Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The History of Weaponry - Medieval Europe (part four) - #TidbitThursday #WeaponHistory

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. For the next few weeks, we'll follow the timeline presented in the book, "A History of Weaponry" by John O'Bryan. This week we'll continue to look at some of the weapons created during Europe's Medieval Period (1300 - 1500 AD).


Shillelagh - (1300's) Irish knobby wooden stick


Claymore - (1400's) Scottish two-handed sword; handle usually had spiral leather wrappings for grip


Bombard - (1300's/1400's) By 1453 gunpowder becomes predominant in European warfare and completely changes the game.


Matchlock Arquebus - (1400's) these heavy, cumbersome guns were fired by touching a match to a hole; fired one shot at a time so they were slow to reload; inaccurate; could pierce armor at a few yards

Source:
A History of Weaponry by John O'Bryan; ISBN#978-1-4521-1054-7


Photo Credit: Shillelagh - https://www.medievalcollectibles.com%2Fp-41150-blackthorn-shillelagh-fighting-stick.aspx&psig=AOvVaw0NsPy14LznsbvymPdC2ToC&ust=1535035012549614
Photo Credit: Claymore - http://www.replicaweaponry.com%2Fmedieval-claymore-replica-sword-letter-opener-denix.html&psig=AOvVaw3RFC4h5TBA_YgbE9wMeqRg&ust=1535035053794976
Photo Credit: Bombard - http://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-weapons/gun-powder-weapons/medieval-gunpowder-weapons-medieval-bombard-canon-2/
Photo Credit: Matchlock - http://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com%2Fmatchlocks-flintlocks-firelocks-that-tamed-a-new-world-claimed-an-american-revolution%2F&psig=AOvVaw3V4PpkvS5dyLVjwDJ0dFKs&ust=1535035163423764

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The History of Weaponry - Medieval Europe (part three) - #TidbitThursday #WeaponHistory

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. For the next few weeks, we'll follow the timeline presented in the book, "A History of Weaponry" by John O'Bryan. This week we'll continue to look at some of the weapons created during Europe's Medieval Period (1300 - 1500 AD).

 
English Longbow - a large bow made from flexible wood (like yew, ash, elm). These bows took four years to craft. Training to use these powerful bows started when a boy was 7 years old and proceeded for 10 years. Once trained, the man could pull the string with a draw weight of over 150 pounds (image the arm muscles) and could shoot 12 rounds per minute.


Bodkin-Tipped Arrow - these deadly-looking arrowheads were added to the longbow's arrows and could pierce armor


Mancatcher or Man Catcher - a giant metal claw device with spikes inside to slip around a victim's neck

Source:
A History of Weaponry by John O'Bryan; ISBN#978-1-4521-1054-7


Photo Credit: Longbow and Longbows man - http://www.historyforkids.net/medieval-longbow.html
Photo Credit: Mancatcher - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_catcher
Photo Credit: Bodkin Arrowhead - https://www.medievalarchery.com/p-20870-long-bodkin-point-arrowhead.aspx

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The History of Weaponry - Medieval Europe (part two) - #TidbitThursday #WeaponHistory

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. For the next few weeks, we'll follow the timeline presented in the book, "A History of Weaponry" by John O'Bryan. This week we'll continue to look at some of the weapons created during Europe's Medieval Period (1300 - 1500 AD).


Maul - French peasants and English archers carried these heavy sledgehammers around (tools they would have already owned)


Sword Breaker - a vicious-looking parrying dagger with deep teeth in back of blade; usually with crossguards and quillons to protect the user's hand; the wielder could break the enemy's sword or at the very least trap and pull it out of their hand.



Main Gauche - a parrying dagger that was used in addition to the thin-bladed rapier

Trident Dagger - a dagger that had two or more additional small blades poking out of the hilt for added damage points

Source:
A History of Weaponry by John O'Bryan; ISBN#978-1-4521-1054-7


Photo Credit: Maul - https://www.dragonsfoot.org%2Fforums%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ft%3D60831%26p%3D1392504&psig=AOvVaw0VAYP8xMObAOvYnT0D_5xh&ust=1535033656473469
Photo Credit: Sword Breaker - https://www.bytheswordinc.com/p-11561-the-knights-swordbreaker-dagger.aspx
Photo Credit: Halberd - https://www.battlemerchant.com/Lances-Spears/Halberd-Marto::59893.html?MODsid1=d06b983cb4cb50d4934b7b55d728c08b

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The History of Weaponry - Medieval Europe - #TidbitThursday #WeaponHistory

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. For the next few weeks, we'll follow the timeline presented in the book, "A History of Weaponry" by John O'Bryan. Last week we viewed weapons from the Dark Ages (400 - 1300 CE).. This week we'll look at some of the weapons created during Europe's Medieval Period (1300 - 1500 AD).


Morning Star - (1300's) German or Flemish spked mace that could penetrate the rings/links of chain mail (shirt of armor).


