Top 10 Weird Medieval Weapons

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Wow, leveling up the sponsorship game

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@@spiffyracc Anything is better than Raid: Shadow Legends.

[@TertiaryBrewing]

On a video that focuses on trial by combat I'm not sure a free trial is that attractive

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Two thumbs up for the less predatory business model of your new sponsors

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I'm really glad that you decided to drop the Raid sponsorship. Great courses is a legitimately good service that is actually in line with your brand rather than a cynical attempt to wring money out of 13 year olds.

[@Harradrush]

As a self-proclaimed expert an face shields, I can tell you they were primarily designed to fight giant snails and rabbits riding said snails. That's because snails have innate fear of normal-sized humans, so when you fight a giant snail you can use a giant face on a shield to make yourself look bigger to spook the vile beast.

[@randledewees4405]

Simple logic

[@MWhaleK]

LOL!! Makes sense.

[@philvalz]

Not featured, but also in the manuscript: the giant war snail.

[@baconsarny-geddon8298]

Those old manuscript artists really loved their giant snails, and their rabbits, huh?

[@MegaKnight2012]

Is that like the French village-destroying, kaiju-snail?

[@MegaKnight2012]

It's really funny how France had several daikaiju like creatures that would fit perfectly in Japanese giant-monster films, like the giant snail, the Tarasque, and the gargoyle that could flood areas with water from it's mouth

[@Gashren]

@@MegaKnight2012 - I do believe it was just fanart for third part of theatrical act (unfortunately, most often omitted in history sources): French Wars III: Revenge of the Snails

[@mateoocampo3165]

From what I understand, the snail was symbolic of the Lombard family.....

[@tommysedin]

A duel between a guy in a pit with a club versus a woman with a rock in a sock, is one of those wonderful historical things that could never make it into a movie that's trying to be historically accurate, because... what the hell?

[@Anto_Skum]

I mean, if it does make it to a film then you've got yourself a natural underdog for the story.

[@pattheplanter]

@@Anto_Skum The weird white onesies with a red cross are sure to be less baggy in the film.

[@effigytormented]

@@pattheplanter Ah that suit is greased and traditionally you are sewn into it so you can't hide weapons on you.

[@effigytormented]

@@GuitarsRockForever they actually recreated this scenario for medieval fight book. You should check it out.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

The whole point of the judicial duel having special rules was to design the rules so that mismatched combatants would be on roughly equal terms. The pit is to negate the height advantage of a man versus a woman, and also so he can't just ignore the weapons, bumrush her, and wrestle. Presumably the sock versus club was because the judges figured the pit was too big a disadvantage and tried to compensate by giving him a superior weapon.

[@CollinMcLean]

I'm starting to think the people who officiated judicial duels did these things just to mess with people Officiator:"Ok so the man gets a 7 foot spear but he has to hop on one foot the entire time and the woman gets this sock filled with rocks and another sock filled with stale bread. Now fight!" The Duke watching from the sideline:"How is this supposed to settle their custody dispute?" Officiator:"It's not, I was just bored"

[@AndreasSweden]

Hilarious. But i think your on to something. I mean if you think about whats leading up to a judicial duel between a husband and a wife, it must be a strain on all the family and neighbors, with all the screaming and drama. Letting them fight it out in a public physical way and get some pain and blodshead just might create some peace and resolve the conflict. Plus it must be quite entertaining.

[@autolykos9822]

One design consideration of a judicial system is to make it really annoying and inconvenient to use, so people settle minor stuff by themselves. This one seems to fit the bill - that kind of fight looks like it has only losers.

[@iapetusmccool]

@@autolykos9822 the equivilent of going on Jeremy Kyle.

[@johnladuke6475]

@@autolykos9822 That's how I look at this judicial duel. I mean, are you really so mad at your wife that you'll dig a waist-deep hole to fight from, carve a special club, and try to break her legs? While she tries to brain you with a rock? Maybe it would be easier to just talk it over and find a compromise.

[@maddie9602]

@@AndreasSweden You know, I hadn't thought of it, but that does seem like a reasonable explanation for judicial duels: even if you win, it's probably going to suck, so people are strongly encouraged to talk it out, rather than bothering the court for every dispute.

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

I like the editing here, with that background manuscript

[@bassemb]

Twentieth century: Couples therapy. Medieval period: Rock in a sock.

[@vast634]

Probably less stressful than modern lawyers and disputes at court.

[@johnladuke6475]

"Are you really mad enough at her to dig a waist-deep hole to fight from?"

