12/15/2023 0 Comments Medieval swords and armor![]() ![]() He took one by the hilt and tried to bend the tip of the blade right back to the base but the blade snapped between his hands which were stronger than the iron itself. ![]() Then the ambassadors, anxious to avoid the possibility of any suspicion of an evil design, took the swords by the very point (as servants hand knives to their masters) and thus gave them to the emperor at their own risk. But, as he sat upon his lofty throne, he ordered the swords to be brought to him that he might make trial of them. “When the kings of the Northmen sent gold and silver as witness of their loyalty and their swords as a mark of their perpetual subjection and surrender, the king gave orders that the precious metals should be thrown upon the floor, and should be looked upon by all with contempt, and be trampled upon by all as though they were dirt. One of the examples I bring up when looking at how they viewed the value of swords in the day is the description of the Monk of St Gall quoted below. So while they created laws requiring certain groups to have weapons, they also restricted things thought to be disruptive, such as swords or daggers of a certain length. The tension between this need and the desire to control the populace was always on the minds of rulers of the period. The mandatory ownership of weapons and armor meant that, in order for this system to be effective, people had to be able to afford the armaments they needed to have. ![]() The Frankish areas for example would have few levied troops while the north often relied upon levied troops. This force would be augmented by levies of more common citizens, but this varied greatly from place to place. These requirements were set in law by the rulers of each locale and was intended to supply a base of trained troops for military use at a time when large standing armies were uncommon. Landowners, merchants, burghers, guild members, and aristocrats were all expected to bear arms in various times and places. The Sword of King Edward III, gilt and enameledĮarly medieval military systems often required individuals to equip themselves with arms and armor appropriate to their status and title. In this post we focus mostly on the early medieval period. Of course, for high status individuals, their arms could cost a literal fortune. Just as today, there was significant variation in the cost based on the perceived quality of the blade, the quantity and quality of decorative work, and the time and place the buyer and makers lived. People are often curious about how much swords cost in the past. ![]()
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