Posted by: Dungeon Knight
A review of world history reveals that feudalism thrived in almost every country around the world. It had a firm place in the path to evolution and development that almost justifies the warfare and unwarranted deaths that occurred in those times. Perhaps, it is what some people would refer to as necessary evils of society. The only way a civilization could elevate itself to a developed and modern way of thinking, seemed to be to pass through stages such as these where cruelty and brutality wrought chaos over the land. Overcoming such odds apparently boosted the consciousness of the civilization towards modern ways.
It is with hope that most adults look upon the younger generation’s fascination towards costume play. As young adults acquire fantasy swords and medieval weapons to emulate the glory of those times, the older generation can only pray that the young ones learn from the mistakes of old without actually having to go through them in reality. The many people looking for unique items during the medieval period such as these 17th Century Swiss Halberd only serve to fuel the interest of the internet generation in the histories of the world.
Unfortunately, the fascination is less with the lessons learned than with the ability to develop more sophisticated and powerful weapons of destruction to protect the feudal lord’s territory. While many look upon costume play as just a game of dress up that the kids enjoy, more cognizant adults fear that there may be a threat in the children’s early orientation on ways and means to wreak havoc upon the rest of the world.
War is a common habit of feudal lords during the medieval era in Europe. And because there’s always a threat of war, each lord has to develop more sophisticated weaponry than his counterparts.
Most types of medieval weapons are created for their functions, durability and their ability to kill. One example is the very reliable longsword. Used with two hands, it is wielded by most of the warriors at that time because of its great offensive capability which translates to more killings. There are different types and variations of the longsword.
Heavy infantry is the most used among soldiers in the army at the time. They are heavily armored with plate or mail which has high defensive capabilities so the French and the English developed a new type of sword. It is called the “estoc”. Its main purpose is to penetrate mailed or plated armor because of its great piercing power. It has no cutting edges but rather has a point.
A cavalry is very essential to a medieval warfare. And making it fully equipped is as important. They are given a long spear or a lance to charge at the enemy’s frontlines and a blade to chop at the flanks.
As more weapons are developed the more sophisticated it becomes. Just like a 17th Century Swiss Halberd, created for stabbing and bashing their opponents with its spiked axe and for massacring cavalries foolish enough to run right in front of its long pole.
There are also fantasy weapons during that time. And the most famous are fantasy swords like the Excalibur in the story of King Arthur.
Posted by: Dungeon Knight
This deluxe Prussian dagger is reminiscent of those that are used during King Frederick William IV’s time who ruled in 1840 to 1861. He is the eldest son of King Frederick William III and was known as a steadfast Romanticist.
As you have probably already noticed, King Frederick William’s term was not really during the Medieval Age. But being a fan of the Middle Ages, he has been well known to subscribe to anything from his father’s era. That manifests in the design of daggers during his time; rather, he would prefer to use Medieval daggers during his time.
This deluxe Prussian dagger sold on Dungeonknight.com is one good example of the said Medieval designs. It looks really sophisticated and features an intricately designed handle, not to mention the hand guard that is also very Medieval judging from its black scabbard sheathing.
The history of Prussia seems to reflect on these Medieval daggers. Not to mention, it has a big impact on the history of Germany and other European nations. All these are manifested in artisan works and weaponries that were developed during and after King Frederick William IV’s reign.
Daggers back then were not really often used in battles more than swords were used. But daggers always come in handy during close combats in battle grounds. However, the deluxe Prussian dagger seen on Dungeon Knight is still not the regular dagger used during the time. It is mostly used only by noble men, if not, members of the royal family.