ABSTRACT
Although medieval battles were neither frequent nor decisive, they remain of great interest to military historians. And why shouldn’t they? Thousands of men fighting, willing to die for their crown, land, natural resources, power, families or livelihoods: advancing, retreating, attacking, striking, fleeing, pursuing, fearing, exalting, rejoicing, mourning. These were soldiers of all ranks and classes slashing and stabbing with swords, daggers, staff weapons, maces, axes, hammers, spears, lances or any number of other weapons. Some were trying to kill, others trying only to knock their enemy senseless, especially if he was worth something in ransom; others just fought to stay alive one more day. Most would live, some by skill and some by luck. Archers, crossbowmen, longbowmen and later handgunners filled the air with projectiles, a few finding elusive gaps in their opponents’ armor, some killing horses, but most ricocheting off armor or falling harmlessly onto the ground. Feet and hooves churned up agricultural lands; some were recently plowed, dense and rich earth, while others were dry and sandy; all would soon become wet and muddy, blood mixing with sweat and sometimes rain, leading to far too many chroniclers’ descriptions not to be taken seriously: the topos “blood ran to their ankles.”
