Weapons In The Renaissance Era

The Renaissance era gave birth to many well made and useful weapons. The most important and manageable of these weapons are the sword, bows and crossbows, and axes. These weapons each have differ- ent uses and styles making them convenient for many tasks.
Swords are normally depicted as only a knightly weapon, but were also used by commoners for many a duel. Of course they were mostly a knights weapons as they used them in battle for "hewing, slicing, and stabbing" (Renaissance Weapons). Some of the later types of the sword were shaped like big meat cleavers making them useful to butchers.
Since swords could be used for many different reasons, there are many different types of swords. The most popular swords are the Arming Sword and the Falchion.
The Arming Sword is a one handed sword that is a descendant from the migration and viking swords. It was normally used with a shield or buckler due to its lightness, versatility, and its excellent balance. The Falchion was also a one handed handed sword, but it was also a one edged sword. It had the weight and power of an axe, but the versatility of a sword. This sword developed from farmers tools and butch-
Page 1
ers knives. "Its weight is concentrated near the end making it effective for chopping strikes"(Renaissance Weapons). Its shaped like a large meat cleaver or blade machete. This sword although very convenient and useful was presumed poor in status and quality than longer more expensive swords. It is very possible that it was used as tools since it was very prac- tical and considered a peasants weapon. It may have been considered a lowly weapon , but it is commonly shown in drawings of fights between knights.
Besides the ceremonial and deadly swords there are long distance weapons such as the bow and crossbow. These weapons were used in "hunting, warfare, and tournaments, they were accurate, could shoot long distances, and could shoot down the largest animal in the area, including man"(Medieval Weapons). Crossbows took only weeks to master, but weren't as effective as the longbow.
The reason it was so easy to master was probable due to how it was made."The crossbow was essentially just a small bow called a prod or lath mounted sideways on a piece of wood, called a tiller or stock there were many designs for medieval crossbows.
Most were based loosely on the ballista, a large siege weapon. A crossbow could be loaded for hours, and was able to be ready at all times, keeping the crossbowman from be- ing taken by surprise. The disadvantage, of course, was that it took quite a while to reload." (Medieval Weapons)
Page 2
Unlike the bows and crossbows that were long distance weapons, axes of the Renaissance were the favored weapon of men-at-arms fight- ing on foot. Axes had a heavy crescent shape head mounted on a haft 4ft- 6ft. In the 13th century the weapon had a larger head with a broader blade, while another development later on extended the forward part of the crescent. The basic long axe then gained a spike on the back with the ability to pierce armor and in the next century it evolved into the pollaxe.
There were many different types of axes made along the centuries. Some of these are the halberds, Danish axes, sparths, bardiches, and pol- laxes. "The halberd is still used as a ceremonial weapon today. The Dan- ish axe was a viking weapon at first but was adopted by the Anglo-Saxons and Normans in the 11th century, spreading though Europe in the 12th and 13th century "The Evolution of
Weapons)
While swords, bows and crossbows, and axes weren't the weapons of the Renaissance era they were definitely the most prominent. The served many uses and were amazingly versatile. Finally each weapon made advances along the year making them easier and more efficient to use. By the end of the Renaissance era you had fully functional and dead- ly weapons. Without these simple beginnings, what would our weapons look like and do today; would they be as functional?