Little Stirrup Research Paper

Mrs. Snyder
Honors English 12

Little Stirrup Big Impact In Europe during the Medieval Period there were many misfortunes, such as famine, plague, and war. One third of the population of Europe died from the Black Plagues alone and war sprung from controversy within the Catholic Church. The warrior of the Early Middle Ages behaved like a barbarian, but his role became a more honorable one during the Medieval Period as he evolved into the armored knight on horseback with a code of moral values (Zohorsky 10). Over the years society was transformed as well by cultural and technological developments. Advancements surrounding the horse changed life for knights in Europe in regards to war and sport. The changes made impacted the future immensely
and are still used today. Horses started to be domesticated around 6000 B.C. long before the Middle Ages. Up until the Middle Ages the only advancement to the horse had been the saddle (Derby). Knights of this time period fought as soldiers for their kingdom. The war strategy for knights was to attack and retreat. They would use horses to do this because horses were much faster than being of foot. The stirrup is a small metal and leather foot piece that is connected to the saddle. No one clearly knows when or where the stirrup originated from, but experts say it came from Northern China thousands of years before the Middle Ages (Dien 35). When this improvement to the saddle came to Europe it changed the riding experience for knights by increasing the knight’s ability to control the horse. Now knights could ride faster and were more dangerous in battle. The medieval knight in armor did not become a fighting force with which to be reckoned until the introduction of stirrups.
Their adoption was revolutionary, for it enabled a heavily armored horseman to retain his balance in the saddle whilst using a weighty spear, sword, or lance. (Seth-Smith, 28) As technology advanced so did the weapons used. Knights going into battle would be equipped with swords and daggers, the most common weapons used in hand to hand combat. Blades were specially designed for its owner so weight, length, and handle design all varied (Jordan 180). Some knights would be skilled enough to shoot a bow and arrow while riding their horse. Armor was used to cover both the knight and his horse. Another weapon that was used while riding the horse was the lance. This was a 9 to 14 foot pole made of wood with a steel tip. It would be used to unhorse enemies. Scale armor was one of the earliest forms of armor made from bronze, iron, leather, and even bones. The problem with this type of armor is that knights were not able to maneuver while riding on their horse. This problem was fixed with the later invention of chain mail armor. This was made from metal rings linked together to form a mesh (Jordan 181). All of these weapons and armors were used in battle by knights, who took all of the same items and turned them to
sport. All of these advancements made in the Middles Ages led to the first type of entertainment. Jousting was a sport invented for knights to show off their skills of strength, weapons, and their horse riding ability. The word 'joust ' is derived from the Roman 'juxtare ', which means "to meet together."( Alchin). The jousting tournaments replaced the gladiatorial games because it was less violent and there was less bloodshed (Alchin). This new sport showed a knights ability to out finesse his opponent while keeping the knight’s chivalric code. The knights would come from all over Europe during the Middle Ages to contest in a jousting tournament. A knight would bring his most trusted horse, armor, and a jousting lance which was slightly different from the lances used in battle. The objective of the jousting sport is to unhorse an opponent, not to kill them, so the lances were not spiked at the tips like ones use in battle (Alchin). The tournaments were a main source of entertainment during medieval period and massive amounts of people attended. There were many reasons for a knight to enter into a jousting tournament. Whether it was for fame and glory, or for the prize money the knight was a representation of their liege lord and the land they came from (Alchin). The winner of a jousting match would get the loser’s horse and armor. The tournaments would usually last several days with an overall winner. After the winner was named there would be a ceremony were the combatants met and congratulated each other. It can be argued that the stirrup is the most important innovation during the medieval era. Without this advancement to the saddle; knights would not be such a deadly force. History as we know it could have been changed with different outcomes to war. There would have been no jousting games to end the gladiatorial games. The stirrup helped change the life for knights through how they ride their horse. The stirrups are still used today by people riding horses with little modification. It is remarkable that such a little piece of equipment has had such a large impact.

Work Cited

Alchin, Linda. "Middle Ages." Middle Ages. N.p., 16 July 2012. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. .
Derby, Dan. "How The Stirrup Changed Our World." Article: How the Stirrup Changed Our World, by Dan Derby. N.p., 24 Sept. 2001. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. .
Dien, Albert E. "The Stirrup and Its Effect on Chinese Military History," Ars Orientalis, Vol 16 (1986), 33-56.
Jordan, William C. The Middle Ages. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1996. Print.
Seth-Smith (ed), 1979, The Horse in War, New English Library, London. Print.
Zohorsky, Janet R. Medieval Knights and Warriors. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2003. Print.