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The helmet shown in this picture is called a spangenhelm. It is
conical so as to deflect blows. The piece over the nose is called a
nasal and is reasonably effective at protecting most of the front of the
face without restricting the wearer's visibility as much as a full face
mask would. The body armour is a mail shirt which is made from about 30,000 interlinked steel rings. It is worn over a padded tunic. The mail protects against cuts and the padding absorbs the force of a blow. A puncturing weapon such as a spear or an arrow will be more effective at getting through the mail than a sword or an axe, although a heavy blow could still cause damage without breaking through the mail shirt. |
| Peasants only tended to fight close to their home areas when danger
threatened them directly. They tended to have simple weapons, often
adapted from farm tools. The round shield, as shown here, was being replaced by the new kite shaped design during the 11th Century. Early medieval laws required communities to provide a certain number of warriors with equipment between them. Professional warriors would usually be attached to a particular household and would travel with their lord. While the lord was away it was often his wife's job to organise the defence of his lands. |
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Lothene Experimental Archaeology Group holds combat practices
on Sunday afternoons, weather permitting. The weapons used are blunt
replicas of 11th Century ones. They include spears, swords, knives, hand
axes, polearms and the large Dane Axes which were used by the Saxons at
the Battle of Hastings. Re-enactment combat is a martial art and fights are usually competitive. A "hit" is scored by making light contact with a defined target area on an opponent. For safety reasons areas such as the head, neck, spine and joints are not used as targets. The techniques used are based on medieval manuscripts and other archeological evidence. |
Women Warriors throughout
History has descriptions of historical and mythological women from
prehistory to the 20th Century.
The Apprentice
Armorer's Illustrated Handbook For Making Mail
The
'Viking Shield' from Archaeology describes the construction and
decoration of early medieval shields.
The Mediæval
Sword Virtual Museum shows examples of sword styles from 400 to
1450 AD.
Shields of the Shattered Isle Group have a page illustrating different
types of Shield
Wall.
Arms
and Armour - Glossary of Terms useful index of technical terms.
Cuir
Bollei Armour - instructions for making armour from leather which
has been soaked in hot wax to harden it.
There Is No Best Sword
is an essay on different styles of swords and their uses.
The Vikings Society (formerly NFPS)
National
Combat Training Manual gives information on combat training
requirements for re-enactors wishing to take part in combat at living
history events. There is also an
Arms &
Armour Index Page.
Warning - these links may not be suitable for
children.
The Greenland
Norse - A Biological-anthropological Study includes information on
battlefield injuries in the Viking period.
Skeletons
reveal brutality of warfare is a brief report from British
Archaeology magazine on bodies found at the site of the Battle of Towton,
1461.
"The Viking Art of War" - Paddy Griffith - Greenhill Books -
1-85367-208-4
"Medieval Warfare Sourcebook" - David Nicolle - Arms and Armour
Press
"Saxon, Viking and Norman" - Terence Wise - Osprey Military,
Men at Arms series - 0-85045-301-1
"English Martial Arts" - Terry Brown - Anglo Saxon Books -
1-898281-18-1
"Scottish Castles and Fortifications" - Christopher Tabraham -
HMSO - 0 11 492475 9
"Scottish Weapons and Fortifications 1100-1800" - David H.
Caldwell - John Donald Publishers - 085976 047 2
"Crusades" - Terry Jones, Alan Ereira - BBC Publications -
0-563-37007-6
"Medieval Combat" - Hans Talhoffer - Greenhill - 1-85367-418-4
Lothene Experimental Archaeology are available for
displays, talks and educational visits - contact
us for details
If you are interested in Scottish history, research, medieval crafts,
swordfighting or other medieval combat skills contact us to
enquire about joining
Lothene. We currently have members in Lothian, Fife and the Borders.
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