Elizabethan Times

Weapons and knights

By Ajay Bharti

Introduction
The Elizabethan times was a period time when the
Feudal System was coming to an end(1558-1603). During
that era there were plentiful of weapons, types of armor
and fighting styles. The most common weapons used
among knights and nobles were swords,crossbows,battle
axes and long bows.

What kind of weapons did they have?

As I said before there were various types weapons. Most popular among nobles was the rapier
a thin and sleek blade which was flexible and fast. It did cut man into pieces like most swords the
rapier poked him full of holes and required a lot of skill. Broadswords were the most common
usually carried by knights. This was a thick double edged blade that weighed around 5 to 8 pounds
and could hack a mans head off ; It was also used for executions. Long swords and bastard swords
were also used These could either be used as a two handed or one handed weapon. knights also
carried longswords they were large and cut cut you in half! the bastard sword was a mix of the long
sword and greatsword. Daggers were used for small tight areas where you wouldnt be able to
swing your sword or they were to slow. For medium ranged the british army employed lances
billhooks halberds and poleaxes. For long range combat Cross Bows and Longbows were used.
Crossbows shot about 450 yards and were pretty accurate but should at slow rate of 1 to 2 bolts per
minute. The longbow on the other hand shot about 12 to 15 arrows a minute and was one of the
most deadliest weapons during the elizabethan era and middle ages. Although they were replaced
almost completely after the matchlock musket was introduced to the british army.

Continued

Rapier

Average axe

Longsword

Lance

Broadsword

Pole axe

Bastardsword

Crossbow

Who Made all these weapons?

The people who made these weapons were called Blacksmiths and they were
responsible for forging a weapon. This was a very hard job and required a lot
of work,skill and patience

How did he make these weapons?

The method of blacksmithing a weapon requires forging drawing and
hardening the weapon. Forging is when you are hammering away at the metal
shaping it into the form. Drawing lengthens the metal by reducing one orboth
sides of the dimensions. Bending is

What role did firearms play

Firearms werent introduced into the british army until
the 1600s. The british traded all of their longbows for the
matchlock musket. The matchlock was inaccurate and
took along time to reload. Which completely changed
warfare techniques later on as using them as if it was a
bow and arrow was dismal.

Fighting styles
In the Elizabethan Era it was a requirement for all nobles
to learn how to fence.Fencing was an complicated fighting
style practiced by nobles with rapiers. Fencing made it
that sword play isnt dependent on brute strength but
technique. because knights used broadswords and long
swords they didnt fence and usually used brute strength
and force in combat. On horseback knights used lances or
swords. Knights usually fought on foot but used horseback
for the offensive and was quite effective.

What was the purpose of Armour

During the Elizabethan era armour made from chainmail was replaced by
steel plates. Before knights were covered head to toe in suits of heavy
chainmail which protected them from swords and such. The main goal for
armour makers in the Elizabethan era was to make more elaborately
decorated suits. Armours were usually blue gold and silver. Kings and upper
class nobility had suits that looked amazing with all the designs and details
and cost about as much a small piece of farmland. Armour was used mostly
for tournaments than actual warfare though.Knights usually only wore heav
plated armour for tournaments. There were two types of tournaments
Jousting which was combat on horseback and melees which were combat on
foot. So the purpose of armour was that it was mainly used as a fashion
accessory among nobles and knights.

Continued

Bibliography
http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-weapons.htm
http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-era-armour.html
http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/different-kinds-of-elizabethan-eraweapons.html
www.Google.ca