[@julietfischer5056]

@@johnladuke6475 - The hole was probably dug by someone else but the principle still stands. Also, the prospect likely kept numerous cases from becoming that rancorous: "Do I want my head caved in over who gets the dog?"

[@BrennanYoung]

1970s: Soap on a Rope (and MDMA)

[@tlsgrz6194]

My guess is, that the notches on the cleavers are bottle openers.

[@pattheplanter]

What you can't see is that the handles of some Central European examples contain a screwdriver, scissors and a corkscrew.

[@mattc4013]

So we've found a predecessor to the Galil?

[@Dr_V]

Bottle crown-caps are a relatively modern thing (invented in 1892).

[@alinalexandru2466]

@@Dr_V r/wooosh

[@davidjelescu7694]

@@mattc4013 You sir, know your stuff!

[@nicolaiveliki1409]

Face on shield: because the rule of cool is not a modern invention

[@nielsegense]

100% this!

[@Harrowed2TheMind]

A shield wall running towards you is already a sight to behold. Now, imagine a wall of coloured monstrous and/or grotesque faces running towards you, a superstitious and comparatively ill-equipped levied farmboy. What is your reaction?

[@nicolaiveliki1409]

@@Harrowed2TheMind any well armed warrior will make an ill-equipped, superstitious farmboy run for his life ;-)

[@benjaminolson7206]

Remember that there wasn't just battlefields. Rule 1 of tournaments: look cool.

[@Dr_V]

Back notched cleavers were general home tools, butcher cleavers had straight spines or a protruding back curved hook for skinning. The notch had a sharp concave edge and was used for cutting wicker strands, reeds and various rope-like fibers used in weaving and binding. That's because tough fibrous materials tend to slide along the edge of a blade, making the work quite dangerous with a straight or convex blade. It's like adding a pruning knife (which was the other option for this kind of job) on the back of your cleaver, making it a more versatile tool.

[@N20Joe]

The one picture shows a guy whittling a stick or something so that makes sense.

[@Dr_V]

@@N20Joe I've seen such antique tools, not medieval but well over 100 years old, they didn't change much in shape and function and people still use them in some rural areas. They're the European equivalent of a machete or a kukri, but in some ways even more versatile.

[@toddellner5283]

I have machetes and a side-splitter that were designed to be sharpened many, many times. They start off looking weird, but after a while they look like regular machetes or butchering tools because of the metal removed by sharpening at the distal end. I wonder if some of the medieval versions were designed with that in mind. A bigger investment in the initial tool, but you end up saving money over its lifetime

[@kevingray4980]

I was going to say this. It could also be handy for scraping tool handles or fence posts.

[@RaumBances]

Given no sword, a conscripted butcher wouldn't think twice about taking a tool he already knows how to handle and has full confidence in it's ability to rend flesh.

[@RickardLejonhjarta]

"Your massive brains are no match for our puny weapons!" "Run! Hes got a board with a nail in it!"

[@aggroalex5470]

In prison one weapon is a sock containing padlocks. Being armed with it is referred to as "socked and locked". It's brutal.

[@GallowglassAxe]

So back in the early 2000's when carrying chains was the trend for teenagers I use to have my wallet on one end and a padlock on the other. It was a pretty a pretty vicious weapon.

[@DavidB5501]

I've heard of a bar of soap in a sock being used in prisons, which I wouldn't have thought would be very effective. Also billiard or pool balls. And in a film called The Grifters, I remember a sock filled with oranges being used to give someone bruises. Maybe they just invented that for the film.

[@Anto_Skum]

@@DavidB5501 Soap is socks is a military thing, too. A Sock as a makeshift bludgeon is age old, and has to be where "socked" for getting hit came from.

[@aggroalex5470]

@@DavidB5501 In higher security areas of prisons where there aren't any lockers it was sharpened toothbrush handles/any metal scavenged.

[@deniskozlowski9370]

Motor cycle gangs often used padlocks wrapped in s bandana stuffed into a back pocket as a weapon of choice.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

18:00 Those gigantic darts were also used in the Balkans, by Ottoman Deli cavalry. Paintings showing the Battle of Vienna 1683 show them armed with such darts. So it seems they remained in use even up to the late XVII century.

