Weapons
Sword: The standard sword was entirely made of metal, with a hilt that allowed for two hands to grasp it at the same time, a hilt guard to protect one’s fingers from getting hit, and a double edged blade. While there are many variations of the sword throughout the years, we will be focusing on the most common sword for a knight, the broadsword, for this website This weapon was used for a knight as a symbol of status that they were of noble blood. The sword was the standard weapon for European battles perfectly balanced allowing either to deflect or attack an opponent. Unlike a samurai’s katana that focused on slashing or cutting, the knight’s sword focused on slamming or stabbing attacks to either shake up an opponent or to find a whole in their armor. The Long sword was the standard sword until armor was made ineffective by municipal weapons.
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Lance: Consisting of a wooden staff tipped with a metal tip at one end, an evolution of the spear, the lance is usually used on mounted horseback. A knight's lance would be tucked underneath the armpit while in a charge. The lance would also strike on the left side of the horse to help the knight to balance the impact and avoid falling off of his horse. Because of its length of ten to twelve feet (Bouchard, 92 - 93), the lance allowed a knight to strike an opponent on the ground before he had any time to react. However, since it was made of mainly wood, it was prone to shattering due to the force of the impact. The lance would then become unusable, forcing a knight to switch to his sword.
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Longbow: While not directly used by the knight’s the long bow was essential to the strategies of medieval Europe. We will be discussing the bow more in depth even though it was not employed by the knights in order to compare them to the samurai’s bow which was heavily emphasized in Japanese warfare. The Long bow was capable of firing up to fifteen shots a minute (Bouchard, 115) and was a military art mastered by medieval Britian. They were feared for their range and accuracy and heavily sought after in the late medieval period due to their difficulty to use effectively. Their draw weight was close to eighty pounds (the equivalent to taking a forty pound weight in each hand and then holding them up so your arms create a right angle for a minute per shot), which was the main reason they were so difficult to use. Because of their draw weight, they were more likely to pierce a knight's armor, which made them even more potent. Their weakness however was that the archers were placed on the front lines, which made them the first target of a cavalry charge if they broke through. It’s needless to say that a bowman had little to no defense in close quarters.
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Crossbow:
The crossbow is the equivalent of a bow. However, it does not have the restrictions and difficulties of drawing back and aiming a bow. Anyone with two arms could use this; though it was not nearly as fast and did not have the range of a bow. A solider would take a bolt and place it in its position, and then use the crank to pull back the bolt until it had been locked into place. This was a time consuming task and was only effective if one had a place to take cover while reloading (such as defending a castle). This weapon eventually grew in popularity until it was used by all, besides the British who still used the long bow, as the standard for non-siege weapon artillery. Some would even call this weapon the precursor to modern day municipal weapons with the idea of one loading and then pulling a trigger to fire.
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Other Weapons: While there are many other weapons that are either associated or used by knights, not all of them were used as prominently as the sword and the lance. Other such honorable mentions are spears, javelins, halberds, the poleax, the pike, axes, the club, the mace, and other blunt weapons such as the morning star. Some knights of some dynasties may have employed these weapons, but they were not essential or commonplace for all knights in history. However, these weapons were mainly used by infantry that supported the knights but were not generally used by the knights themselves.
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Armor
Knight’s armor was continuously changing over the 11th
all the way through the 16th century. Helmets, plate armor,
chainmail, leg armor, and gauntlets were constantly being reinvented, yet the
older styles were still being used throughout the medieval centuries. Both helmets
and body armor were talked about mostly throughout our research, and found to
be the most important pieces to the knight.
Helmets:
Starting in the 11th century, a variation of
basic conical helmets, both with and without nasal protection, are found. This
design was helpful in war. Originally, and not the best idea, helmets started
off as a flatter surface, absorbing heavy blows, but during this time, the “conical
shape of the helmet created a glancing surface to deflect heavy blows, rather
than absorbing them.” (Porter, 24)
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Great Helm:
Moving forward in time, the 12th and 13th
century was the time of the great helm. This helmet was barrel-shaped, and
entirely closed with a flat and later hemispherical top. It seems to be related
to the conical helmet in certain features. Some of the great helms would be the
same as a conical helm, with a visor attached to protect the eyes better. The addition
of a visor “shows importance of defense growing since the helmet now encloses
the face instead of and open face with just nasal protection” (Bardon, 20). The
great helm was not the greatest for defense, due to its “heavy sheets of metal
riveted together, so blows would not slide or glance off but rather catch on
the ridges” (Swietoslawski, 3). In addition to the poor structure that resulted
in heavy blows, the eye slits were extremely small, which resulted in “poor visibility and well as difficulty breathing” (Swietoslawski, 3). The great helm was predominantly
used for parades and tournaments in the 14th century as newer and
more improved helmets were developed (Swietoslawski, 3).
