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Medieval Amor and Weapons Using the Knight to Cyborg Theme to track changes in social meaning and material culture
Key Questions • What is the logic behind our knight to cyborg theme? • What is the nature of the human-technology relationship? • How do we track changes in culture and technology?
Hybridity & Comparative Analysis • The knight to cyborg theme uses the idea of the hybrid as a basis for comparison
The human relationship with technology • One of the major themes in this course has been our focus on how humans respond to a changing environment and shifting social context
The human relationship with technology • Our problem-solving imaginations and tool making capacities have enabled our survival and enriched our lives
The human relationship with technology • The historical development of civilizations and military systems demonstrate the importance of balancing technology with human values
The feudal knight • The idea of a similarity between knights and cyborgs, and/or the historical progression from one to the other, gives us a filter for exploring certain aspects of history – how the things we make line up with the ideas and beliefs that are important to us.
The feudal knight • One aspect highlighted by our Knight to Cyborg filter is the medieval relationship between technological, political and religious change
The feudal knight • The place of the feudal knight in society and in storytelling changes over time alongside the ways he fights, the weapons he uses and the armor he wears
Over the duration of medieval period • Armor changed, evolved and improved ... This changing and evolving between weapons and armor comprised what could be called an arms race - weapons would improve then armor would improve then weapons had to improve and so on.
Medieval warfare was violent, frightening and constantly changing. • Warfare in the middle ages changed from fighting pitched battles to castle siege warfare, which led to the adoption of massive siege engines and finally to canons and ever bigger fortresses.
Foot soldiers increased in importance as weapons changed • The hand weapons used by foot soldiers moved from the short bow and arrow, to the crossbow, to the Longbow and finally to the musket.
The Ancient world had its Siege Engines & Tools • Torsion powered Ballistae predated Rome and were probably the product of Ancient Greek military mechanics. • The onager, also Torsion powered, was a precursor of medieval catapults and mangonels ... • The Romans also used Siege towers & Battering rams
The Medieval Era built upon the past and had its unique tools and technologies
The trebuchet • a type of catapult that uses a swinging arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder.
There are two main types of trebuchets. • The first is the traction trebuchet, or mangonel, which uses manpower to swing the arm. Appearing first in the 4th century BCE in China it was carried west by the Avars & later adopted by the Byzantines in the late 6th century CE
counterpoise trebuchet • The later often larger counterpoise trebuchet, uses a counterweight to swing the arm. It appeared in both Christian and Muslim lands around the Mediterranean in the 12th century making its way back to China via Mongol conquests in the 13th century.
Halberd • a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th, 15th & 16th centuries. The word halberd is from the German word Hellebarde, deriving from Middle High German halm (handle) and barte (battleaxe) to create helmbarte. Troops that used the weapon are called halberdiers.
A hauberk is a shirt of chain mail. • The term is usually used to describe a shirt reaching at least to mid-thigh and including sleeves. Haubergeon generally refers to a smaller version of the hauberk, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Italian Hauberk from the late 15th century
The longsword • Also called war swords or battle swords, traditional longswords featured simple, cruciform hilts and straight, double-edged blades. • served as an important weapon in both the medieval & Renaissance periods
The longsword • notable for its sharp taper and fine point that allowed the blade to pierce or slip through gaps in armor. Medieval sword pulled from a Polish bog - Archaeologists believe the well-preserved 600-year-old weapon likely belonged to a knight.
To Half-sword • they employed a technique called “half-swording” which was practiced from the 14th- to 16th-century - the term is a translation of the original German Halbschwert. • With the advent of plate armor, swordsmen had less need to carry a shield for protection, instead using their off hand to hold a shield
To Half-sword • to half-sword is the technique of gripping the central part of the sword blade with the left hand in order to execute more forceful thrusts against armored and unarmored opponents. • Knights also developed the tactic of repeatedly striking opponents with the pommel, leading to the phrase, “To pummel someone”
The Mace • is a blunt weapon, a type of club or virge that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful strikes. A mace typically consists of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal shaft, often reinforced with metal, featuring a head made of stone, bone, copper, bronze, iron, or steel.
The morning star • spiked ball & chain mounted on a shaft, resembling a mace, was used by both infantry & cavalry; a horseman's weapon had a shorter shaft
The feudal knight • The idea of a similarity between knights and cyborgs, and/or the historical progression from one to the other, gives us a filter for exploring certain aspects of history • One aspect highlighted by our Knight to Cyborg filter is the medieval relationship between technological, political and religious change • The place of the feudal knight in society and in storytelling changes over time alongside the ways he fights, the weapons he uses and the armor he wears
Key Questions • What kinds of issues does the knight to cyborg theme help us to explore? • What does the development of the medieval knight and weaponry tell us about the human-technology relationship? • Identify changes in medieval chivalry as expressed in stories and in the uses of technology.
