourite weapon of both horse and foot soldiers, but probably
more so during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries than at other
periods. The mediæval archer is often represented with this weapon, and
apparently preferred it to the sword. The general shape was a plain
hammer-head projection, often serrated to prevent glancing off plate,
balanced by a pick or blade upon the opposite side; in only a few
examples is the shaft prolonged into a spike. In the Chain Mail Period
it was often made with a heavy falcon beak without the hammer-head,
while some examples dating from the Tabard Period have two sharp
beaks of pick-axe form for penetrating the joints of armour, which
are probably the same weapons mentioned by writers of the fourteenth
century and termed bisacutas.
_The Lance._--The spear, javelin, and lance of the Bronze and Iron
Periods down to the time of the Saxons and Normans have been treated
under their different headings. For three centuries after the Norman
Conquest the spear does not exhibit any remarkable change; it was
of uniform size and thickness from end to end, with a lozenge or
leaf-shaped head, rarely barbed, the lozenge being the commoner form.
For tournament purposes the heads were blunted, but as jousting became
more popular special points or coronals were introduced, of which
examples are shown in most museums. These were not intended to pierce,
but only to give a grip upon plate armour.
During the Splinted and Camail Periods the men-at-arms invariably
dismounted and fought upon foot, and in order to adapt the lance to
these altered conditions it was cut down to about five feet in length.
Later in the Camail Period a small circular plate was fixed upon the
lance to protect the hand, and this subsequently developed into the
vamplate of varied form and dimensions. At this time also the shaft
of the lance became much enlarged for tilting purposes, and was made
hollow, with longitudinal grooves upon the exterior; in this form it
splintered in the encounter; when the tilting had for its object the
unhorsing of combatants the lance was made stronger and heavier. During
the reign of Elizabeth the lance ceased to hold the important position
it had hitherto maintained among weapons, and became obsolete, but in
later times it has been revived for the use of cavalry.
_The Sword._--The various parts of a sword should perhaps be mentioned
before proceeding to a chronological description of the varieties. The
two essential parts are the blade and the hilt. The prolongation of
the blade which fits into the handle is the tang; the upper portion
near the hilt the ricasso. The essential portions of the hilt are the
quillons, which cross at right angles between the blade and the handle
to protect the hand; the grip, which is self-explanatory, and the
pommel, the expanded piece at the end of the grip.
[Illustration: FIG. 436.--Sword, _c._ 1340; blade 33 in. long, 2 in.
wide at hilt. (Wallace Collection.)]
_Pre-Norman Period._--The swords of this age generally in use
throughout Europe were of the Scandinavian type, and may be divided
into three classes: (1) those having the character of a broadsword,
with parallel sharp edges and an acute point, and the tang only for
a grip; (2) a similar variety having a cross guard; and (3) a sword
with the blade slightly curved. The grip was usually of wood covered
with skin, but sometimes of bone: the pommels were of varying shapes,
as round, triangular, trefoil, and quatrefoil. The cross-guards began
in a simple projection, but increased as time went on; they, together
with the pommel, were at times very highly ornamented. The sheaths were
usually of leather, stiffened with a wood framing. As will be seen by
referring to the plates, the sword did not vary much in form from the
twelfth to the end of the fifteenth century (Fig. 436). The blade was
always two-edged, and about forty inches in length; the quillons at
times drooped towards the blade, but were generally straight; the grip
varied perhaps more than any other part, being at times almost double
handed, and at others--the later Tabard Period, for instance--was so
short and swollen as to appear unserviceable. The shape of the pommel
takes many forms, varying almost with the individual taste of the
owner; occasionally the pommel and other parts were subjected to a high
degree of ornamentation, with precious stones and inlaid work of all
descriptions. During the thirteenth century the curved sabre was used,
but very rarely; it is shown in Fig. 154, p. 125, a group from the
Painted Chamber. Other varieties were the falchion, cultellus, anelace,
and scimitar.
_The Falchion_ was chiefly used by archers and men-at-arms. It had
a blade wide at the point; the edge was curved and convex, the back
concave.
_The Cultellus_ was a short sword, and is not often mentioned or
represented. It was designed especially for the use of foot soldiers
when rushing upon knights who had been dismounted in a cavalry charge,
or for the close encounter of infantry against infantry.
[Illustration: PLATE XXVIII*
Sword of Philip II., with the Mark of Clement Horn of Solingen
_A. F. Calvert_]
_The Anelace_ was a long dagger which was secured to the person by a
chain. It is often represented upon effigies and brasses of civilians
in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and at times assumed very
large proportions. The handle is as a rule made in the fashion of that
of the cinquedea, from which it was probably derived. The latter is
a dagger or short sword which had its origin in Italy; the blade is
generally of the width of five fingers at the hilt (whence the name);
the quillons always bend towards the blade, and the latter, which is
two-edged, averages from eighteen to twenty inches in length. The
representation given here is from a beautiful specimen in the Wallace
Collection dating from 1470 (Fig. 437), the blade of which is nearly
four inches wide and nineteen inches long; the quillons are of latten
and the handle of ivory, studded with filigree work.
[Illustration: FIG. 437.]
_The Scimitar_ became a favourite weapon with the infantry during the
greater part of the Tabard Period, the blade being curved at the back
with a cusp at the point, which distinguished it from the falchion. A
finger-guard was often added by prolonging one side of the cross-piece,
whereby it ran parallel to the grip, and then either curved outwards
or, later in the period, turned inwards to join the pommel.
