What did people in medieval times do with hand weapons?
Almost all medieval weapons originated from agricultural tools. Carpenters had been using small axes for the rough shaping of timber for many hundreds of years; knives were used by butchers, skinners, fishmongers and parchment makers, while the “flail” was devised from the agricultural threshing flail which consisted of two wooden shafts joined together with leather straps. These were not themselves weapons – ordinary peasants were prohibited from carrying weapons, except those ordained by the king as part of the Assize of Arms (providing a militia force to defend towns and form part of the field army). The fact is that the majority of people in medieval times never owned any hand weapons, so they didn’t do anything with them. If they were part of the feudal levy, they owned a spear and were required by law to serve the king if called upon. If they were of the noble class they learned to use all kinds of weapons for warfare. The sword, together with spurs, was the symbol of knighthood.