[@BigWillyG1000]

Amazing the continuity from Antiquity to the Early Modern Period in those regions with javelins. Peltast javelin throwers were common in Ancient Greece and Thrace, North Africa was famous for mounted javelin armed like cavalry by the Punic Wars, Iberia was famous for both foot and mounted javelin troops by Roman times at the latest. The only potential outlier is Ireland but we know very little about their warfare until Medieval times.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

​@@ZS-ns6fh They are called dziryt in Polish as they saw some use in Poland as well.

[@torbenjohansen6955]

number 10 was used in denmark as a wapon for the town guards that patroled the streets at night the first where created around 1683 in Copenhagen. but soon spread to every town having a night watch guard they where all desolved in 1863. so it was in use a long time after the medieval times as a police wapon.

[@brittakriep2938]

For a long time german nightwatchmen had halberds or ,partisanes', but with shorter poles than war version. After 1918 there had been still some nightwatchmen up to 1930s, but they had in 1920s pistols or batons. The nightwatchmen you can see today are just , show' for tourists. Seems to be the same in Scandinavia.

[@Yora21]

Important thing about the flail pictures: They are all two-handed and they don't have a chain.

[@IsaacKuo]

The Iberian manguals had chains, but I think that was after the Medieval period. Still two handed, but very different proportions and use (shorter handle and longer chains, used like a two handed sword). kzbin.info/www/bejne/hV6mfKltqc-rhck

[@CollinMcLean]

What about the one at 3:41?

[@IsaacKuo]

@@CollinMcLean Ah, good catch! Yeah, like agricultural flails there might be a very short chain, but still with a longer rod or bat-like weight. I don't know when/where/how the mangual style flail came about (longer chains tipped with small weights, and a shorter handle).

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

*Most of them were two-handed *They often had chains

[@Yora21]

@@kamilszadkowski8864 I've never heard of any known authentic "spiky balls on a long chain with a short handle" that weren't 19th century props.

[@boxy2k8]

Matt just hit us with a classic Great Courses Plus sponsorship with a Lindybeige, "more on that later". Or close enough anyway. Glorious!

[@hubert_c]

But we didn't get to see the lecturer's scholar's cradle

[@LuxisAlukard]

@@hubert_c Maybe Lindy have a patent on talking about Scholars cradle?

[@peterholden2016]

Has Matt stolen Lloyd's sponsor?

[@johnladuke6475]

@@peterholden2016 It's the sign of a quality educational YT channel, they score Audible and Great Courses Plus as sponsors.

[@Lillythu]

"But before, I want to mention that this video is kindly sponsored by..." *Raid, Shadow Legends theme starts to play in my mind * "...Great Courses Plus!" My reaction was like, "Dah Hell? The Flash is messing up the timelines...again?!?"

[@VikingTeddy]

I'm so happy Matt got rid of them (I hope). Great courses is a respectable sponsor. I'm just a bit disappointed he didn't rate any scholars cradles.

[@Lillythu]

@@VikingTeddy Don't create too high expectations, the latest video from the channel is already sponsored by Raid again! But I wrote the previous comment just for the joke, I think it's great that Raid continues to sponsor, as not many brands would offer support to this KZbin community. We must not forget that sponsorship may be the only way for the channel to remain active ...

[@hamishdrake6166]

6:41 I think we don't see them now days on butchers cleaver, because the carcass comes ready cleaned. You still se then on the back of hunting knives, called a gut hook.

[@CollinMcLean]

My thought was that the notches were supposed to shave some of the weight off to make it less blade heavy and more sword like in balance.

[@remiscott9843]

More for thatch

[@toddellner5283]

The "gut hook" is for opening up the belly without puncturing the guts and for some fine work in the skinning. It really shouldn't be very big

[@EldarKinSlayer]

For the cleaver check out the clog or sabot makers knife, the hook on the back of the tip hooks into a staple on the clog makers benck and acts as a damned powerful shear.

[@donsample1002]

Anyone who's read their Pratchett knows about a half brick in a sock.

[@Texmexium2099]

Came to say that. Glad it was already here. :)

[@bubbagump2341]

The preferred weapon of the lower classes of Ankh-Morpork!

[@charles2703]

The Patrician’s choice was a sharpened coins in a hat band

[@bubbagump2341]

@@charles2703 That is because he had Assassins' Guild training!

[@iapetusmccool]

Kills people but leaves buildings standing.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Love the way you explain how a top ten works before getting into it!

[@Entiox]

A role playing game I ran years ago was set in a city similar to Ankh-Morpork from the Discworld series. The players were members of the city watch and quickly learned to fear the half brick in a sock.

[@dld6959]

This video is a certified context classic.

