Mounted combat, 14th-15th century. Experimental reconstruction.
Part 1.
1-4 May 2014 in Belgorod (Russia) a seminar on medieval combat took place. This year we had some new participants, reconstruction clubs “Citadel” (Woronezh), “The weekend fencing school” (Tula), “St. Dmitry of Solunj club” and “The Moscow jousting club” (Moscow). “The Keepers” club from Belgorod was the host of the event.
Form of the event and its participants.
The purpose of this event was to study the techniques of the Middle Age Western European swordplay manuals (Fechtbuch) in Lichtenauer tradition. The styles were: swordplay without body armor, swordplay with body armor, mounted combat and 3 weapon (sword, daga blade and javelin) fighting style.
For each style we had a practical demonstration of the fighting techniques by competent participants, who also taught those techniques to all who volunteered.
Unique experiments.
Many interesting experiments were arranged as a part of this seminar. For example, we studied the piercing capacity of Medieval weaponry - missile, bladed and polearms. As an (unlucky) subject of the test we used half of a pig carcass, armored in padded Akerton (jack) and studded mail.
Some experiments were decisively unique, at least in Russia, such as disarming of a lance-wielding horseman, who on full gallop assaulted an unarmed opponent.
Or the clash or heavily armed riders with massive tourneur, Kronel-edged lances, without any separating barrier.
We offer now the results of our experiments.
1. This experiment is aimed at evaluating the protective capacities of certain armor sets (in as-real-combat-as-it-goes), as well as the combat effectiveness of warriors and their mounts, based on original Fechtbuchs and other sources.
Equipment of warriors and mounts.
As we add a video file to the description, following explanation is necessary.
Horseman to the left is equipped ca. 1340 AD style, horseman to the right represents the year 1440.
The rider-1340 shows us the heavy combat equipment typical for the regions of the Holy Roman Empire in the first half of the 14th century. He wears a mail armor, Lendner, cuir bouilli leather arms-and-legs protection, plate and leather Kuiss with faceted iron knee protection, plate sabbaton and gloves, and a bascinet helmet with aventail, plus a heavy Kübelhelm.
The 1440-horseman represents a typical Imperial armor of the Western Germany a century later, Kastenbrust style, which was known for its long plate armor ”skirt” and multiple webbing, which also served to imitate the latest hit in civil mode of the time. Unfortunately, we have only fragmented artifacts of this plate armor styles, and those which are known are of a later period, but multiple pictorial evidence of the Northern Renaissance, as well as tombstone statues, still allow us to reconstruct it with a fair amount of details.
While doing the reconstruction, we also used some ideas about the rider’s modus operandi at the moment of lance impact. For example, with this armor a certain saddle type - we call it Tyrol type due to the origin of the majority of the existing artifacts - is needed.
Both our riders use these saddles, which were most popular exactly in the period between 1340 and 1440. The idea was that a long plate-armor ”skirt”, being half-closed and pressed against horn and cantle, was to keep the riders armor a bit up, and in this way would serve as a sort of carriage spring, blunting the impact of the strikes.
Both horsemen also carry knights Targe shields, made from wooded planks and covered by leather and cloth, decorated with loom-woven pictures, and pinewood lances, 3,5 м. long, with steel crown-shaped tips. The cross-section of the lances was thinner at the tip and a bit thicker at the hand-grip.
Horse barding was light, the only pieces being Chafron head protection.
Impact.
Both riders rushed forward on command, being initially separated by some 40 м.
The mount of the 1440-horseman was beginning to “cross the path”, as it was called in the manuals, it was moving forward and to the left - which was rather risky, due to the danger of the horsemen colliding. To avoid the danger, the 1340-horseman was forced to go for a ramming attack.
In only 2 seconds between the charge was sounded and the lance impact both horsemen were able to take the proper “attacking” positions, although they were unable to prevent their mounts to run into one another - without any lasting damage. The 1340-rider was hit in the upper right part of the helmet above the eye-slit, the strike deflected to the left. With the same strike the horseman 1440 deflected upwards his opponents lance, aimed at the center line of his helmet- just as proposed by Paul Kall.
