What weapon do many historians call 'the machine gun of the Middle Ages'?
"weapon which had range of 370–500 metres. It shot bolts or quarrels that could pierce most medieval armour. Other advantages of the crossbow were that it required only few specialists with extensive training and tools to construct while the use of the weapon required little training. The crossbow and the longbow are two different weapon systems with solely their quick succession rate of shot compared in many modern assessments (precision, endurance, exploitation of opportunities are usually not taken into these comparisons). In the Middle Ages both weapons co-existed, including the use of mounted crossbowmen on the British Islands and longbowmen"
"the Middle Ages in Western Europe, but re-appeared during the First Crusade in the form of a new type of catapult based on a system of slings and counterweights for the projection of stone balls, and as giant crossbows as the field of metallurgy progressed, allowing more reliable metal tension weapons. In 52 BC, during the siege of Avaricum in the war against the Gauls, Julius Caesar mentions the ""scorpio"" in use as an anti-personnel weapon against the Gallic town's defenders. The late third or early fifth century Roman author Vegetius described weapons like the scorpion mounted on carts for"
"difficult. Horseman's pick The horseman's pick was a weapon used by cavalry during the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East. This was a type of war hammer that had a very long spike on the reverse of the hammer head. Usually, this spike was slightly curved downwards, much like a miner's pickaxe. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with ""war hammer"". A metal-made horseman's pick called ""nadziak"" was one of the main weapons of the famous Polish Winged Hussars. A weapon of late make, the horseman's pick was developed by the English and used by their heavy Billmen,"
"Veuglaire The Veuglaire (derived from the German ""Vogler"" and ""Vogelfänger"", and the Flemish ""Vogheler"", after a gun manufacturer named Vögler. English: Fowler) was a wrought iron cannon, and part of the artillery of France in the Middle Ages. There, guns were initially called ""acquéraux"", ""sarres"" or ""spiroles"". The ""Veuglaire"" was up to 2 meters (8 feet) long, and weighing from 150 kg to several tonnes, and compares to the ""Crapaudins"" or ""Crapaudaux"", which were shorter (4 to 8 feet) and lighter than the ""Veuglaires"". The ""Veuglaires"" were usually breech-loading, and therefore used a separate ""powder chamber"" (""boîte à poudre"") in"
"Bombard (weapon) The bombard is a cannon or mortar used throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period; a large caliber, muzzle-loading artillery piece mainly used during sieges to shoot round stone projectiles at the walls of enemy fortifications to enable troops to break in. Most bombards were made of iron and used gunpowder to launch the projectiles. There are many examples of bombards, including Mons Meg, the Dardanelles Gun, and the handheld bombard. Larger bombards are sometimes included in the family of superguns. The weapon provided the name to the Royal Artillery rank of bombardier and the word"
"as during a grappling struggle. The blade could be pushed through the visor or eye holes in the helm with the aim of piercing the brain, or thrust through holes or weak points in plate armor, such as under the arm, with the aim of piercing the heart. The weapon was known from the 12th century and has appeared in the armaments of Germany, Persia, and England. Misericorde (weapon) A misericorde ( or ) (from French word ""miséricorde"", ""mercy"") was a long, narrow knife, used from the High Middle Ages to deliver the death stroke (the mercy stroke, hence the"
"Horseman's pick The horseman's pick was a weapon used by cavalry during the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East. This was a type of war hammer that had a very long spike on the reverse of the hammer head. Usually, this spike was slightly curved downwards, much like a miner's pickaxe. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with ""war hammer"". A metal-made horseman's pick called ""nadziak"" was one of the main weapons of the famous Polish Winged Hussars. A weapon of late make, the horseman's pick was developed by the English and used by their heavy Billmen, a"
"and Mons Meg as well as the cast-bronze Faule Mette and Faule Grete (all from the 15th century). Counterweight trebuchet (12th century) Powered solely by the force of gravity, these catapults revolutionized medieval siege warfare and construction of fortifications by hurling huge stones unprecedented distances. Originating somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean basin, counterweight trebuchets were introduced in the Byzantine Empire around 1100 CE, and was later adopted by the Crusader states and as well by the other armies of Europe and Asia. Greek fire (7th century) An incendiary weapon which could even burn on water is also attributed to the"