[@CuriousQuasit]

There's an interesting comparison to be made between the face shield and the elaborate masks you see in some Japanese armour. Both go well beyond the practical needs of shields and face armour respectively - for psychological reasons, presumably? Hell, you could probably do an entire video on that sort of thing.

[@NagaDarmag]

The face shield might have a small extra bonus by drawing the opponents attention to the shield and therefore away from your weapon. We are after all more or less biologically hardwired to se and pay attention to faces.

[@scratchy996]

@ET Hardcorgamer It's weird how cultural norms change people's perception about what looks scary or not. Nowadays those masks look goofy instead of scary. And I bet they weren't scary for the samurai either, as they got used to seeing them all day long. What I would use : a shield with "Yo mama" jokes on it, that would mess with the opponent's mind.

[@jasonadams1632]

Mine would have multiple inscriptions depicting acts my opponents mother had committed as well as smelling of elderberries.🤪

[@ftdefiance1]

In the 1980's a rock in the sock was taught as a sentry elimination tool. Basically a large sap. This was demonstrated to us at Ft.Knox

[@AnimeSunglasses]

I think I recall reading about that method in a history of the OSS & SOE in WWII as well...

[@Shrapnel82]

They should have used trained bovids to guard Ft. Knox. Nothing blocks nocks by rocks in socks like a Knox ox.

[@matthewlawrenson7508]

Rocks my socks

[@ShagadelicBY]

Ah, yes! The war of the giant killer snails. Tragic bit of history that. 19:15

[@farflownfalcon1076]

Surely deserving of it's own special episode?

[@MasoTrumoi]

The first longsword I bought was actually a replica the previous owner modified into an Armoured Fighting Longsword! The pommel was already angular and mace-like, and the quillons were filed down into spikes. My HEMA schooled teased me when I brought it in because the weight distribution was further down the blade, and one made the joke it was easier to use for a mordhau. I only realized later that that was probably the point of the distribution lol

[@jakubp.6987]

OK, from Czech viewpoint, numbers 10 and 9 was (and probably still are) teached at elementary school during history class about hussit wars. As examples of improvised types of weapons coming from agriculture tools.

[@ZinbaForLife]

For us Chinese, we have sheilds that had faces of animals(mainly tigers) on our sheilds, this is begin as an attempt to invoke fear into the opponets back in the Shang Dynasty (if you're a warrior seeing that sheild approaching you, there's a big change you'll mistakenly identify it with a real tiger, and these cats are scary as hell.) Then it became more of a heritigial trend rather than what it was before, though the supposed effect is still in place.

[@cristian_m_ciarlo]

What a great idea for solving marital argues ! We should take it back !

[@kronos1794]

Faces on shields are indeed a strange thing. Even Aegis had Medusa's face on it in Greek mythology. Maybe the idea is that as you're closing in your victim is asking "why is his shield making that face?!"

[@vedymin1]

I'd say that it was an attempt to harness that creature's ability to petrify the enemy with its visage, if not by any real magical properties, then by the symbolism of it, cause a fearful reaction in the target and even a moment of indecision could count.

[@kronos1794]

@@vedymin1 What if it's because a knight comissioned his own face on his shield but either the artist wasn't very good or by the time he pulled it out for battle the paint had run.

[@JayChampagne]

I'd try to commission a really comical expression on the face. Think, "65% sure I crapped my pants at a fancy party". I'd keep the shield covered with a cloth until I needed it, then strike amid the confusion.

[@KageNoTora74]

A variation of the rock in a sock is the monkey fist, a length of rope that is knotted at one end with or without a stone or metal sphere at the core of the knot. Monkey fists have also been used at sea to cast lines between vessels.

[@davecarlson1918]

The mid-shipman's "short starter" to convince a hapless sailor to go up the main mast in a storm or some similarly dangerous task...

[@bbrake]

The face shields strike me as awesome in 2 ways: 1) making a shield fancier to show off wealth... You don't want to be the minor noble caught carrying a silly old plain flat shield do you? And 2) freaking dudes the fuck out. Make it a scary face, or tailor it to folkloric sinister figures of your enemies! Ever see those riot police with the Mickey Mouse helmets? Freaky, man...

[@charlesdexterward7781]

@1:23 when everyone in the party has taken a different weapon proficiency.

[@EntropicEcho]

The cleaver shown is an Italian weapon called a Beidana or Beidane, it's indeed, as far as we know, developed from a farmer's tool, likely with some kind of machete-like function. The hook on the grip was probably used to carry it on one's belt.