The lance just tore off helmet decoration. As the mounts collided, both horsemen also collided - with the remains of their broken lances. The 1340-horseman kept the lance across his body and took a sharp turn left, loosing his Kübelhelm in the process. The helmet was thrown aside and struck the visor of the 1440-rider, who swayed in the saddle.
Both horsemen made a turn, recovering from the impact of their mounts and trying to gain an advantage in further combat, behind and to the left from the opponent.
Such a result was fairy typical for combat as well as tourneur situations. To support our point, we quote several sources:
Froissart wrote a rather detailed report of what happened 1390 in the fields between Calais and St. Engelbert abbey. Just a short quote:
«Busiko refused the forth ride, so the count sent out to touch the shield of Seigneur Sent-Pi. The latter was not in the habit to refuse a challenge, and left his tent, and mounted, and took his Targe shield and his lance. And as the count considered himself ready, and being eager for the duel, he spurred his horse with vigor, and Seigneur Sent-Pi did the same. Lowering their lances, they took aim. Their horses collided, but both warriors still shattered their lances ».
Antoine de la Sal in his chronicle “Little Jean de Sintre”, written in 1456, describes very much the same:
«On the tenth ride as they clashed, it happened so, that they crossed their lances, and their mounts colliding into one another, although both knights did their best to prevent it, tightening the reins, which were made of cords and decorated with red cloth. So it happened, that the horse of Sir Ankerran fell to the ground, and Sentrés horse broke the front leg, so he jumped up and went to his tent for a fresh mount».
In Mai 1446 in Arras Oliver de la Marsh saw the most remarkable tourneur fight between the Castilian knight Galeotto de Baltazen and the captain of Burgundian bodyguards, knight of the Golden Fleece Filippe de Ternan. In his memoirs he wrote:
«The day to end the competition between Galeotto und Ternan was Monday 2 of Mai 1446, so was decided by the goodly Duke. Some time after noon the duke and his courtiers took their places, and eight guards entered the arena, mounted on the best horses to be found in the duke’s stables, each of the guards holding a sturdy white staff in his hand. The first to enter the arena, in full battle array, was Ternan. It was only natural that he and his mount were decorated most magnificent, from head to toe, the mane and tail of the horse having golden threads interwoven into the hair. Ternan bowed towards the duke and took his place. And there was Galeotto de Baltazen, on a powerful war mount covered with ox leather barding. Huge steel spikes covered the head and chest plates of the horse armor. The overseer of the tournament, noticing the spikes, asked the duke for intervention, who, as a realms lord, sent his main herald to inform Galeotto that no such weaponry was to be tolerated in the dukedom. Galeotto made the most suave excuses possible, and the offending spikes were removed. He saluted the duke and took his place facing Ternan. The overseer presented the lances and swords, provided by the challenger, so that Galleotto could choose. The choice was made, the horns sounded, and the fight began. Both knights charged each other, holding their lances tight. Ternans sword was on his belt, as proper, but Galeotto had already drawn his blade, holding it in his left hand, together with the reins. The way both knights charged each other made it clear, that Ternan was going to strike his opponent down with his lance, while Galeotto, sitting firm in his saddle, was counting on the impact of his horse - where the above-mentioned spikes would have been of much service to him. Both warriors collided with the clash most terrifying to hear, and Ternans mount reeled back».
Body armor under dynamic pressure.
Reconstructing armor set, which was to become the 1440-horseman armor, we suggested, that the long plate-armor ”skirt”, being half-closed and pressed against horn and cantle, was to keep the riders armor a bit up, and in this way would serve as a sort of carriage spring, blunting the impact of the strikes. The idea proved itself during the test splendidly. The back part of the “skirt”, so-called “clawfish tail”, bends itself to the inside by horizontal impact, and thus transfers the vector of the strike from vertical to horizontal. That means the pressure from the impact is redirected from the lumbar spine downwards, towards the saddle. Italian armor sets and manger-type saddle tended to put a critical amount of pressure on the sacrum.
Reconstructing the “1340” armor set we suggested, that the Kürbelhelm should (in case of a direct hit) be blown clear from the head, as it was mentioned in Mediaeval pictures and texts.