Buckler Shield - (1200 - 1600) a small round shield held in the hand, with or without spikes


Estoc - (1300's) French slender, thin bladed sword that could squeeze through armor to do damage. (Known as a Tuck in England).


Flail - iron-studded ball on a chain (sometimes multiple balls); impractical and difficult to control but menacing


War Hammer - over two foot long claw or pick hammer; longer version is known as a bec-de-corbin ("crow's beak")

Source:
A History of Weaponry by John O'Bryan; ISBN#978-1-4521-1054-7


Photo Credit: Morning Star Maces - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_star_(weapon)
Photo Credit: Estoc - https://myarmoury.com/review_mrl_estoc.html
Photo Credit: Buckler - https://www.medieval-shop.co.uk/battle-ready-shields-/5165-buckler-to-fight-32-cms.html
Photo Credit: War Hammer - https://www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-22632-14th-century-italian-war-hammer.aspx
Photo Credit: Flail - https://www.english-heritageshop.org.uk/collectables/twin-ball-flail

Research - Medieval Cooking - Vegetables

Just like fruits available at this time, vegetables were often divided between upper and lower classes.
Vegetables favored by the upper classes include onions, garlic and leeks - the more flavorful, less hearty types. While the lower classes ate more lettuce, cabbage, and carrots.
Also, during this time, vegetables were sometimes called "herbs" or "potherbs" and were grouped together with herbs such as fennel and parsley and edible flowers such as violets. Leafy plants were often called wortes.
Tomatoes, yams, artichokes, green beans, corn, and colored peppers were not yet available.

Some of the other vegetables that were eaten in this period:

• Celery
• Spinach
• Beets
• Radishes
• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Shallot
• Watercress
• Endive
• Beetroot
• Artichokes
• Long-Beans
• Broad-Beans
• Peas
• Lentils
• Asparagus
• Squashes
• Sprouts

Resources:
Middles-Ages.org
GodeCookery
Medieval Cookery Blog

Research - Medieval Cooking - Fruits

Now we will look at the fruits that were available.

Interestingly enough, nobles did not eat a lot of fruit as evidenced by their poor teeth/bone health. They thought fruit was for the poorer classes. It is known they did eat dates, an expensive and exotic import from Northern Africa.

According to the website Middle Life and Times - the following fruits were imported into Europe:

• Apricot - from Armenia
• Plums - from Syria
• Peach - from Persia
• Cherry from Cerasus
• Lemon - from Media
• Pomegranate and Quince - from Crete
• Pear and Apple - from Greece
• Oranges - from China

Wild cherries, raspberries, red currants, and strawberries grew locally. Quince was used as a dried perserve and to season meat. Eventually melons were introduced into gardens.

Fruits that have disappeared include sarb and carob.
Romans used a citrus fruit called a citron which no doubt made it to European hands.

Medieval Cookery has a wonderful, detailed listing by date of fruits and their varieties.

Old Cook has some interesting information about the different fruits and origins. For example, the orange. During the early middle ages, only the bitter orange was known (which was too bitter to eat outright) and the sweet orange (that is edible without cooking) wasn't known until the 15th century. Other fruits include blackberry, figs, and apricots. The site even includes a few recipes.

Research - Medieval Cooking - Gardening

This next topic will look at the various gardens that were in play in the middle ages.

Medieval gardens were almost always enclosed, ranging from monastic stone walls to poor laborer dirt embankments. For those who have wooden fences know a rabbit or other rodent will just burrow underneath and squeeze through, so using walls or hedges to keep out pests probably wasn't effective.

A good reference for the actual structure of medieval and later period gardens can be found in this website: Medieval Gardens. They also mention that grapes, roses and rosemary were grown over topiaries. Potted plants, both inside and out, were in use as well as starting seedlings in pots to extend growing seasons. Basil, rosemary, marjoram, gillflowers and others were often potted. Vegetables grown include cabbage, turnips, beans, peas, bulb onion, etc. A nice reference listing many different vegetables can be found near the end of the site.

Another excellent reference includes
Garden History Info which lists several good articles on gardening, including a medieval kitchen garden, mentioning turnips, beets, beans, peas, cabbage, leeks, cauliflower, and some information on tea.

A reproduction of a wattle fenced garden can be found on Penn State's Center for Medieval Studies - Kitchen Garden

And one last side trip to this nice site that talks about all kinds of gardens with lots of beautiful photographs:
Essentially England

Research - Medieval Foods - Spices

To understand cooking in historic periods, you have to learn what fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices were available either in the gardens/fields or by trade. After the Crusades, trade had spread throughout Europe, the Middle East and even to Asia and India, so exotic spices were available - to the rich, of course.

According to Middle-Ages.Org.Uk Website, the following spices and enhancers were known:

• Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Saffron
• Cardamon/Cardamom
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Mace
• Anise
• Caraway
• Mustard
• Salt

For an excellent listing of spices used and currently available, check out the Medieval Cookery site which even includes pictures and photographs!