History Channel Documentary - Knights
WEAPONRY
Long Sword –
Blade heavy, length maintains distance
Lance –
12 feet in length, weight 10 pounds, made of
ash wood and a steel tip, takes years to learn
the lance efficiently on horseback
War Hammer
Flail
Bell Hook
Hand-and-a-half Sword –
Only about 2-4 pounds in weight, well
balanced, can go through a helmet and a skull,
knight’s weapon of choice, where the handle
meets the sword makes a cross (symbol of
Christian faith)
Long Bow
6-7 feet in length, would shoot at a 45 degree
angle, draw back 60-200 pounds, range 200400 yards, Created new arrows that could
piece the knight’s armor.
Armor
Body armor – ¼ inch thick and 50-75 pounds
in weight, Helmet ½ inch thick
Advantage – protects the knights from injury
Disadvantages – heavy, slows down
movement, hot and men could dehydrate, if
fell on their back very hard to get up.
KNIGHT LIFESTYLE
Training started at the age of 5
By 10 years old – training with sword
Practiced with wooden swords
By teenage years experts with a sword
Noble Knights code – Chivalry
Chivalry – a way of life, a code of justice,
loyalty, faith, and humility.
According to this code – only knights
could fight knights, if a knight
surrendered he would lift his sword or
gauntlet, after surrendered would be
traded for other knights
Tournaments – like war games, used to
train for battles
Melee – hand-to-hand combat
Joust – practice with lances on
horseback
(If knights lost a joust, could lose their
horse, weapons and armor)
100 years war – beginning battles had
strict rules of chivalry during battles as
the war goes on these battles become
more brutal
French Knights had the Cross Bow but an
Under Henry V Code of Chivalry shifts
English Low Bow Archer could shoot 7 arrows and changes – fighting to the death and
by the time the French Cross Bow archer shot not letting French Knight surrender
1 bolt.
IMPORTANT DATES
100 Years War – Middle Ages Europe
1413 Henry V becomes King of England and
changes the Code of Chivalry – fight to death
and use of archers.
August 1415 Henry V crosses the English
Channel
October 1415 – battle at Agincourt English
forces of 5,000 archers and 1,000 knights beat
the French forces of 20,000 knights. The use
of archers is a turning point
INTERESTING FACTS
 Hand-to-hand battles no rules
 During Henry V rule males 7 yrs.
and older practiced archery on
Sundays
 Archers used Staves to help
protect them
 Staves – 6ft by 6 inches, 15-20
pounds, place 3-4 feet apart at
45 degree angle …first line of
defense for the archers