In the Transition and Maximilian Periods the sword underwent many
changes, chiefly in the hilt, which presented a bewildering variety
of additional pieces, all intended for the protection of the hand and
the entanglement or breaking of the sword-blade of the opponent. Four
examples are given here from the Royal Armoury at Madrid which exhibit
these extra guards (Plates XXVIII.* and XXIX.*). The old cross-piece
did not die out, but became bent in another form as a capital S; rings
appeared on either side of the cross-piece and at right angles to it;
back-guards were introduced, and also the basket-hilt. The quillons,
by being curved as indicated above, developed the knuckle-guard on one
side of the grip which eventually reached the pommel, while the other,
circling towards the blade, developed counter-guards for protecting
the back of the hand. Thus the rapier-guard was developed, the
varieties and modifications of which are almost numberless. The Wallace
Collection contains a matchless array of these beautiful weapons, the
earliest dating from 1540: some of these have lavish ornamentation
bestowed upon them. Broadly speaking, cup-hilts were a common form
where long, straight, or curved quillons were used in conjunction
with a cup-shaped finger-guard at the base of the blade, which was as
a rule highly decorated. The swept hilt had a broad back-guard which
narrowed towards the pommel, together with curved quillons. Upon many
swords of the sixteenth century and later curved guards may be seen
extending round the ricasso; this is the pas d’ane, while rings may
also be observed for passing the thumb through. The rapier blade was
long, thin, and tapering; it was essentially a thrusting sword, but not
exclusively so. These weapons were for parade and the duel, a two-edged
rapier of special design being used in war. During the eighteenth
century the general tendency of the hilt was to become less complicated
and to develop the simple basket form.
[Illustration: FIG. 438.--Flamberge, _c._ 1630. (Wallace Collection.)]
_The Two-handed Sword_ was an invention of the fourteenth century, and
formed one of the ordinary weapons of the foot soldier. To wield it
both hands were employed in making cutting sweeps, and consequently
very open order was necessary for troops thus armed; at first it
did not find favour in England, except for use in the lists, being
chiefly carried at the saddle-bow by knights as a reserve weapon in
case of being dismounted, when they trusted to its use against foot
soldiers. In Scotland, however, it appears to have been in great
favour, and its practice much resorted to. An excellent example and
of an early date (_c._ 1490) is preserved in the Banqueting Hall of
Edinburgh Castle, which is remarkable for its exceptional length,
being exactly six feet,--four feet three inches in the blade, and
the handle twenty-one inches (Plate XXVII.). The grip is of the
usual character and the pommel is small; the quillons droop slightly
towards the blade and terminate in two spirals, small engaging-guards
being furnished on both sides. There is a strong ricasso of oblong
section giving great strength to the blade, and the usual two lateral
projections of rather large proportions. During the Maximilian Period
it was a favourite weapon in England, and its value for the defence of
a narrow pass, and against stormers at a beleaguered town, was fully
recognised. The Scottish claymore is really the two-handed sword, and
the application of the name to the basket-hilted broadsword of the
eighteenth century is a mistake. The two-handed sword with waved blade
is called a flamberge (Fig. 438); the example is from the Wallace
Collection (date about 1630); the blade measures fifty inches and the
handle over twelve. A ring-guard is furnished on either side of the
quillons; there are the two usual projections from the ricasso, which
is covered in leather. An earlier example, _c._ 1530, has a grip of no
less than twenty-two inches; the blade is fifty inches long, and it has
ring-guards and diagonally curved quillons (Fig. 428). The ricasso is
covered with leather, as in the former example.
[Illustration: FIG. 439.--Hand-and-half sword, 1490. (Wallace
Collection.)]
The Hand-and-half, or Bastard Sword, illustrated in Fig. 439, dates
from 1490, and may be claimed as belonging to the two-handed variety.
It came into vogue in England during the Camail and Jupon Period, but
was used much earlier in Germany; the blade is forty inches long, but
in some examples it is nearly fifty. It could be wielded with one hand,
but to give extra effect to a blow, if desired, the left hand could be
brought into action near the pommel, where the grip is smaller. This
type of sword was in use during the whole of the fifteenth century.
_The Dagger._--This weapon has been described where necessary in
preceding chapters up to and including the Camail and Jupon Period,
when the misericorde with its triangular blade was so much in evidence.
In the reign of Richard II. the wearing of a dagger of some kind
was universal, even the ladies having a small baselard attached to
their girdles. Shortly afterwards a long poniard of Continental
origin superseded the previous weapon, which, like the sword, had a
thumb-guard attached in the form of a ring. The cinquedea, which may
be looked upon as a dagger, has been dealt with on p. 334. An example
of the military dagger of the fourteenth century is in the Wallace
Collection, dating from 1440, with a fifteen-inch blade, and is of the
greatest rarity, although illustrations in missals, &c., are numerous.
A specimen of the “Kidney” dagger, so called from the shape of the
base of the grip, is also preserved there, dating from 1480; it was in
common use in England until the time of Charles I.
[Illustration: PLATE XXIX*
1. Sword of Hernando Cortes.
2. Sword of Philip II.
3. Sword of Gonsalvo de Cordoba, late Fifteenth Century.
_A. F. Calvert_]
The main-gauche, or left-handed dagger, was of Continental origin, and
enjoyed an immense popularity in England during the sixteenth century.
It was held in the left hand to ward off blows and entangle the point
of the adversary’s weapon, while the long rapier was being used in the
right hand.