THE BARBARIAN SWORD

During the Dark Ages nomadic bands of warriors stormed across Europe and constantly engaged in battle with local tribes. In a perpetual conquest for land and territory, the Mongols, Picts and Celts were at war for centuries. The Roman Legions, caught up in this thunderous power struggle, attempted to preserve their empire but after a few skirmishes with these barbarian forces,
decided to cede parts of their kingdom.
Barbarian swords were crude in design. Primarily crafted of ores and irons they not only served the function as an excellent slashing and cleaving weapon but its appearance was also intended to force an enemy into submission by fear. Perhaps one of the most primitive experiments in psychological warfare.The hilts, pommels and cross-guards were lavishly constructed and often were inlaid with precious metals and stones.
 
 

THE SCIMITAR

A brutal weapon by fashion, the Scimitar was mainly intended as an oversized cleaver. The preferred weapon of the Moors and Saracens, it achieved its popularity during the Crusades as it proved a formidable tool in slashing through most types of armor. The weapon has its origins in India, Turkey and Jerusalem where the style has been in use since the dawn of time. Its wide blade offers superb balance to its user and its extended handle gives added reach and distance. The pommels and hilts were often made from ivory or bone and were often wrapped in  leather, silk or cloth.
 
 

STANDARD SHORTSWORD

Popularized by the Roman Legions and known among their ranks as the "Gladius", the shortsword was a common weapon of the early ages. Stemming from the Iron and Bronze ages, the sword was approximately 22 - 24 inches in length. Normally infantrymen would use pikes, polearms, javelins and spears as their first weapons of choice in battle. Once the opposing ranks closed and the enemies met face to face, the Shortsword was found to be an efficient weapon. It's small size increased its maneuverability and handling in close and cramped quarters on a battlefield and provided its user with the chance to remain behind a body shield. Its design was improved upon and the weapon was carried into combat by Cavalry officers up until the early 19th Century. During Medieval times it was the choice weapon of archers.
 
 

STANDARD LONGSWORD
The most common and popular weapon of the Medieval Ages, the longsword could be found hanging at most everyone's side. Measuring about 48 inches in length it had no standard or common design. The blades were
crafted from tempered steel, mainly from Toldeo, Spain, yet Sheffield, England proved itself as an excellent manufacturer of swords.
A weapon that could be easily handled and maneuvered, its long reach protected the user as he could fight  from behind a shield with ease. Its sturdy and heavy blade made it an excellent cut and thrust weapon as well as an effective hack and slash tool. The wide-spread use of this weapon is what led to radical changes and improvements in armor as this sword could exploit most weaknesses in suits of chainmail, scale mail and leather armor.
The handles, pommels, hilts and grips were varied to appeal to the design of the user, thus making each weapon uniquely detailed.
 
 

During times of war, Kings and local lords would summon all peasants living on their lands and in their fifedoms to military service. As professional weapons and armor was scarce and expensive, the peasant population was forced to use their own ingenuity and resources to arm and outfit themselves.
Common farming implements such as picts, pitchforks and axes were used.
Though the pict was later modified to have a spike on one side and an axe blade on the other, the pitchfork too saw modification into a weapon known as a trident.
However the common axe saw much use from the Vikings until the late 16th Century. Not only could it smash through developed armor but it also proved adept at severing limbs to overcome and subdue the enemy.
 
 

WAR AXE

As Medieval combat saw more usage of the common axe, the weapon was eventually modified in design to make it easier to handle and more effective. The stubby and thick handle of the original axe was replaced by a sleek pole, usually made of hickory or other strong and durable wood. The blade was also made more narrow for easier control, yet with the combined length of the new handle, its balance was such that it could deliver a more powerful blow upon being swung. Opposite the blade was a steel spike that proved useful in punching holes into platemail armor. Though the War Axe seemed simple in appearance it was by far one of the most effective and common weapons during Medieval warfare.
 
 

The mace was truly one of the most ferocious weapons of the Medieval Ages. Simple in construction, it was a wooden handle approximately 12 - 18 inches in length. Mounted on the end was an iron or steel housing that supported 4 - 6 metal fins. The weapon weighed anywhere from 4 to 6 pounds and was used to smash holes in the most sophisticated forms of armor. One solid blow from this weapon could outright kill. The counterbalance of the weapon provided an extra amount of force when swung. It was actually more effective against an armored knight than a standard sword.
 
 

CROSSBOW

Believed to have been invented by the Italians during the middle of the 12th Century, the crossbow was a marked improvement over the longbow, shortbow and composite bows of the day. As armor improved, standard arrows found little success in penetrating the protective wear of the knights and infantrymen. The crossbow was designed to fire a single projectile (called a bolt) with tremendous force. Usually the bolts were tipped with iron or steel. Unlike an arrow a crossbow bolt did not use feathers on the end for stabilization or guidance. The sheer torque from the draw wires propelled the bolt at such speed that it became a simple 'aim and fire' weapon.
The draw wire was so tight and taut that it was impossible to pull it back by hand. Therefore, a crank was installed on the side of the crossbow. The traditional means of preparing the weapon to be fired was stepping on a plate attached to the front of the crossbow, holding the weapon alongside the body and then manually turning the crank to draw back the wire. Some crossbows took two people to prepare. Once the wire was drawn back it would lock into place. Then the bolt could be loaded onto the
guiding rail, the weapon could be aimed and a simple trigger mechanism lifted the lock and released the wire.
Though effective against most armors, the bulky weapon was highly inaccurate at long ranges.

FLAIL

Another savage weapon of the Medieval Ages was the flail. Originally this item was a farming implement used by farmers to separate grain. As the call to arms was answered by the peasant population, its usefulness as a weapon was quickly realized. A wooden handle of 12 - 16 inches sported a 6 inch chain to which was attached a spiked iron ball weighing from 4 - 6 pounds. When swung in battle the torque generated from the chain would make the spiked ball a deadly piece of iron. It could literally crush armor with ease and shatter bone without much effort. The former agricultural tool was quickly popular among combatants throughout the Medieval Era.