Medieval period is scripted as the darkest era in world history for violence and raging wars. This medieval weapons list should give you an idea regarding the type of warfare played and artillery used.
Medieval period, which is characterized by bloodshed and violence, is arguably the darkest and gloomiest era in the history of mankind. Weapons were out at slightest hint of danger and men were slain for the pettiest of reasons. The rise of feudalism in this era meant, people were forced out of their homes, and their lands invaded by feudal lords. On the higher level, the king was supreme and had the hold on life of his subjects in every way possible. People paid for their own lands and serviced the army of state in some way or the other. Those refusing to oblige were captured and sentenced to brutal punishment. Needless to say, people in this era were prepared for an eventuality of war at every waking moment of their lives.
List of Medieval Weapons
A wide range of weapons were used for self defense as well as warfare. However, these weapons were categorized by the class which used them. The army was mainly divided into upper class, comprising knights, and lower class which included foot soldiers and archers. Besides, there were siege weapons which were used to capture castles and fortresses.
| Knights: Knights mainly battled with swords and daggers, some of which are listed below. | |
| Broadsword | The oldest type of sword with double ended blade. It is about 2 – 3 inches wide at the base and tapers at the tip. The length is about 35 – 50 inches and weighs over 3 pounds. |
| Falchion | It is a single edged sword with a curved, pointed tip. |
| Scimitar | It is similar to falchion, only a bit longer. |
| Longsword | Also called bastardsword and is about 50 inches long. |
| Greatsword | This is the longest type of sword with a length of 50 – 72 inches. It can be used with both hands, as it has a base that is 18 – 20 inches long. |
| Foot Soldiers: They used the widest range of weapons in the medieval era. Some of which are as follows. | |
| Arbalest | Similar to a crossbow, but very large in size. It had a steel prod and a shooting rate of two bolts per minute. |
| Axe | Axes in this era were made of iron or bronze with a wood handle. They were single as well as double handed. |
| Basilard | Kind of dagger with two edges and long blade. |
| Bill | A polearm with a wide cutting blade with spikes and hooks. |
| Billhook | Used for killing Knights and their horses. |
| Medieval Bow and Arrow | A common weapon of foot soldiers. |
| Caltrop | Used for killing or injuring horses. It has sharp spikes on 12 – 18 feet poles. |
| Crossbow | Range of 350 – 400 yards with a shooting rate of 2 bolts per minute. |
| Dagger | A short pointed, curved knife used for stabbing. |
| Flail | A complex weapon with a spiked steel head connected by a chain to a short wood handle. |
| Glaive | Similar to a butcher’s knife with a single edged wide blade on a 6 foot pole. |
| Hache | A cutting blade and a small hammer head located on either side of a 6 foot pole. |
| Longbow | Range of more than 250 yards with shooting rate of 10 – 12 arrows per minute. |
| Mace | A steel ball on a wooden handle used to fight armor. Another version includes spiked steel war club. |
| Pike | A long spear measuring about 18 feet. |
| Quarterstaff | A long, thick pole of about 6 – 9 feet. |
| Spear | Used for piercing, jabbing. |
| Warhammer | A hammer head on one side and a spike on the other. |
| Siege Weapons: Siege weapons were custom-made as per the purpose. These weapons were mostly used for capturing and sieging castles and fortresses. | |
| Battering Ram | Battering rams were used to pound, break the walls, doors and other structures of castles. |
| Ballista | Similar to a giant crossbow. |
| Mangonel | Comprising a giant arm that was used to launch missiles. |
| Trebuchet | Worked like a giant sling, used for hurling stones weighing up to 200 pounds, in a range of 300 yards. |
Other Medieval Weapons
Apart from the list of medieval weapons described above, many other types of medieval weaponry was used by common people as well as soldiers.
Axes
- Battle axe
- Danish axe
- Doloire
- Francisca
- Mattock
Daggers and Knives
- Baselard
- Cinquedea
- Dirk
- Ear Dagger
- Grobes Messer
- Machete
- Mercygiver
- Poniard
- Rondel
- Scramasax
- Seax
- Stiletto
- Sword breaker
Swords
- Arming sword
- Claymore
- Cutlass
- Flamberge
- Foil
- Rapier
- Saber
- Spatha
- Shortsword
- Zweihander
Blunt Weapons
- Club
- Flail
- Maul
- Morning star
Spears and Polearms
- Footman’s lance
- Guisarme
- Halberd
- Lance
- Lochaber Axe
- Man catcher
- Military fork
- Partisan
- Plançon a picot
- Ranseur
- Spetum
- Swordstaff
- Voulge
- War-scythe
Ranged
- Archery
- Culverin
- Sling
- Throwing axe
Siege
- Catapult
- Greek fire
- Petard
- Siege hook
- Siege tower
Warships
- Galleon
- Galley
- Longship
Most of the medieval weapons mentioned above have become extinct now and can only be seen in museums or war movies based on this era. Nonetheless, these weapons are still an object of fascination for history lovers.
