Elizabethan Weapons and Armor

HistoryWith the medieval feuding system coming to an end, nobles were no longer expected to provide soldiers for the queen or weapons and armor for the knights. Weapons started to evolve and the introduction of the musket very much changed warfare. War was always a possibility to England, the catholic Spanish and French played a heavy threat. During the Elizabethan era, England did not have a standing army. They relied on trained bands that acted as national guards. Weapons were made for knights or guards. Some examples are the rapier, spear, axe, dagger and mace. Ranged weapons such as the crossbow and the flintlock rifle were also used to keep attackers back.

Melee WeaponsMelee weapons were close range weapons more commonly used than ranged weapons. Melee weapons in the Elizabethan era were either blunt or bladed. All weapons were handmade and unique. Almost every one had a melee weapon. People who held a melee weapon could range from an armored knight to a common thief. Some examples of melee weapons in the era were:-The rapier-The dagger-The axe-The halberd-The spear-The mace

Melee Weapons – The Rapier

Fencing was an important skill and a requirement to upper class nobility. The rapier was the most favored and used weapon of the time because it was lightweight and could be easily paired to the fencing skills of Elizabethan gentleman. The rapier is a long sword that has a thin blade and a unique handle. Since swords and weaponry were all handmade, every rapier was different. The handle could have gold, jewels or any rare metal made into it. The handle also consisted of a swepthilt to protect the hand. The rapier was used mostly in street brawls and usually did not involve facing an armored opponent. The blade was also slender and it gained chopping weight on the way down from a strike.

Melee Weapons – The Dagger

The dagger was well paired with the rapier as a secondary weapon. The dagger had an alternate name: The main gauche, given by the French because the dagger was generally held in the left hand while the rapier was in the right hand. The dagger looked like a shortened version of the rapier. The dagger and the rapier were used together to maximize the chance of a hit.The small arm also was usually made to resemble its bigger partner.

Ranged WeaponsRanged weapons were great weapons to keep an enemy back. Although ranged weapons weren't as effective as today’s firearms, the crossbow and musket still served an important role. Most weapons like these were single shot which meant it fired a single bolt, arrow or bullet. The three mainly used ranged weapons were the longbow, the crossbow and the musket.

Ranged Weapons – The Longbow and Crossbow

The longbow, if used correctly, could penetrate 4 inches of seasoned oak but, the crossbow could penetrate an inch of iron. A longbow generally measures up to 6ft. The longbow had a strong piece of wood for the body and a wire that could be made from rope of horsehairs.

Some wires were even made with plants. The crossbow was an evolution of the longbow. It could fire up to bolts with more penetrating force than its predecessor. The crossbow was preferred by archers because it required almost no skill and fired bolts more easily (by pulling a trigger). The only draw back was the fact that it took a lot of brute strength to pull back the cord and took a long time to reload.

Ranged Weapons – The Musket

A musket was a single shot rifle that relied on black powder to fire a ball about 1cm to 2cm in diameter. The matchlock musket was long, heavy and was in accurate. As the name suggests the matchlock musket was fired by lighting a match. This musket was designed for long ranges but in the end, soldiers used them more at a close range. The matchlock wasn’t that useful, some even ditched the matchlock and returned to the crossbow. Then the flintlock rifle was introduced. It was shorter, more lightweight and was fired by striking a flint instead of a match.

ArmorArmor started out in medieval time but, the usage started to reduce later on. Armor in the Elizabethan era was mainly used in parades and festivals. It was also used in events such a joust. The Elizabethan gentleman resembled a regular citizen with more finer clothes while the medieval knight had chainmail, a helm, a shield and sometimes even plate armor.

In rare cases their might have been knights in full armor walking the streets acting as escorts for an important person. In the case of plate armor and chainmail, the usage had declined because it was turning expensive to make and the people no longer needed to pay the queen resulting in a loss of money towards military. The only armor the Elizabethan gentleman had were the clothes he had.

Bibliographyhttp://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-weapons.htmhttp://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-knights.htmhttp://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-fencing.htmhttp://www.seatofmars.com/elizabethanweapons.htmhttp://www.alderneywreck.com/index.php/artefacts/firearms/from-lngbow-to-matchlockhttp://www.middle-ages.org.uk/crossbow.htm