Norman weapons and armor at the Battle of Hastings
The fighting of the 11th century was difficult and bloody. The Normans were one of the most combat-ready armies in Europe at that time. It was a motley fighting team. When analyzing weapons the author relied on images of the Normans on the Bayeux Tapestry, various essays and analyzes by historians.
The Battle of Hastings on the Bayeux Tapestry
Chain mail
Norman warriors wore hauberk - knee-length chain mail with elbow-length sleeves. There was a slit at the bottom of the sides, which made it easier to ride. The base of the chain mail shirt is fabric or leather, which was strengthened by metal rings, plates, and chains. Sometimes the protection was made from cow horns. The chain mail, thanks to its flexibility, did not hinder movement, gave the warrior freedom of action, and at the same time protected him well.
Norman army infantryman
If you look at the Bayeux Tapestry, you can see that some soldiers have chain mail with a hood, while others have it to protect their legs. For convenience, it was worn on some item of clothing, because wearing metal rings on a bare head or skin is inconvenient.
The hauberk weighs approximately 5 kg, and the Normans did not always wear it under armor, the total weight of which could reach over 30 kg. Every extra kilogram takes a lot of energy, especially in a long battle, which was the Battle of Hastings. Sometimes chain mail was worn directly during or before battle. If we look into the Chronicles of Battelle Abbey, which stands on the site of the death of King Harold Godwinson, William's opponent, we will see that the latter stopped his army just a few kilometers in front of the Saxons so that they would put on armor. During the march, the soldiers did not put on full ammunition.
There is even an anecdote from that time that we can read in the chronicles of William of Poitiers, the chaplain of William the Conqueror. We know much about the Battle of Hastings from the reports of this priest.
So, here’s an anecdote from the end of the 25th century. William landed on the English coast near the town of Pevensey and went with XNUMX soldiers to comb the area. The chain mail was so heavy that one of the Normans got tired, and William himself carried it on the way back.
Shield
The shield was usually used to cover the left side of the body. Riders wore it on the hand holding the reins. By the time of the Battle of Hastings, the Normans had been using the teardrop shield for about a hundred years. It protected more of the body than the classic round shield.
Most shields of that time were made of wood, covered with leather and edged with metal. Various patterns and emblems were depicted on the front. The shield was attached to the arm with several straps and weighed several kilograms.
Helmet
Norman helmets were usually conical in shape with caps to protect the nose. Some helmets were made from a single sheet of metal, others from several parts. Some helmets had laces that were tied under the chin. Noble warriors have helmets decorated with precious stones and patterns.
Norman helmet
A spear
The spear was the main weapon of cavalry and infantry in the army of William the Conqueror.
The handle is wooden, usually made of ash. Iron leaf-shaped tip. A small crossbar was usually attached under it, which did not allow the weapon to go deep into the body, in order to quickly pull it out.
The spears of infantry and cavalry differ in that the former have a thicker and heavier shaft.
Norman cavalry
The cavalry spear is called a "lance". When folded, it crossed over the horse's neck from right to left for balance. The tip always faced to the left, because the opponents approached each other from the left side.
Although they were protected by shields, they did not always help against spears. Kaleria, like the infantry, often threw spears. Lightweight lances were more suitable for this. Next to the troops there were always convoys with replacement spears.
To protect themselves from cavalry, the Norman infantry formed a fence of spears. The shafts rested on the ground, and the tips were pointed forward.
In combat, the lance was usually raised above the head and struck from above. This tactic worked against infantry and cavalry.
Sword
Norman aristocrats preferred swords. Although some of the cavalry also had a sword with them in a wooden scabbard. But the horsemen used it only after they lost or broke the spear.
The sword was the most revered weapon of the Middle Ages. It is shrouded in religious mysticism; the veneration of the sword permeates the literature of the Vikings and Saxons.
Firstly, a sword is a more valuable and reliable weapon than a spear, which often breaks. The Normans passed on swords from generation to generation and gave the weapons names.
The sword easily pierced the helmet along with the chainmail hood and skull. The Normans' sword had a double-edged blade about a meter long. Towards the end it narrowed. Fuller - a rounded notch in the center of the blade, it made the blade lighter without reducing its strength.
The hand was protected by a metal bar on the handle. Its tip was usually dome-shaped or disk-shaped. The hilt of the sword was sometimes decorated to make the weapon stand out from the rest. Although its purpose is to be a counterweight to the blade.
Crossbow and bow
The 4th and 10th centuries were the time when the crossbow gradually replaced the bow and arrows. It had a wooden stock with a locking and releasing mechanism. Crossbow bolts pierced the strongest armor of the Saxons. Crossbows weighed from XNUMX to XNUMX kg, depending on the type - light and heavy.
Bows and arrows in William's army still remained the main small arms. Archers played an important role in the Battle of Hastings. They helped keep the Saxons at a distance and shot at their positions. If you look at the Bayeux Tapestry, you can see depicted infantry archers with quivers, which they threw over their shoulders or hung from their belts.
In the Norman army, the bow was used by horsemen chasing the fleeing Saxons. Subsequently, the Normans used this weapon as infantry, and the cavalry gradually began to move away from it.
The size of the bow of that time is not known for certain. We cannot understand its parameters from the drawings, and more accurate data has not been preserved anywhere.
Ax
The Normans used not only swords and spears, but also axes as edged weapons. The favorite weapon of their ancestors, the Vikings, did not gain much popularity among the Normans, but their opponents, the Saxons, used axes more often.
The wounds from this weapon are the most serious compared to other types. In addition, it is the cheapest and easiest to use.
The shapes of axes are varied. But the most common is the Danish ax. The shaft is just over a meter, the ax up to 40 cm.
Throwing axes, which the Vikings loved so much, were almost never used in the army of William the Conqueror.
Danish ax
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