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Bascinet:
Another popular helmet used throughout the medieval period
was the bascinet. “At first, the visored bascient retained a rounded shape, but
soon the top was modified to become conical” (Porter, 25). This again was a
better defense in battle so blows would be deflected rather than absorbed. This
helmet was also the replacement of the great helm due to its size and weight. The
bascinet was a closer fitting helmet with some bascinets having movable visors.
The visor allowed the knight to see more clearly by moving it up and down, even
though the hinge was poorly made. Something different and unique about the
bascinet was the ability to wear a crown on the helmet, to distinguish the king
on the battlefield.
Sallet:
The sallet was an 'advanced' version of the bascinet. This
upgrade to the bascinet changed the chainmail neck protection to a plate neck
protector. The sallet still utilized the conic top in order to deflect blows.
Later on, the sallet had an advanced spring operated visor (Bardon, 21). This
upgrade was an easier hinge mechanism to allow the visor to be easily moved up
and down.
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Kettle Helmet:
Kettle helmet, also known as a pot helmet, was another
heavily used helmet. This helmet was being used at the start of the 12th
century, and modified slightly to keep it modern throughout the medieval period.
From 1180-1250 the kettle helmet was simplistic with just a conic plate top,
and a small chainmail neck piece. As time went on, the kettle helmet remained
popular throughout the medieval time period because it helped in siege warfare,
due to its deflective tops that allowed arrows to bounce off the tops (Porter,
26). In addition to being deflective, the kettle helm was also
popular for archers because it allowed them to see extremely well at all
times unlike the other helmets during the time.
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Neck Protection:
Neck protection was an important piece of armor from the
start as mentioned in the helmet section. There were different kinds of neck
protection depending on which helmet was used, or the time period you were in.
The earliest type of neck armor was the aventail. This was chain mail that was
mainly connected to the bascinet helmet, yet it is seen on others. As time
moved forward, and plate armor became more popular, the gorget was put into
place. This neck piece was similar to the aventail in many ways, it was just
was made with plate in replace of chain mail. Lastly, the bevor was introduced
when the sallet came into the picture. This neck piece was cup shaped to allow,
not only neck protection, but some face protection as well. Some bevors went as
high as the top lip.
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Body:
Body armor had a different progression than helmets did in the medieval time period. The main reason for this was because it was larger and harder to work in most cases. There were 3 main types of body armor used by the knight. At first only chainmail and padded garments were used, but later on scale armor developed and then plate armor developed from scale armor.
Chainmail: In the beginning, the most popular body armor
was the chainmail. Chainmail was “flexible enough for freedom of movement,” which is why it was popular (Porter, 19). In addition to its flexibility,
chainmail was also “effective against cuts with long side arms, like sabers and
swords, but easily torn by hard blows from throwing weapons (arrowheads/ spearheads)
and shafted weapons (spears/ lances)” (Swietoslawski, 2).
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Scale Armor:
Scale armor was extremely different from chainmail. Scale armor was comprised of overlapping, riveted plates on the upper body. The plates themselves were
attached to the cloth of leather garments to hold the armor together as one. This armor was
really good for “resisting blows, sword thrusts, and piercing arrows,” something the chainmail could not do (Porter, 20).
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Plate Armor:
In the 1400’s full suits of plate armor were created. A full
set of armor consisted of a helmet and neck piece, a body
plate of some kind, arm armor (usually with some sort of gauntlets or mittens),
lower leg, knee, thigh, and feet armor that were made with enclosed plates. This long laundry list of items was put
together to almost enclose a knight to have the most protection as possible.
Plate armor, unfortunately was not as common as chainmail because “plate was
more expensive” (Swietoslawski, 2).
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Padded Garments:
In the early 13 century, knights wore quilted tunics,
sometimes padded with wool, cotton, or rags. This was an early form of armor
that resisted stabbing and thrusting blows. These padded garments were later
replaced by chainmail, but the garments were “more comfortable than chainmail”
(Porter, 20). Another type of garment that was popular were surcoats. These were primarily
made from linen canvas or silk, and were used to protect from natural forces, like
rain and the sun’s heat. Surcoats were made to stop the chainmail from
rusting or wearing out the display of the coat of arms. Surcoats eventually
went “away after a black plate was put into place" (Porter, 22). During the
first half of the 14th century, the surcoat was shortened, then
replaced by the jupon. The jupon was a sleeveless outer garment that went from the neck to the upper leg.