When the helmet is being torn from the head, this takes away some 90% of the strikes energy, and the form of the helmet itself saves the neck from breaking. When the rider is hit in the face, the helmet is being thrown (to the side, not upwards, as we thought), giving the bearer fair chances for survival even in such a critical situation (as it was proved in the test the previous year).
This time we made our choice for a compact position (a hole in the shield keeping the lance fixed, thus preventing it from hitting stability points) and for streamlined helmets, and it worked fairly good. We could also prove the idea, that (even more than the lance) the horse, its strength and stamina, and the crash angle are very important in deciding the outcome of the fight.
Conclusion
For several years the research group “The Keepers”, together with the colleagues from Moscow and Woronezh, arrange the “Medieval culture festival”. One of the goals of the event was to help the enthusiastic researches from various cities to cooperate in common experiments and tests, which help in deep, correct and logically understanding of many aspects of Medieval culture, reconstructing something of it - for example, some techniques of the Medieval warfare.
Just imagine it - an armed horseman jumping over the rank of shield bearers. Or assaults a footmen unit, targeting with a sharp lance to skewer a mannequin in the middle of the unit. Or, as above mentioned, the lance-armed horsemen clashing without a separating barrier.
This year we also arranged a test, how an unarmed footman should defend himself it attacked by a lance-wielding rider, and went on by our experiments on the knight’s tactics. This time we have removed the barrier and the guide ways, and both opponents were targeting the helmets of each other. We also reconstructed the collision of the horses - which was a fairly common Medieval trick.
I must also say that, due to the good training of men and horses, long and detailed calculations and much planning and discussing, the test did not caused any damage, neither to the participants, nor for the beasts.
Our experiments help in understanding the logic and the reason of many Medieval tactics.
Participating in the experiment were:
Roman Maximow and Wjacheslaw Podzolkow («The Keepers», Belgorod) - 2013
Roman Maximow («The Keepers», Belgorod), and Denis Lazarew “The Moscow jousting club” (Moscow) - 2014.
1-4 May 2014 in Belgorod (Russia) a seminar on medieval combat took place. This year we had some new participants, reconstruction clubs “Citadel” (Woronezh), “The weekend fencing school” (Tula), “St. Dmitry of Solunj club” and “The Moscow jousting club” (Moscow). “The Keepers” club from Belgorod was the host of the event.
Form of the event and its participants.
The purpose of this event was to study the techniques of the Middle Age Western European swordplay manuals (Fechtbuch) in Lichtenauer tradition. The styles were: swordplay without body armor, swordplay with body armor, mounted combat and 3 weapon (sword, daga blade and javelin) fighting style.
For each style we had a practical demonstration of the fighting techniques by competent participants, who also taught those techniques to all who volunteered.
Unique experiments.
Many interesting experiments were arranged as a part of this seminar. For example, we studied the piercing capacity of Medieval weaponry - missile, bladed and polearms. As an (unlucky) subject of the test we used half of a pig carcass, armored in padded Akerton (jack) and studded mail.
Some experiments were decisively unique, at least in Russia, such as disarming of a lance-wielding horseman, who on full gallop assaulted an unarmed opponent.
Click to viewOr the clash or heavily armed riders with massive tourneur, Kronel-edged lances, without any separating barrier.
We offer now the results of our experiments.
1. This experiment is aimed at evaluating the protective capacities of certain armor sets (in as-real-combat-as-it-goes), as well as the combat effectiveness of warriors and their mounts, based on original Fechtbuchs and other sources.
Equipment of warriors and mounts.
As we add a video file to the description, following explanation is necessary.
Horseman to the left is equipped ca. 1340 AD style, horseman to the right represents the year 1440.
The rider-1340 shows us the heavy combat equipment typical for the regions of the Holy Roman Empire in the first half of the 14th century. He wears a mail armor, Lendner, cuir bouilli leather arms-and-legs protection, plate and leather Kuiss with faceted iron knee protection, plate sabbaton and gloves, and a bascinet helmet with aventail, plus a heavy Kübelhelm.
