WEAPONS THAT MADE BRITAIN

PROGRAMME 1: THE SWORD

PROGRAMME AIMS

The programme should enable students to:

• Understand why swords were such important weapons in medieval warfare
• Be able to explain how swords were made
• Describe the structure and functions of different swords
• Summarise the events of one battle and the role played by the sword in the eventual outcome
• Appreciate the level of training, practice and skill that was needed to use a sword effectively in battle.

BACKGROUND

The sword is a deadly weapon that was used throughout the Middle Ages and was, in fact, standard army issue until the late 19th century. In the 1471 Battle of Barnet (during the War of the Roses), fighting eventually came down to the sword despite the availability of gunpowder by that time. Think of a sword and we think of popular Hollywood images of duels and swashbuckling soldiers, and yet this masks its viciousness in battle and the amount of skill and practice needed to use it effectively.

With reference to authentic medieval training manuals, Mike teaches 10 students how to weald a sword using the same techniques that would have been employed in medieval sword schools. We learn how the whole sword would have been used, and Mike demonstrates the challenge of sword fighting on horseback whilst wearing plate armour.

Mike visits the site of the Battle of Barnet to retrace the battle step-by-step and to explore the crucial role of the sword in deciding the outcome.

We learn how swords were manufactured by watching a modern-day swordsmith at work and hearing how technological advances led to improvements in strength. To get an idea of the sort of sword that might have been used at Barnet, we are given a rare glimpse of an amazingly well-preserved Italian sword from the 14th century.

During the medieval period, the sword went from an elite weapon for the wealthy few to being the universal weapon of all soldiers, used in the last resort when battles came down to hand-to-hand combat.