However, its effectiveness was generally not as good as other weapons specifically designed for certain combat situations. The double-edged and straight, pointed blade made the sword a good weapon for use in any combat situation. It is frequently depicted in contemporary art from the 11th to 14th centuries. Typically wielded with a shield or buckler, the knightly sword was a direct descendant of the Viking swords of the 9th century.
This detail was not lost on the Crusaders who wielded the sword. Not only is it the weapon most associated with knights, but it also exists as a symbol of Christianity: it was a weapon of the Crusaders, and the cross-guard is reminiscent of the Holy Cross. The knightly sword or arming sword exists as a standard weapon in the imagination when thinking about medieval warfare. The Knightly Sword: An Icon of Chivalry A knightly sword and scabbard, via Neanderthals hunting a mammoth, via University College London.Ģ. The latter were better suited to the later contemporaries of neanderthals – homo sapiens, who were/are designed to hunt over longer distances. Neanderthals also used long spears with thinner shafts that were capable of being thrown. But neanderthals were tough and could withstand the rigors of such a brutal enterprise. They often used stone-tipped spears with thick shafts in a confrontational manner, attacking their prey head-on. In the icy wilderness of Europe, neanderthals (and possibly their evolutionary ancestors, homo heidelbergensis) made use of both these methods. Perhaps the oldest design of all weapons, the spear has its roots firmly in the paleolithic era, even before homo sapiens took their first steps in the long grasses of East Africa.įrom sharpened sticks, spears physically evolved to be used in two primary ways. They were simple and cheap to construct, and they were extremely effective. There were many reasons the spear was a common sight in medieval warfare. The Spear: The Most Common Weapon in Medieval Warfare The Battle of Clontarf (1014) by Don Hollway, via
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