The 1440-horseman represents a typical Imperial armor of the Western Germany a century later, Kastenbrust style, which was known for its long plate armor ”skirt” and multiple webbing, which also served to imitate the latest hit in civil mode of the time. Unfortunately, we have only fragmented artifacts of this plate armor styles, and those which are known are of a later period, but multiple pictorial evidence of the Northern Renaissance, as well as tombstone statues, still allow us to reconstruct it with a fair amount of details.
While doing the reconstruction, we also used some ideas about the rider’s modus operandi at the moment of lance impact. For example, with this armor a certain saddle type - we call it Tyrol type due to the origin of the majority of the existing artifacts - is needed.
Both our riders use these saddles, which were most popular exactly in the period between 1340 and 1440. The idea was that a long plate-armor ”skirt”, being half-closed and pressed against horn and cantle, was to keep the riders armor a bit up, and in this way would serve as a sort of carriage spring, blunting the impact of the strikes.
Both horsemen also carry knights Targe shields, made from wooded planks and covered by leather and cloth, decorated with loom-woven pictures, and pinewood lances, 3,5 м. long, with steel crown-shaped tips. The cross-section of the lances was thinner at the tip and a bit thicker at the hand-grip.
Horse barding was light, the only pieces being Chafron head protection.
Impact.
Both riders rushed forward on command, being initially separated by some 40 м.
The mount of the 1440-horseman was beginning to “cross the path”, as it was called in the manuals, it was moving forward and to the left - which was rather risky, due to the danger of the horsemen colliding. To avoid the danger, the 1340-horseman was forced to go for a ramming attack.
In only 2 seconds between the charge was sounded and the lance impact both horsemen were able to take the proper “attacking” positions, although they were unable to prevent their mounts to run into one another - without any lasting damage. The 1340-rider was hit in the upper right part of the helmet above the eye-slit, the strike deflected to the left. With the same strike the horseman 1440 deflected upwards his opponents lance, aimed at the center line of his helmet- just as proposed by Paul Kall.
The lance just tore off helmet decoration. As the mounts collided, both horsemen also collided - with the remains of their broken lances. The 1340-horseman kept the lance across his body and took a sharp turn left, loosing his Kübelhelm in the process. The helmet was thrown aside and struck the visor of the 1440-rider, who swayed in the saddle.
Both horsemen made a turn, recovering from the impact of their mounts and trying to gain an advantage in further combat, behind and to the left from the opponent.
Such a result was fairy typical for combat as well as tourneur situations. To support our point, we quote several sources:
Froissart wrote a rather detailed report of what happened 1390 in the fields between Calais and St. Engelbert abbey. Just a short quote:
«Busiko refused the forth ride, so the count sent out to touch the shield of Seigneur Sent-Pi. The latter was not in the habit to refuse a challenge, and left his tent, and mounted, and took his Targe shield and his lance. And as the count considered himself ready, and being eager for the duel, he spurred his horse with vigor, and Seigneur Sent-Pi did the same. Lowering their lances, they took aim. Their horses collided, but both warriors still shattered their lances ».
Antoine de la Sal in his chronicle “Little Jean de Sintre”, written in 1456, describes very much the same:
«On the tenth ride as they clashed, it happened so, that they crossed their lances, and their mounts colliding into one another, although both knights did their best to prevent it, tightening the reins, which were made of cords and decorated with red cloth. So it happened, that the horse of Sir Ankerran fell to the ground, and Sentrés horse broke the front leg, so he jumped up and went to his tent for a fresh mount».
