BASINET:
A helmet that protected the sides of the face and neck. The basinet
usually had a visor, a metal plate attached to the helmet skull that
could be pulled down to protect the face.
BATTLE-AXE:
A battle-axe was used
in hand-to-hand fighting or could be hurled as a missile. The wooden
handle could be as long as 150 cm (5 feet). The crescent-shaped blade
measured about 25 cm (10 inches) between the upper and lower points
of its broad cutting edge. Made of steel, the battle-axe was capable
of cutting off a limb or a head in one blow. During combat the axe
was usually wielded with both hands and so the warrior was not able
to carry a shield to protect himself against the enemy.
BOW:
The bow was used by both sides at the Battle of Hastings. It was the
weapon used by soldiers
of low rank. In the Bayeux Tapestry only one archer is wearing a hauberk
and a helmet. The bow used by the Normans were only pulled back to
the chest and had a killing range of about 90 metres (100 yards).
The bow was about 50 centimetres (20 inches) long and was made of
yew or ash wood.
CANNON:
A large gun that used gunpowder to fire stone or iron balls. Cannons
were first employed in battle in Europe in the 1330s. The early cannons
were unreliable and had a tendency to explode and kill the gunners.
CHAUSSES:
Stockings made of mail.
COIF:
A hood, usually of mail, worn under a helmet to protect the neck in
battle.
CROSSBOW:
A crossbow is a small, horizontal bow. Crossbows made of wood were
used by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings. The bolt was laid in
a groove along the top of the the wooden tiller. The bolt was aimed
by holding the end of the tiller to the cheek. The bolt was released
by pressing a trigger at the rear of the tiller.
HAUBERK:
Knee-length mail shirt that weighed about 14 kg (31 Ibs). Hauberks
were put on over the head, and were split at the front and the back
to enable the knight to ride his horse.
KETTLE
HAT: A round-shaped helmet with a broad brim. This type
of helmet was useful in seigework because the brim helped to deflect
missiles from the face.
KITE
SHIELD: A long, triangular shield with a rounded top used
by the Normans. Made of wood, iron and leather, shields were used
to parry blows. The size of the shield enabled it to be used to protect
the legs as well as the body. Sometimes the shield was employed to
knock an enemy knight off his horse.
LANCE:
A horseman's spear about 2m (6 feet 6 inches) long. A lance was usually
made of ash wood with a small iron or steel head. Sometimes spears
were hurled through the air like javelins. On other occasions they
were carried under
the arm and used to stab enemy soldiers. Important knights would have
flags ("gonfanons") on their lances. By the 13th century
lances were rarely less than 3m (10 feet) long.
LONGBOW:
The longbow became an important weapon in the 14th century. It was
much longer than the traditional bow. The longbow varied in length
from 1.82m (6 feet) to 1.93m (6 feet 6 inches). The bow string was
made of flax or linen and coated with beeswax. A skilled longbowman
could kill an enemy soldier over 365m (400 yards) away. Mail armour
provided no protection against the steel-tipped, 'bodkin' arrowheads.
The longbow was a difficult weapon to use. The secret of success was
practise. Most successful archers learnt how to use the weapon in
childhood.
MACE:
A short club-like weapon made of wood or steel. Blows from a mace
could kill or break the bones of a knight wearing mail armour.
MAIL:
Inter-linked and riveted rings of metal. Each link passes through
four others and the garment is shaped by the addition and subtraction
of rings in appropriate places.
PLATE
ARMOUR: First used in about 1260. Plate armour was initially
used to protect elbows and knees. Later knights began wearing breastplates,
arm guards and greaves (to protect the legs). Plate armour was made
from iron or steel. By the 1400s knights were entirely encased in
suits of armour weighing about 27 kg (60 Ibs).
POT
HELM: Flat-topped helmet popular in the 13th century. This
helmet had a reinforced rim at the top where the heavy blows were
likely to fall.
SPANGENHELM:
Helmets used by the Normans in the 11th century. These cone-shaped
helmets were made of bronze and iron. A nasal guard was riveted onto
the bottom rim of the helmet. Written accounts suggest that these
helmets were an effective defence against swords and axes.
SPURS:
Y-shaped metal objects strapped to the heel. Spurs were used to drive
the horse forward. Spurs and stirrups helped the knight to control
his horse. Stirrups were made of leather and enabled the knight to
keep his legs straight during battle. This held him securely in place
while delivering or receiving blows.
SWORDS:
A knight's sword was his most prized weapon. The sword was often named
and was handed down from generation to generation. Norman swords normally
had a broad, double-edged blade, and were about 76 cm (2 feet 6 inches)
long. A good sword made of steel was unlikely to break during a battle.
The handle was usually made of wood but the cross guard was made of
iron.
The
Normans: Classroom Activities
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