"Sword of Attila The Sword of Attila, also called the Sword of Mars or Sword of God (Hungarian: ""Isten kardja""), was the legendary weapon carried by Attila the Hun. The Roman historian Jordanes, quoting the work of the historian Priscus, gave the story of its origin: When a certain shepherd beheld one heifer of his flock limping and could find no cause for this wound, he anxiously followed the trail of blood and at length came to a sword it had unwittingly trampled while nibbling the grass. He dug it up and took it straight to Attila. He rejoiced at"
"Misericorde (weapon) A misericorde ( or ) (from French word ""miséricorde"", ""mercy"") was a long, narrow knife, used from the High Middle Ages to deliver the death stroke (the mercy stroke, hence the name of the blade, derived from the Latin ""misericordia"", ""act of mercy"") to a seriously wounded knight. The blade was thin enough to strike through the gaps between armour plates. This weapon was used to dispatch knights who had received mortal wounds, which were not always quickly fatal in the age of bladed combat; it could also be used as a means of killing an active adversary,"
"bow, crossbow, lance or spear, knife and sword. Bows were the most commonly used weapon. Although the crossbow was introduced around the time of the First Crusade (1100), it was not generally used for hunting until the second half of the 15th century. Cudgels (clubs) were used for clubbing small game in particular by women who joined the hunt. ""Boar spears"" were also used. With the introduction of handheld firearms to hunting in the 16th century, traditional medieval hunting was transformed. The hunter would also need a horn for communication with the other hunters. In addition to this the hunter"
"the middle ages, this led to advances in medieval military technology. With the use of sieges as the primary means of middle age warfare, there were changes in military technology that facilitated fighting this differing kind of warfare. That being said, advances in technology did not mean that old technology became immediately obsolete. One such advance was the trebuchet, but other smaller advancements were made as well. There were advancements such as new helmets called ""Spangenhemle"" as well as some Carolingian developments in weapon production. With the subsequent development in armor, there came advancements in handheld weaponry to deal with"
"16th-19th centuries. The name comes from the city where these special steel products were crafted; Toledo, Spain. During times of war in the 16th-19th centuries, armies would usually be heavily armored and/or be using shields. Thus, a hard and flexible weapon was needed to counter this, and the Toledo sword was that weapon. [5]. Daggers and short swords were also crafted using the Toledo steel. The Toledo sword became known for its strength and durability, and soon became the most sought after weapon for Europeans. These Toledo swords were chosen by Hannibal for his army. Kings from all over the"
"makers, charcoal burners and often by other traditional craftsmen, farmers and woodsmen. They are also the primary tool for hedgelayers. In the medieval period a weapon similar to the halberd was called a bill or billhook. It consisted of a pole with a bill-like blade mounted below a spearhead, with spikes added to the back of the blade to increase the versatility of the weapon against cavalry and armour. The English in particular were known for using massed billmen rather than pikes or halberds in the Renaissance period, notably at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, when the Scottish king"
"by the Assyrians around 900BC, followed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, throughout the Middle Ages, and up to the end of the 1600s by many combatants. Their materials and construction became more advanced as weapons became more and more powerful. Initially constructed from leather and brass, and then bronze and iron during the Bronze and Iron Ages, they soon came to be made entirely from forged steel in many societies after about 950AD. At that time, they were purely military equipment, protecting the head from cutting blows with swords, flying arrows, and low-velocity musketry. Today's militaries often use high-quality"
"took every effort to ration their use to the situation at hand. Nonetheless, resupply during battle was available. Young boys were often employed to run additional arrows to longbow archers while in their positions on the battlefield. ""The longbow was the machine gun of the Middle Ages: accurate, deadly, possessed of a long range and rapid rate of fire, the flight of its missiles was likened to a storm"". In tests against a moving target simulating a galloping knight it took some approximately seven seconds to draw, aim and loose an armour-piercing heavy arrow using a replica war bow. It"
"Migration Period spear The spear or lance, together with the bow, the sword, the seax and the shield, was the main equipment of the Germanic warriors during the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages. The pre-migration term reported by Tacitus is framea, who identifies it as ""hasta""; The native term for ""javelin, spear"" was Old High German gêr, Old English gâr, Old Norse geirr, apparently from proto-Germanic ""*gaizaz"". The names Genseric, Radagaisus indicate Gothic ""gaisu"" besides ""gairu"". Latin ""gaesum"", ""gaesus"", Greek was the term for the lance of the Gauls. The Avestan language has ""gaêçu"" ""lance bearer"" as a"
