Dictionary of Medieval Weapons
Here you'll find a list of weapons used by The Knights of Skirbeck, along with a brief description and a link to an external website containing more information.
We will have examples of all these weapons at many of our shows.
(If you discover a broken link, please do let us know so we can correct it.)
One handed sword with a straight, double edged blade and cruciform (cross) shaped guard.
A straight wooden shaft with an arrowhead on one end and feathers on the other end.
Type of two handed axe with a long narrow blade.
Long dagger or short sword with a stiff blade and capital I shaped hilt.
Small round shield made of metal or wood & metal, held in the fist, very versatile.
Small weapon consisting of four spikes, so when dropped or thrown , always lands spike up.
Two handed axe with a large, crescent shaped head.
More accurate & powerful than a longbow but slower to load. Often used to defend castles as a kind of early sniper rifle.
Fighting knife, usually have a stiff, double edged blade and a point for thrusting.
Single handed sword with a single edged, curved (or slightly curved ) blade, used for hacking & slashing.
Commonly 2 lengths of wood joined by straps (or possibly a handle with ball & chain or several chains.)
Pole weapon consisting of a short blade - commonly single edged - on a wooden shaft.
Pole weapon consisting of an axe head with spearhead on top & a hook or blade on the back.
One or two handed sword with double edged blade - the lower hand being partly on the pommel.
Two handed sword with an extended ricasso which has 'horns' to guard the forward hand.
AKA Warbow, long version of the hunting bow, widely used by mass ranks of archers.
One or Two handed sword with a long double edged blade.
Type of club with wooden or metal shaft. The head may be flanged. Used for breaking bones or armour.
German for knife - a sword with a single edged blade and a knife like hilt.
Narrow, sharply pointed dagger, used for punching through maille or gaps in armour.
Small, light dagger with a cross shaped guard used in close quarter combat.
Knightly pole weapon typically consisting of an axe, hammer, top spike & butt spike, with variations.
Short 'arrow' or bolt to be shot from a crossbow. Has two feathers instead of the three found on arrows.
Wooden shaft 6 - 9 feet long, generally used in both hands. Made famous by the story of Robin Hood & Little John.
Dagger with a circular guard and pommel used in close quarter combat.
Simple weapon of ancient origin for throwing stones or balls. As used by David against Goliath.
Wooden pole weapon with a spike at one end - rarely thrown, used for thrusting
One handed, long handled hammer with a spike on the back
Bill hook re-purposed as an infantry polearm. They take a variety of forms, with blades/spikes and hooks.
Two handed, double edged, late medieval sword