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Everyone loves castles and chateaux. Castles
combine the romance of the age of chivalry
with the fascination of medieval
warfare. Along with churches they are almost the only surviving
physical reminders of the Middle Ages. Here you learn everything
about them including how
they were built and what life
was like living in them. You can learn about different
types of Castle, and their dependent lands (castle
demesnes), about living
in a castle, and special types of castle including Crusader
Castles, Cathar
Castles, Children's
Castles, Haunted
Castles, Famous
Castles and Manor
Houses. You can also learn about medieval
war, medieval
sieges,
medieval armour and how medieval
warfare was affected by the Crusades.
You can also learn about
medieval life including
medieval torture and torture devices, and also heraldry
- another living vestige of the Medieval period.
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Preparations
for Medieval Battle
Medieval
Pitched Battles
Medieval
Fortifications
Medieval
Siege Warfare
Medieval
Water Supplies
Medieval
Supplies and Logistics
Medieval
Weapons & Armour
Medieval
Weapons Technology
Medieval
Communications
Medieval
Military Organisation
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The crusades were a series of military expeditions promoted by
the papacy during the Middle Ages, initially aimed at taking the
Holy Land for Christendom. The concept of a crusade had been developed
in the eleventh century partially as a result of organised Christian
forces fighting Muslims in Sicily and Spain. The Holy Land had been
in the hands of the Muslims since 638, and it was against them that
the crusades were, at least nominally, directed. Expansionism along
with desire for adventure, conquest and plunder seem to have been
influential.
The main crusades spanned more than two centuries (1096-1300).
These extended military raids were to some extent changes that had
taken place outside Europe, most notably the expansion of Islam.
Christian holy wars such as these bear a resemblance to the Moslem
practice of the jihad, which by then had become a
very successful Islamic institution. By translating the notion of
a "holy warrior" into Christian terms, Medieval popes created crusaders,
"knights of Christ." and new religious orders composed of fighting
monks most notably the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar.
More ....
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Bladed
Hand Weapons: Swords:
Arming
Swords, Broad
Swords, Falchions,
Long
Swords. Daggers
& Knives: Anelaces,
Stilettos,
Poingnards,
Rondels
Blunt
Hand Weapons: Clubs
and Maces, Morningstars.
Holy
Water Sprinklers, Flails,
War
Hammers, Horsemen's
Picks
Polearms:
Quarterstaves,
Spears,
Winged
Spears, Lances,
Pikes,
Corseques,
Fauchards,
Glaives,
Guisarmes,
Halberds,
Danish
Axes, Sparths,
Bardiches,
Pollaxes,
Mauls,
Becs
de Corbin
Ranged
Weapons.: Franciscas,
Javelins,
Bows,
Longbows, Crossbows,
Arbalests,
Guns,
Hand
Cannons , Arquebuses
Artillery:
Pierriers - Stone throwers, Traction
Trebuchets, Counterweight
Trebuchets, Onagers
and Mangonels, Ballistas
and Springalds
Artillery
Cannons, Bombards,
Petards
Other
Siege Weapons
Armour:
Chain
Mail, Plate
Armour
Horses
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