"Ribauldequin A Ribauldequin, also known as a rabauld, ribault, ribaudkin, infernal machine or organ gun, was a late medieval volley gun with many small-caliber iron barrels set up parallel on a platform, in use during the 14th and 15th centuries. When the gun was fired in a volley, it created a shower of iron shot. They were employed, specifically, during the early fifteenth century, and continued serving, mostly, as an anti-personnel gun. The name ""organ gun"" comes from the resemblance of the multiple barrels to a pipe organ. As an early type of multiple barrel firearm, the ""ribauldequin"" is sometimes"
"enfilade their foes. Other, more recent, historians such as Matthew Bennett dispute this, holding that the archers were normally deployed on the flanks of the army as a whole, rather than between divisions. While the famous English longbowman is better known in popular imagination, the missile troops that caused the most damage in the medieval era were the crossbowmen. The Catholic Church tried to outlaw the crossbow and all other ranged weapons at the Second Lateran Council in 1139, without much success. The crossbow was constructed initially of wood with steel gradually taking over in the 15th century, producing a"
"Michael Psellus as thus: “The whole group carry shields and brandish on their shoulders a certain single-edged, heavy-iron weapon"", which is understood to have been the daneaxe (many Byzantine writers referred to them as ""axe-bearing barbarians"", ""pelekyphoroi barbaroi"", rather than as Varangians). However, a mistranslation of the Greek text has led some to refer to the weapon as a ""rhomphaia"", which most likely occurred as a product of Atticism in Byzantine literature. They were prominent in the defence of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Of the role of the guard, it is said that ""the fighting was very violent and"
"Signature weapon A signature weapon (or trademark weapon or weapon of choice) is one commonly identified with a certain group or, in the case of literature, comics, and film, where it is a popular ""trope,"" for both heroes and villains to be associated with and highly proficient in the use of specific weaponry. Examples include Robin Hood's longbow, Don Quixote's jousting lance, a wizard's wand, the Grim Reaper's scythe, the Monkey King's iron rod, a Jedi's lightsaber, William Tell's crossbow, Negan's bat, David's sling and James Bond's Walther PPK. The Colt .45 SAA and Winchester are ubiquitous in Westerns. Signature"
"and shortbows . Combining dismounted knights and men-at-arms with archers was the archetypal Western Medieval battle tactics until the battle of Flodden 1513 and final emergence of firearms. Medieval technology Medieval technology is the technology used in medieval Europe under Christian rule. After the Renaissance of the 12th century, medieval Europe saw a radical change in the rate of new inventions, innovations in the ways of managing traditional means of production, and economic growth. The period saw major technological advances, including the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and greatly improved water mills, building techniques"
"Baselard The baselard (also ""basilard, baslard"", in Middle French also ""badelare, bazelaire"" and variants, latininzed ""baselardus, basolardus"" etc., in Middle High German ""beseler, baseler, basler, pasler; baslermesser"") is a historical type of dagger or short sword of the Late Middle Ages. In modern use by antiquarians, the term ""baselard"" is mostly reserved for a type of 14th-century dagger with an I-shaped handle which evolved out of the 13th-century knightly dagger. Contemporary usage was less specific, and the term in Middle French and Middle English could probably be applied to a wider class of large dagger. The term (in many spelling"
"Laertes will defeat Hamlet by three or more touches. Poignard A poniard or poignard (Fr.) is a long, lightweight thrusting knife with a continuously tapering, acutely pointed blade and crossguard, historically worn by the upper class, noblemen, or the knighthood. Similar in design to a parrying dagger, the poniard emerged during the Middle Ages and was used during the Renaissance in Western Europe, particularly in France, Switzerland, and Italy. During the Safavid era in Iran (1501-1736), the army used the poniard; it was considered a weapon especially typical to have for soldiers who originated from the Caucasus region, particularly Circassians,"
"excavations, and are depicted on the Achaemenid cylinders and ancient Greek pottery and other surviving iconographic material. It is a long-shafted weapon with a metal head, with an either sharp (axe-like) or blunt (hammer-like) edge on one side and a sharp (straight or curving) 'ice-pick'-like point on the other. It may have been the ""sagaris"" that led medieval and Renaissance authors (such as Johannes Aventinus) to attribute the invention of the battle-axe weapon to the Amazons – as some Scythian women seen hunting and along warrior riders gave legend to the Amazons selves – and to the modern association of"
