Fencing History - The Medieval Weapons

For the fencer who wants to understand theAnd there were glaives, and bills, and partisans,
origin of the modern sport fencing weapons, a tripand guisarmes, and holy water sprinklers, and
to the Medieval period starts the journey ofaxes, and Lucerne hammers, and the list goes on.
comprehension. This is a period of great variety inThe English, for example, had great affection for
weapon design, and fencing masters of the daythe bill (a combination of a cutting axe blade with
were expected to be competent with a widea hook on its end), and maintained stocks of
range of polearms and swords. Thankfully for thethese numbered in the thousands in their
modern student, the missile weapons appear toarmories.
have been the province of other instructors.(3) Swords -- there was substantial variety in
The Medieval period stretches from thesword patterns, but the main variation was in
emergence of the first fencing masters (whichlength and the number of hands used to grip the
we can date around 1200 CE) through the 1400s.weapon. The primary western European weapons
From a weapons standpoint the distinguishingwere the:
characteristic is the development of full armor forArming sword -- a single handed weapon typically
both mounted and foot combat for the knightlycarried by mounted knights. The arming sword
class - a defense that made the role of thehad two edges and a point and was employed as
sword increasingly problematic as a way ofboth a cutting and thrusting weapon. The arming
inflicting injury to the armored elite of answord was also commonly employed as a civilian
opponent's force. However, lightly armoredand military weapon with a buckler, a small round
soldiers were still plentiful on the battlefield, andshield used as part of a fighting system with the
swords were used in a variety of security rolessword.
and for judicial combats. The primary weapons ofHand and a half sword -- a longer sword, primarily
the period included:useful dismounted. The name is derived from the
(1) Missile weapons -- the bow and the crossbow,length of the grip. This had both edges and a point
both powerful weapons that could punch throughand was employed as both a cutting and thrusting
light and medium armor.weapon.
(2) Pole weapons -- there was a great variety ofLongsword -- the longest of the standard swords,
weapons that married a metal head to a woodenwith a grip that facilitated maximum development
pole, including:of power in a stroke delivered with both hands.
The short spear (in the vicinity of 6 foot length)This had both edges and a point and was
carried as a dismounted thrusting and throwingemployed as both a cutting and thrusting weapon.
weapon by knights. The polaxe, a combination ofThe Messer and Falchion -- these single edged
spear point with an axe pattern head, primarilyweapons (which looked much like the modern
used for dismounted combat by knights inmachete) were used primarily as cutting weapons,
tournaments. This was probably the first weaponand were carried by ordinary foot soldiers.
designed specifically for fencing.For the individual interested in studying these
The halberd, a heavy axe on a 6 to 8 foot staff,weapons, there are a number of sources for
was a very efficient killer, and demonstrated thewooden short spears, polaxes, halberds, and
ability to cleave through even heavy armor. Thequarterstaffs among the polearms and arming
Swiss were renowned as halbardiers, and Swisssword and buckler, hand and a half sword, and
infantry was widely respected, even by mountedlongswords among the swords. In addition there is
knights.a rich selection of translations of original German,
The quarterstaff, a simple pole approximately 6French, and Italian texts from the period, and
to 8 feet in length, employed for thrusting andvolumes that attempt to interpret these texts
striking as a purely impact weapon. In the hands(as there are significant gaps in the technical
of someone trained in its use, the quarterstaffdetails of weapon use).
could deliver killing blows.