Henry Visits The Armoury Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mace

Maces were made for both infantry and cavalry, so the handles, usually made of wood and reinforced with metal, could vary in size. The head of the mace, typically larger than the shaft, was radically symmetric so that the user could deliver an equal blow from any side. They could not hope to penetrate a suit of armour unless the mace was flanged, but could inflict serious injury.

Answer: Morning Star

The Morning Star looks a lot like a mace, however, it has those nasty-looking spikes that a mace does not have. Some knights used a two-handed Morning Star that was on a pole as long a six feet. Several different versions of this weapon were made, including those finely crafted for knights by experts, and those made by peasants from wood, nails, and whatever they could afford.

Answer: Flail

Peasants would sometimes fight with an agricultural flail, which was used for threshing, if suddenly conscripted, involved in uprisings, or in need of a quick defense. Sometimes incorrectly called a mace, the difference of course is that a flail has the chain. There was a one-handed and two-handed version of the flail.

Answer: Horseman's Pick

The spike on the Horseman Pick could penetrate thick armour or chain mail, but the weapon was really heavy, so not for use by everyone. Also, the knight had to be careful because the pick was difficult to retrieve if it became embedded in armour (or the person)! It could be used as a throwing weapon if needed.

Answer: Longsword

Longswords have a cruciform hilt with enough space to fit two hands. Mainly used by the infantry, the longsword was valued for its killing capability, as it was used for thrusting, hewing, and slicing. A longsword is also commonly called a "hand-and-a-half sword", "greatsword", and "bastard sword".

Answer: Rondel

The rondel was an accessory worn by many knights; the long, slim, pointed blade was especially useful in puncturing chain mail, and stabbing the opponent through any chinks in the plate armour. It was also viewed as an important backup weapon and one of the last lines of defense of a knight engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Answer: Lance

The lance could be used as both a throwing and thrusting weapon. Usually military lances were used by cavalrymen who were galloping toward infantry or archers. Once cantled saddles and stirrups were invented, better control of the horse allowed for better use of the lance.

A lance is not a spear. It is typically longer, heavier, and without a spear tip. They did often have a vamplate, which kept the hand from sliding on the shaft during impact. Lancers usually carried other weapons, such as the mace or sword, with them.

Answer: Halberd

First called a "hellembart", the halberd was a multifunctional weapon. Also known as the voulge, the blades could be used for thrusting or slicing, and the hook, also known as the thorn, was used for grappling cavalrymen. Experts in the use of this weapons could kill their victim with a single stroke; historians suspect that this might be the weapon that killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth.

Answer: Corseque

The corseque was a type of pole weapon that had a three-bladed head, with one longer spike and two shorter, stronger ones. There are two variations of the weapons: on one the flukes, or wings, branch from the neck at forty-five degrees; the other has hooked blades that curve back toward the shaft.

Answer: Falchion

There are different versions of the falchion. Medieval designs varied quite a bit from place to place. The common feature is a single edge with a curve toward the point on the end. Many believe this type of sword was also handy as a tool between battles as they seem to have many different uses. Used by nobles and peasants alike, later versions of the weapon could be especially ornate!