The Anglo-Saxon Period: Weapons and Warriors Essay

The swords of the Roman Legionaries were different to many people at the time. This figure shows a sword, or _gladius_, found by archaeologists. Though the hilt, guard and pommel have rotted away - showing that they were probably made primarily from wood - the tang and

Beowulf demonstrated another important Anglo-Saxon characteristic, bravery, when he fought the dragon. Beowulf knew he was old when he decided to face the dragon but did not back down from the fight at hand. He decided to stand and fight the dragon instead of running even when he knew he could not defeat the beast by himself. Like the true hero he was

The Rapier was the sword of choice during the Elizabethan Era. It is a 42 inch sword that has a 1 inch tip. This sword mostly weighed between 2 and 3 pounds so it was light and versatile. The Rapiers tend to have a stylish and royal appeal to them with the designs that encompass the handle. A fair portion of these swords were used for fencing more than a fighting weapon. Some Rapiers had a “cutless” edge which means that they wouldn’t cut the person they were fencing against. They would typically come with a

Another example of weapons in Beowulf references to arms and armor, very accurate to the Anglo-Saxons’ traditional shields and weapons. “Then Hrothgar's thane leaped onto his horse and, brandishing a spear, galloped down to the shore; there, he asked at once: 'Warriors! Who are you, in your coats of mail, who have steered your tall ship over the sea-lanes to these shores? .... Never have warriors, carrying their shields, come to this country in a more open manner. Nor were you assured of my leader's approval, my kinsmen's consent. I've never set eyes on a more noble man, a warrior in armour, than one among your band; he's no mere retainer, so ennobled by his weapons.’... The boar crest, brightly gleaming, stood over their helmets: superbly tempered, plated with glowing gold, it guarded the lives of those grim warriors. ... Their byrnies were gleaming, the strong links of shining chain-mail chinked together. When the sea-stained travelers had reached the hall itself in their fearsome armour, they placed their broad shields (worked so skillfully) against Heorot's wall. Then they sat on a bench; the brave men's armour sang. The seafarer's gear stood all together, a grey tipped forest of ash spears; that armed troop was well equipped with weapons. .... in common we all share sword, helmet, byrnie, the trappings of war.” (Levick, 1)

During the Middle Ages, or also known as the Medieval Ages, change was a major part of that period. Europe was watching war become much different. In the older times, a few thousands of troops were considered a large army. Nowadays, nobody has ever seen such size of an army with such variety in weapons including guns, munitions, and artillery that were all developed during that period. Besides, it was obvious that the face of warfare was changing by the end of the fifteenth century. Two of the most significant developments were the maintaining of a fair amount of troops on a permanent basis at the ready, and the rising need of gunpowder weapons and munitions. In essence The Middle

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero because of many reasons, the first being because he had bravery and courage. “Have watched me rise from the darkness of war. Dripping with my enemy’s blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all that raced from the earth, I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean and killing them one by one.” (247-254). This quote shows that Beowulf had bravery and courage because he went up against all of these monsters that could have killed him very easily. Which is what heroes do, they fight monsters and creatures that can easily kill average people. Another quote that shows how Beowulf had the characteristics of bravery and courage is, “If weapons were useless he'd use his hands. The strength in his fingers." (506-507). This quote shows how he had the courage to depend on his superhuman strength to kill any monster that could not be defeated by weapons. One more quote that shows Beowulf’s courage is, “He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone's answer...For hours he sank through the waves.” (467-469). This quote shows that Beowulf had courage because he leapt into a lake not knowing what was waiting below the surface.

Anglo-Saxons refers to settlers from the German regions that migrated to Britain during the fall of the Roman Empire. In the story Beowulf, his actions portray him, indeed be an epic hero. Both Christianity and Paganism are both portrayed throughout the epic Beowulf. Beowulf frequently speaks of God throughout the story, while there are also many Pagan elements that are evident throughout the story as well. In addition, "It 's hard to ignore the Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf. These types of elements are what define the heroic warrior in the epic Beowulf"(Vengeance the Pagan and Christian Inspiration). Throughout the epic Beowulf, while the Anglo-Saxons followed Christianity, they had a hard time letting go of the Pagan beliefs when things got hard.