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Shield:
Though we did not research much about shields, it was unique
to the knight. Originally the shield was a long triangle shape, made from
wooden boards covered in leather. As time moved forward, the shields became
larger and more popular to be 'worn,' carried by the shoulder instead of the
arm, rather than held. The shield allowed more protection for the knight,
but made it rather difficult to move around on the battlefield.
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Tactics
Medieval warfare was not a haphazard affair. Kings and princes employed strategic and tactical knowledge. They were expected to be knowledgeable in several subjects including law, theology, and military matters. Leaders learned tactics through the study of historical and contemporary military texts. An example is the fifth-century Roman military text Epitoma rei militaris written by Vegetius’ (Bachrach, 193). Above all medieval leaders understood that it was important for a force to be adaptable to changing battlefield conditions (Bachrach, 224).
Pitched Battles
Contrary to popular belief most warfare during the Middle Ages was conducted on a small scale. Although not common, large pitched battles did occur and commanders employed specific tactics (Bouchard, 113-116). Armies were divided into units comprised of foot soldiers, archers, and cavalry. These subdivisions were called battles (Bouchard, 117). Nobles commanded battles and the king commanded the entire army. The smaller units provided commanders with flexibility. Units could be deployed to different areas of the battlefield to engage an enemy from multiple angles.
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Knights made up the cavalry. Knights were an impressive offensive unit used to charge the enemy ranks. But knights were actually the least in number on the medieval battlefield. Foot soldiers outnumbered knights by as many as ten to one and provided very important defensive positions (Bouchard, 117). The primary strategy was to weaken the enemy’s defensive lines. Archers were deployed early in the battle for that purpose (Cushway, 90-91). Cavalry and foot soldiers would then exploit the breaks in formation attacking the enemy ground forces. The English in particular used the tactic of drawing their enemies into defensive positions. When this was done they used their archers to break them up and then the knights would finish the enemies off (Cushway, 90-91).
Siege Warfare
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Siege warfare is the most essential part of medieval military history. In order to gain control of a region and its resources armies had to first overcome its fortifications. Although modern depictions often involve a castle and moats these were only part of the reality. Forts, towns and walled cities all provided defensive obstacles for attackers (Bouchard, 118). Also, contrary to fictionalized accounts, actual sieges were long and complex.
Attackers built their own fortifications, camps, and complex weapons systems on location outside of the defending city. They used locally felled trees or wood harvested from their own transport ships to construct towers, ladders, rams, and catapults (Al-Qalanisi, web).
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Attacking and defending forces employed various tactics during a siege. Attackers called for their enemy’s surrender while preparing their blockade. Then they had several tactics at their disposal that they would use singularly or in any combination. These included: burning wooden walls and gates, storming the walls, shelling the besieged with projectiles, starving the population, and sapping a walls foundation (Bachrach, 125). Historians assert, heavily armored knights on horseback had at best a minor role in siege warfare (Bachrach, 126). In turn, defenders would strip the countryside of resources, raid enemy positions to steal their provisions, and set fire to their wooden contraptions. Archers would fire upon the attackers from defensive positions above (Bachrach, 125). |
Sieges were harsh for both sides. Along with the dangers of combat, lack of hygiene in the attacker’s camps lead to the spread of disease (Bouchard, 119). Because siege conditions were so long and difficult both sides often agreed upon a length of time for the siege. Negotiations that followed set rules were often used to end conflicts (Bouchard, 119). This 15th-century illustration by Jehan de Wavrin (right) depicts the siege of a town. Several weapons are evident including crossbows, longbows, and cannons. The image also illustrates the complexity of the attacker's camps (Bouchard, 118). |
References
Weapons:
Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Knights: In History and Legend. Buffalo: Firefly Publishing, 2009.
Armor:
Bardon, Jeffrey. "The Virtual Armory." Worcester Polytechnic Institute Electronic Projects Collection. Last modified June 25, 2013. http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-072413-160550/unrestricted/Project_Report.pdf
"Life of Bertrand Duguesclin in verse," c. 1400 (Yates Thompson MS 35). In Medieval Warfare in Manuscripts, by Pamela Porter, page 46. University of Toronto Press, 2000.
Porter, Pamela. Medieval Warfare in Manuscripts. University of Toronto Press, 2000.
Swietoslawski, Witold. "A Confrontation Between Two Worlds. The Arms And Armour of Central European And Mongol Forces In The First Half Of The Thirteenth Century." Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae, 2006, 59-66.
