ABSTRACT
Contemporary descriptions of armies always distinguish between cavalry, the knights and infantry. The equipment with which they fought was appropriately different, but the differences were not merely functional. All who came to war brought their own equipment: the rich, the proprietors and their immediate supporters, could afford the best weapons and defensive equipment. Some 14 types of sword have been distinguished in the period 1000–1300. All are, broadly, flat, light-cutting or hacking weapons with relatively blunt points. Infantry weapons became more specialized. At Bouvines, Philip of France was attacked by infantry with long lances and hooks to bring down riders. Overall, although there were no great changes, the quality and quantity of offensive weapons and defensive armour seems to have improved in the period 1000–1300. However, quite visibly, across Europe there was variation around certain basic patterns in weapons and armour.