It is said in “Beowulf” that old tongues poke and prod youngsters to wars with incendiary comments like, “ That sword, that previous old blade over there, I think you know it friend. Your father carried it, fought with it the time he could swing a sword; The Danes killed him -and many

The spear was the most common weapon of choice and could be used as a missile or used in hand-to-hand combat. The sword was not a common weapon used at all because it was very expensive to produce. The sword was usually given to a great warrior who has demonstrated courageous acts in battle. All warriors had a shield that was made of wood and usually lined together by metal. A seaxe was a single bladed knife that was carried on the belt on the warrior and was used more as a tool than an actual weapon (Beowulf 112-113).

In the Medieval times a sword was a knight’s most important weapons. The fact was found on this website: http://medievalweaponsrds.weebly.com/fun-facts.html. In Medieval times, the armor would vary with leather, chain mail, and plate armor, all coming as technology advanced and blacksmith’s skill increased. Over the Medieval period, weapons were advancing and the elegant rapier began to be obsolete as the musket became popular. A battle was brewing during these times with Queen Elizabeth just trying to survive the war and King Phillip trying to take over England. The advancement of armor, that was made different throughout the Middle Ages, and having a variety of weapons gave England an advantage against the Spanish in Battle.

The axes were made from ground igneous, which are rocks crystallized by molten magma. Most arrowheads and knives were made of flaked flint. Medicine shields were sacred because it reflected the power of the warrior and was meant to give him spiritual protection. The war shield was made out of hide from the neck of a buffalo, which was smoked with glue made from bison hoofs. The war clubs were wooden and had knife blades protruding out of them.

As the old king Beowulf goes to battle with the dragon, he says, “Nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth” (From Beowulf 44). Anglo-Saxons valued their warriors enough to send them into battle, even as old men, to protect them, and the warriors felt such a sense of obligation to their people that they returned to battle time and time again. The Sutton Hoo Helmet, a very crucial discovery in the Anglo-Saxon culture, was found “in the grave of a warrior chieftain…. Over 4000 garnets, red precious stones, were used in objects at Sutton Hoo…. Alongside it was a vast array of weaponry and a 27-metre long ship” (Sutton Hoo Helmet). Craftsmen dedicated and made helmets specifically for warrior protection, meaning Anglo-Saxons valued their warriors and wanted to keep them alive. They also revered their warriors so much that the dead were given elaborate burials to commemorate their life and legacy. Warriors were not only rewarded with glory, but also with wealth and prosperity in their old age and

Warriors are considered among the bravest of men. In the Anglo-Saxon community, the warriors were of the most respected class, and made up the foundation for their way of living. Anglo-Saxon warriors would not stop fighting until either they were victorious or they were dead. Written during this Anglo-Saxon period, the epic Beowulf contains many pagan ideals, in addition to several references to Christian philosophy. Beowulf is a tale of dual ordeals; an external fight against treacherous enemies, and an internal struggle with human tendencies of pride, greed, cowardice, and betrayal. The story intertwines them with both pagan and Christian beliefs.

The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony that had moved over to Britain. They had conquered the Jutes and Frisians from Denmark. In the time period where the Anglo-Saxon’s were living and thriving (410-660 A.D.), glory was one of the more important points of their beliefs. They wanted glory for their king, glory for their warrior tribe, glory for themselves, and finally, glory for their ancestors. Glory was the thread that kept the Anglo-Saxon culture, the warrior clans, and epic heroes, such as Beowulf himself, truly glorious.

Handheld weapons represented a large portion of the weapons used during 16th Century warfare (Iannuzzo). Most commonly used was the sword. Throughout the middles ages, metals were developed to withstand more abuse and thus became more effective (Iannuzzo). The metals now had to strong enough to pierce through the newly developed armor of the time (Revell, "Armour"). The use of carbonized iron, which was heated, beaten, and cut the process repeated many times over to form a solid and durable and lighter than previous swords. The double edge sword was far superior in strength and sharpness of the other swords of the time (Grolier). The 16th century also brought forth the use of flamberge sword that had an undulating cutting edge, that was believed to be able to easily pierce the armor, but was too awkward for battle and was eventually abandoned. By this time the Great sword, sometimes over six feet in length, were being deployed. This sword was deadly only because of the pure size of it. The great swords required enormous strength just to hold and even more to be effective. Eventually the great sword became too awkward to use in battle just as the flamberge. These two inferior swords took a back seat to the smaller and more agile estoc sword. The estoc had a