The hilt could be crafted from wood or bone. The rondel gets its name from its rounded guard and pommel. Blades had sharp points and could be single or double-edged. Both men and women wore rondel daggers at their waist on girdles.īecause of the utilitarian design, common people used them for everyday tasks.īlades measured an average of 30 centimeters or more, with the total length of a rondel usually measuring around 50 centimeters. The stiff blade of the dagger made it ideal for everyday carry. Rondel daggers were first used in the 14th century. Dana Williams, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The round features of the rondel’s hilt contrast with the dagger’s sharply pointed blade. The overall design of the bollock dagger inspired the Scottish dirk of the early modern period.ĥ) Rondel A typical rondel dagger featuring the classic round guard and pommel. This style of dagger was commonly used by knights as a sidearm. The earliest date to the 13th century, but bollock daggers continued to be popular well into the 18th century. This dagger had one of the longest periods of use in Europe. The shapes of the bollock dagger vary to some degree, but all feature similar guards and inspiration. The shape of the guard suggests male anatomy, as do many of the overall hilts of these weapons. It doesn’t take many guesses to figure out how the bollock dagger gets its name. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons The hilt of this dagger is anatomical, to say the least. Falchion short swords had a reputation for being lower quality tools, and therefore few exist today.Ĥ) Bollock Dagger The bollock dagger gets its name from its suggestive design. While a handy weapon for soldiers, many falchions were actually used by peasants for everyday cutting tasks. The design of the falchion made it an excellent cutting and slashing weapon in battle. The medieval falchion was a short sword that reached peak popularity between the 13th and 16th centuries.įalchions are characterized by their curved and single-edged blades. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The weapon would enjoy centuries of popularity.ģ) Falchion The falchion short sword is characterized by its curved, single-edged blade. The first recorded use of the stiletto occurred in the 12th century. The dagger was therefore an important secondary weapon of knights in the High Middle Ages. Stilettos could easily poke through links of chain mail or the spaces between armor plates. The stiletto gets its name from the Latin word for “stake.” The shape of the stiletto dagger closely resembles that of a sharp stake and was used primarily for stabbing. Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Note the extremely sharp point of the blade and large cross guard. Most seaxes possessed hilts made of wood or iron.Ģ) Stiletto Illustration of a typical stiletto design. The “long seax” was indeed the longest variation of this sword and appeared in the 7th century. Seaxes varied greatly in size and design. The sword gets its name from the Old English word for “knife.” This could suggest everyday use, military use, or both. It could have been used for everyday tasks or for fighting on the battlefield. By the later centuries of its use, people groups of England and Ireland adopted the seax as a primary tool.Īrchaeologists and historians are unsure of the main purpose of the seax. Germanic tribes of the migration period and early Middle Ages forged and used the seax. The seax was a short sword used as early as 400 AD but peaking in popularity between 7. BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons This weapon was a favorite of Germanic tribes of the early Middle Ages. The following are eight daggers and short swords of the European Middle Ages.ġ) Seax Close up of etchings on a seax blade. While all daggers and short swords are by definition smaller than swords, several types of these weapons existed in the Middle Ages and are characterized by their blade and hilt designs. However, daggers and short swords were necessary side arms for use in close combat or unexpected situations. The medieval knight or foot soldier would have relied on a sword or other large weapon as their primary defense. Daggers and short swords are less popular but still important to consider when studying weaponry of the medieval period. The Middle Ages are associated with chivalric swords and a range of weapons for use on the battlefield.
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