Knights Of The Middle Ages Essay, Research Paper

Knights of the Middle Ages

Knights and foot soldiers had to be strong and good to handle the

weapons and armor of the Middle Ages. Bows and arrows and

long sticks with a blade on the end were the usual weapons of

peasants (foot soldiers.) Knights preferred lances and swords and

morning stars.

Riding at a full gallop on a hoarse in the battlefield, a knight

tried to knock his opponent to the ground with a 10-foot

metal-tipped pole (lance.) On his feet a knight used his sword

with a lot of strength and ability.

The whole entire sword formed to what looked like the shape of

a cross. Sparkling jewels sometimes decorated the handle as well

as the scabbard (case,) that protected the sword’s 3-foot steel, rock,

or metal blade. Most knights also carried a dagger, a morning

star-a club with a chain attached to a ball with sharp spikes-a

battle ax, and a large shield.

At first knights wore cone-shaped helmets. Later, helmets

had visors that covered the face completely so that they couldn t

get hit in the face when they were pulled off their horse. To be

recognized, knights wore special symbols, such as lions and

unicorns, on their armor and shields, they were called coat of

arms. They identified that knight with its colorful pattern or

picture. These designs became family symbols passed down from

generation to generation. They helped other knights know who to

fight against

The earliest armor was made of metal rings sewn on a leather

coat. Some coats had more than 200,000 metal rings. However, a

sword could still pierce the little tiny space between them. A later

type of armor, called “chain mail,” was made of overlapping loops

of iron chains. But it did not completely protect the knight, either.

He could still get deep wounds and broken bones.

Over time, knights began to cover different parts of their

bodies with solid plates of metal armor, even though it was very

uncomfortable. Slowly they added more and more solid plates to

different parts of the body. By the 1400s a knight wore a

60-pound suit of gleaming armor that covered him from head to

toe. Hinges and straps held the separate pieces, such as the

shoulder guards, breastplate, and leg plates, in place. Underneath

his armor the knight usually wore a knee-length shirt called a

“tunic,” made of linen or wool, and long stockings. Sometimes the

knights also wore chain mail underneath their suit, too.

A knight in full armor weighed so much, he had to be lifted

onto his horse. The knight’s horse also wore armor for protection

on top of his head and down his back. Horses used in battle were

specially bred to be large and sturdy.

It was hard to move wearing a suit of armor, and sometimes

it felt as hot as an oven inside. Thrown from his horse, a knight

might lie flat on the ground, helpless as a turtle on its back,

because of all of the heavy armor.