In Mai 1446 in Arras Oliver de la Marsh saw the most remarkable tourneur fight between the Castilian knight Galeotto de Baltazen and the captain of Burgundian bodyguards, knight of the Golden Fleece Filippe de Ternan. In his memoirs he wrote:
«The day to end the competition between Galeotto und Ternan was Monday 2 of Mai 1446, so was decided by the goodly Duke. Some time after noon the duke and his courtiers took their places, and eight guards entered the arena, mounted on the best horses to be found in the duke’s stables, each of the guards holding a sturdy white staff in his hand. The first to enter the arena, in full battle array, was Ternan. It was only natural that he and his mount were decorated most magnificent, from head to toe, the mane and tail of the horse having golden threads interwoven into the hair. Ternan bowed towards the duke and took his place. And there was Galeotto de Baltazen, on a powerful war mount covered with ox leather barding. Huge steel spikes covered the head and chest plates of the horse armor. The overseer of the tournament, noticing the spikes, asked the duke for intervention, who, as a realms lord, sent his main herald to inform Galeotto that no such weaponry was to be tolerated in the dukedom. Galeotto made the most suave excuses possible, and the offending spikes were removed. He saluted the duke and took his place facing Ternan. The overseer presented the lances and swords, provided by the challenger, so that Galleotto could choose. The choice was made, the horns sounded, and the fight began. Both knights charged each other, holding their lances tight. Ternans sword was on his belt, as proper, but Galeotto had already drawn his blade, holding it in his left hand, together with the reins. The way both knights charged each other made it clear, that Ternan was going to strike his opponent down with his lance, while Galeotto, sitting firm in his saddle, was counting on the impact of his horse - where the above-mentioned spikes would have been of much service to him. Both warriors collided with the clash most terrifying to hear, and Ternans mount reeled back».
Body armor under dynamic pressure.
Reconstructing armor set, which was to become the 1440-horseman armor, we suggested, that the long plate-armor ”skirt”, being half-closed and pressed against horn and cantle, was to keep the riders armor a bit up, and in this way would serve as a sort of carriage spring, blunting the impact of the strikes. The idea proved itself during the test splendidly. The back part of the “skirt”, so-called “clawfish tail”, bends itself to the inside by horizontal impact, and thus transfers the vector of the strike from vertical to horizontal. That means the pressure from the impact is redirected from the lumbar spine downwards, towards the saddle. Italian armor sets and manger-type saddle tended to put a critical amount of pressure on the sacrum.
Reconstructing the “1340” armor set we suggested, that the Kürbelhelm should (in case of a direct hit) be blown clear from the head, as it was mentioned in Mediaeval pictures and texts.
When the helmet is being torn from the head, this takes away some 90% of the strikes energy, and the form of the helmet itself saves the neck from breaking. When the rider is hit in the face, the helmet is being thrown (to the side, not upwards, as we thought), giving the bearer fair chances for survival even in such a critical situation (as it was proved in the test the previous year).
This time we made our choice for a compact position (a hole in the shield keeping the lance fixed, thus preventing it from hitting stability points) and for streamlined helmets, and it worked fairly good. We could also prove the idea, that (even more than the lance) the horse, its strength and stamina, and the crash angle are very important in deciding the outcome of the fight.
Conclusion
For several years the research group “The Keepers”, together with the colleagues from Moscow and Woronezh, arrange the “Medieval culture festival”. One of the goals of the event was to help the enthusiastic researches from various cities to cooperate in common experiments and tests, which help in deep, correct and logically understanding of many aspects of Medieval culture, reconstructing something of it - for example, some techniques of the Medieval warfare.
Just imagine it - an armed horseman jumping over the rank of shield bearers. Or assaults a footmen unit, targeting with a sharp lance to skewer a mannequin in the middle of the unit. Or, as above mentioned, the lance-armed horsemen clashing without a separating barrier.
This year we also arranged a test, how an unarmed footman should defend himself it attacked by a lance-wielding rider, and went on by our experiments on the knight’s tactics. This time we have removed the barrier and the guide ways, and both opponents were targeting the helmets of each other. We also reconstructed the collision of the horses - which was a fairly common Medieval trick.
I must also say that, due to the good training of men and horses, long and detailed calculations and much planning and discussing, the test did not caused any damage, neither to the participants, nor for the beasts.
Our experiments help in understanding the logic and the reason of many Medieval tactics.
Participating in the experiment were:
Roman Maximow and Wjacheslaw Podzolkow («The Keepers», Belgorod) - 2013
Roman Maximow («The Keepers», Belgorod), and Denis Lazarew “The Moscow jousting club” (Moscow) - 2014.