"for firing heavy handguns. These defences are dated 1380-1385. Initially used as defensive weapons primitive bombards began to be used as siege weapons in the later 14th century. Henry IV, Henry V, and James II won battles with the use of bombards. Henry V captured Harfleur with bombards in 1415. King Henry's army later came under artillery fire at the Battle of Agincourt. James II destroyed many castles with his one and a half ton cannon named ""The Lion"". The French re-conquest of their kingdom from English control saw the use of considerable French artillery in the siege role. The"
"Gunpowder artillery in the Middle Ages Artillery in the Middle Ages primarily consisted of the introduction of the cannon, large tubular firearms designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance. Guns, bombs, rockets and cannons were first invented in China during the Han Chinese Song Dynasty and then later spread to Europe and the Middle East during the period. Although gunpowder was known in Europe during the High Middle Ages due to the usage of guns and explosives by the Mongols and the Chinese firearms experts employed by the Mongols as mercenaries during the Mongol conquests of Europe,"
"precursor to many other such European weapons. Introduced around 1630, it served as a Polish cavalry mêlée weapon, mostly used by heavy cavalry, or Polish Hussars. Much less curved than its Armenian predecessors, it was ideal for horseback fighting and allowed for much faster and stronger strikes. The heavier, almost fully closed hilt offered both good protection of the hand and much better control over the sabre during a skirmish. Two feather-shaped pieces of metal on both sides of the blade called moustache (""wąsy"") offered greater durability of the weapon by strengthening its weakest point: the joint between the blade"
"costly affair, the cost of one gun was the equivalent of two months pay for a skilled artisan. By 1450, inventors improved the make of the gun and introduced the matchlock gun. Though inventors came with new technology, the process of reloading after every shot was very time consuming, by the time they were reloading the gun, the cavalry would charge and annihilate the entire unit of shooters. Medieval weapons were still in service during the Renaissance and Civil war. Some of the medieval weapons that were still in use included Guisarme, the Halberd, the Mace and the partisan. The"
"was used by Stephen the Great of Moldavia as late as 1475, as attested to by Polish chronicler Bielski. Ribauldequin A Ribauldequin, also known as a rabauld, ribault, ribaudkin, infernal machine or organ gun, was a late medieval volley gun with many small-caliber iron barrels set up parallel on a platform, in use during the 14th and 15th centuries. When the gun was fired in a volley, it created a shower of iron shot. They were employed, specifically, during the early fifteenth century, and continued serving, mostly, as an anti-personnel gun. The name ""organ gun"" comes from the resemblance of"
"by its eastern enemies. Stone-firing and bolt-firing machines were used both for attacking enemy fortresses and fortified cities and for the defence of their Byzantine equivalents. In contemporary accounts the most conspicuous engines of war were stone-throwing trebuchets, often termed ""helepolis"" (city-takers); both the man-powered and the more powerful and accurate counterweight trebuchets were known to the Byzantines. The development of the trebuchet, the largest of which could batter down contemporary defensive walls, was attributed to the Byzantines by some western writers. Additionally, the Byzantines also used long range, anti-personnel, bolt firing machines such as the 'great crossbow,' which was"
"operating the cannon, and as many three dozen horses and oxen may have been required to move some of the great guns of the period. Another small-bore cannon of the 14th century was the culverin, whose name derives from the snake-like handles attached to it. It was transitional between the handgun and the full cannon, and was used as an anti-personnel weapon. The culverin was forged of iron and fixed to a wooden stock, and usually placed on a rest for firing. The culverin was also common in 15th century battles, particularly among Burgundian armies. As the smallest of medieval"
"Bayonet A bayonet (from French ""baïonnette"") is a knife, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of a rifle's muzzle, allowing it to be used as a spear. From the 17th century to World War I, it was considered the primary weapon for infantry attacks. Today, it is considered an ancillary weapon or a weapon of last resort. Modern bayonets are often multi-purpose knives such as the Soviet AKM bayonet which was also a ground breaking survival knife that can be used as a wire-cutter when combined with its scabbard. The concept of the bayonet, which is"