Tactics:
Al-Qalanisi, Ibn. The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and Translated From the Chronicle of Ibn Al-Qalanisi. Translated by H.A.R. Gibb. London: Luzac & Co., 1932. http://deremilitari.org/2013/12/the-siege-of-tyre-in-1111-12-according-to-the-chronicle-of-ibn-al-qalanisi/.
Bachrach, Bernard S. “Medieval Siege Warfare: A Reconnaissance.” The Journal of Military History 58, no. 1 (Jan., 1994): 119-133.
Bayeux Tapestry circa 1070. Panel 60-66. http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/Index.htm.
Bouchard, Constance B. Knights: In History and Legend. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2009.
Cushway, Graham. Edward III and the War at Sea: The English Navy, 1327-1377. Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2011.
deWayrin, Jehan. Illustration: Siege of a Town. Circa 15th century. In Constance B. Bouchard, Knights: In History and Legend. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2009. Page 118.
Additional References
Weapons:
Ayton, Andrew, and Sir Philip Preston. The Battle of Crecy 1346. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2005.
Featherstone, Donald. The Bowmen of England: The story of the English Bowmen. New York City: Clarkson N. Potter, 1968.
Gibbs-Smith, Charles H., ed. The Bayeux Tapestry. New York: Preager, 1909.
Harding, David, ed., Weapons an International Encyclopedia from 5000 BC to 2000 AD. New York City: St. Martin’s Press, 1980.
Peter, DMR. “The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and translated from the chronicle of Ibn Al-Qalanisi” De Re Militari. Translated by H.A.R. Gibb. WordPress. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://deremilitari.org/2013/12/the-siege-of-tyre-in-1111-12-according-to-the-chronicle-of-ibn-al-qalanisi/.
Ayton, Andrew, and Sir Philip Preston. The Battle of Crecy 1346. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2005.
Featherstone, Donald. The Bowmen of England: The story of the English Bowmen. New York City: Clarkson N. Potter, 1968.
Gibbs-Smith, Charles H., ed. The Bayeux Tapestry. New York: Preager, 1909.
Harding, David, ed., Weapons an International Encyclopedia from 5000 BC to 2000 AD. New York City: St. Martin’s Press, 1980.
Peter, DMR. “The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and translated from the chronicle of Ibn Al-Qalanisi” De Re Militari. Translated by H.A.R. Gibb. WordPress. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://deremilitari.org/2013/12/the-siege-of-tyre-in-1111-12-according-to-the-chronicle-of-ibn-al-qalanisi/.
Armor:
Windrow, Martin, ed. The Normans. Vol. 9 of Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1997.
Windrow, Martin, ed. The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400. Vol. 151 of Men-At-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1992.
Windrow, Martin, ed. The Normans. Vol. 9 of Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1997.
Windrow, Martin, ed. The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400. Vol. 151 of Men-At-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1992.
Tactics:
Bachrach, Bernard S. and David Bachrach. “Early Saxon Frontier Warefare: Henry I, Otto I, and Carolingian Military Institutions.” Journal of Medieval Military History X, (2012): 17-60.
Bachrach, David S. Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany. Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2012.
Lourie, Elena. “A Society Organized for War: Medieval Spain.” The Past and Present Society, no. 35 (1966) 54-76.
Wilson, David M. The Bayeux Tapestry: The Complete Tapestry In Color with Introduction, Description and Commentary by David M. Wilson. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1985.
Bachrach, Bernard S. and David Bachrach. “Early Saxon Frontier Warefare: Henry I, Otto I, and Carolingian Military Institutions.” Journal of Medieval Military History X, (2012): 17-60.
Bachrach, David S. Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany. Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2012.
Lourie, Elena. “A Society Organized for War: Medieval Spain.” The Past and Present Society, no. 35 (1966) 54-76.
Wilson, David M. The Bayeux Tapestry: The Complete Tapestry In Color with Introduction, Description and Commentary by David M. Wilson. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1985.
Image References
Header (left to right):
http://www.grahamhancock.com/news/index.php?search=The+Knights+Templar&submit=Search
http://www.medievalwarfare.info/reenactment.htm
http://www.medievalists.net/2011/07/16/the-charge-of-polish-knights-and-infantry-at-the-battle-of-grunwald/
http://www.grahamhancock.com/news/index.php?search=The+Knights+Templar&submit=Search
http://www.medievalwarfare.info/reenactment.htm
http://www.medievalists.net/2011/07/16/the-charge-of-polish-knights-and-infantry-at-the-battle-of-grunwald/
Weapons:
Knight with sword:
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/religiousobjects/knights
Clashing Lances:
http://deremilitari.org/2014/07/knightly-arms-plebian-arms/
Stretching Longbow:
http://philbancients.blogspot.com/2012/10/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html
Crossbow battle:
http://web.mit.edu/21h.416/www/militarytechnology/crossbow.html
Knight with sword:
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/religiousobjects/knights
Clashing Lances:
http://deremilitari.org/2014/07/knightly-arms-plebian-arms/
Stretching Longbow:
http://philbancients.blogspot.com/2012/10/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html
Crossbow battle:
http://web.mit.edu/21h.416/www/militarytechnology/crossbow.html
Crossbow and Axe head:
Pitts River Museum, University of Oxford, England. Taken on July 28, 2014. Courtesy of Anne H. Davis.
Pitts River Museum, University of Oxford, England. Taken on July 28, 2014. Courtesy of Anne H. Davis.
Armor:
Labelled plate armor:
http://rebloggy.com/post/art-fantasy-medieval-armor-reference-armour-plate-armour/19706245118
Great Helm:
http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/medieval-great-helm-helmets-3d-max/483414
Bascinet:
http://www.medievalarmour.com/p-15881-pig-face-bassinet-helmet.aspx
Labelled plate armor:
http://rebloggy.com/post/art-fantasy-medieval-armor-reference-armour-plate-armour/19706245118
Great Helm:
http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/medieval-great-helm-helmets-3d-max/483414
Bascinet:
http://www.medievalarmour.com/p-15881-pig-face-bassinet-helmet.aspx
Crown bascinet:
Windrow: The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400, plate C.
Sallet:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAMQjxw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgalleryhip.com%2Fsallet-helmet.html&ei=nQyFVKD_CtSlyASoy4HQBA&bvm=bv.80642063,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNFwQJs8X_GfWTDA-KodZpZvGWJs3Q&ust=1418092038454739
Gorget:
http://home.messiah.edu/~gdaub/armor/picgloss.htm
Bevor:
http://www.avalonsibyl.com/2256-medieval-bevor-bevors.html
Chainmail:
http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/slavic/chainmail.html
Scale armor:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAMQjxw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscallagrims.com%2Farmory%2Farmor%2Fscale-armor-ontsifor-xiv-century&ei=aRCFVOW1I5eoyATQ3IDIDg&bvm=bv.80642063,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNFDct-3mfXfqDrxqs2tAQl6zhT3VA&ust=1418093008050178
Plate armor:
http://dons.academic.wlu.edu/medieval-warfare-in-don-quijote/
Surcoat:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONHEART-King-Richard-MEDIEVAL-KNIGHT-TUNIC-SURCOAT-/280641396985
Kite shield:
http://www.outfit4events.com/czk/product/582-kite-shield-with-boss/
Windrow: The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400, plate C.
Sallet:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAMQjxw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgalleryhip.com%2Fsallet-helmet.html&ei=nQyFVKD_CtSlyASoy4HQBA&bvm=bv.80642063,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNFwQJs8X_GfWTDA-KodZpZvGWJs3Q&ust=1418092038454739
Gorget:
http://home.messiah.edu/~gdaub/armor/picgloss.htm
Bevor:
http://www.avalonsibyl.com/2256-medieval-bevor-bevors.html
Chainmail:
http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/slavic/chainmail.html
Scale armor:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAMQjxw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscallagrims.com%2Farmory%2Farmor%2Fscale-armor-ontsifor-xiv-century&ei=aRCFVOW1I5eoyATQ3IDIDg&bvm=bv.80642063,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNFDct-3mfXfqDrxqs2tAQl6zhT3VA&ust=1418093008050178
Plate armor:
http://dons.academic.wlu.edu/medieval-warfare-in-don-quijote/
Surcoat:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONHEART-King-Richard-MEDIEVAL-KNIGHT-TUNIC-SURCOAT-/280641396985
Kite shield:
http://www.outfit4events.com/czk/product/582-kite-shield-with-boss/
Tactics:
Joseph Koch, medieval battle
http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/art/294404
Lego Siege
http://classic-castle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=280
Alfredo Roque Gameiro, Siege of Lisbon
http://www.medievalists.net/2011/12/05/christian-society-on-the-second-crusade-religious-practices-in-the-de-expugnatione-lyxbonensi/siege_of_lisbon_by_roque_gameiro/
Joseph Koch, medieval battle
http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/art/294404
Lego Siege
http://classic-castle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=280
Alfredo Roque Gameiro, Siege of Lisbon
http://www.medievalists.net/2011/12/05/christian-society-on-the-second-crusade-religious-practices-in-the-de-expugnatione-lyxbonensi/siege_of_lisbon_by_roque_gameiro/