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

We know from psychology that neurotypical people's eyes are drawn to faces. Perhaps that could explain the face shields? Like, someone notices that some of the enemy were distracted and so it catches on because of the statistical advantage???

[@pattheplanter]

Then the best would have eyelids that could open with a lever to startle the opponent. Like a peacock butterfly flashing its wings.

[@pearceelliott7855]

I was in a car accident and one of my injuries was "flail chest". I can't tell you exactly how it felt when it happened, because I woke up about five weeks later. I would say the flail can be an extremely effective weapon. ....

[@100dfrost]

Matt, I have heard of all these weapons. Of course it was either on or through your channel. Interesting video, thanks.

[@redkawa636]

I think this is one of your best videos. Product placement also happened smootly and in an way that kept me there watching the all "ad", the sponsor should seriously invest more in you! Well done.

[@brittakriep2938]

In ,Zwinger' arms collection in Dresden/ Germany there are some ,tournament' weapons/ shields from the time of ,August the strong' ( arround 1700). Those shields look strange/ fantasylike. The text says, that at pompeous court of Dresden such ,tournaments' existed up to this time, the people no more knew , what a tournement really was, and stopped this, for the reason that the way of fencing is strange, compared to the fencing style of 1700.

[@bonbon4900]

19:17 Ahh the great invasion of 1312, a dark time for our species.

[@badpossum440]

2.34 spare a thought for the poor duck drinking from the bowl with an arrow stuck in his bottom.

[@Poohze01]

You got me with the judicial duelling picks; that's one I haven't run across in my 50+ years of interest in this stuff. Thank you! I actually tried a half-brick in a sock against various targets after reading the Discworld books, and it's a nasty weapon. All offence, no defence of course. In the judicial duels, I'd much rather be the woman with the rock-in-a-sock than the guy in the hole with the club. I guess that was the point?

[@kyomademon453]

Darts or Javelines, or more often called cañas(canes) in spanish, are eseentially survivors of classical world warfare, they're heavily associated in spain with either celts specially mounted skirmishers from cantabria, Visigoths and other early germanic warriors used them extensively in the iberian peninsula, the berbers of north africa used them in mounted combat very much the same as it was already being done in spain before the muslim invasion, the famous almogavars of the crown of aragon carried 1 or 2 and threw them when charging into battle before engaging in close combat with their small swords and knives, and the latest use recorded is well in the renaissance in a ''warfare game'' that is non-lethal ofc where riders would charge at each other while throwing the blunt canes either at themselves or in the air, and last and to a lesser degree in bullfighting a tradition with thousands of years of presence in the peninsula which sadly is still practice where small specialized spears or darts are thrown at the bull's back to weaken him either by foot or on horseback

[@peterclarke7240]

I like how Matt made a point of saying "I don't have to lie to you..." when enthusiastically endorsing Great Courses Plus. One might almost think he might have some experience of having to promote sponsors he didn't really want to. 🤔 No judgement, mind- we all have to do what we have to do to keep the lights on. Just glad to see you've a sponsor you can genuinely get behind.

[@oldmanofthemountains3388]

I am SO happy that you included #1 😂

[@ericmyrs]

People often underestimate "it looks cool" as a motivation. I suspect that is the reason for the face shields.

[@Gabrong]

YEEEEEEAH! The Great Courses Plus! Thank you!

[@blakexu4943]

We did it, boys.

[@philvalz]

I'm just glad it's not RAID: Shadow Legends again.

[@lionheart3916]

Great video I thought the goedendag that was used by the Flemish may have been in the list

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Thank you, Matt, for taking the time to put all those interesting pictures from manuscripst!

[@kanrakucheese]

Rock in a sock has been in use so long I’m not sure it’s really “medieval”. I’ve heard soap in a sock variants are common prison weapons to this day. As for dart, I first think something like a plumbata when I hear dart in a weapon context.

[@Raysnature]

Soap is a bit tame, try a couple of D cells.

[@demoncore5342]

Anything in a sock works, you want some tough woolen socks tho, that cotton shite rips at a first blow ;)

[@paavobergmann4920]

ask the Marine Corps about soap in a sock....

[@RokuroCarisu]

The rock in a sock is probably as old as socks themselves.

[@derphurr8814]

What about lantern shields? I always found hanging a lantern on a buckler with a spike jutting out of it was weird. I suppose that's more of a renaissance thing than a medieval thing though.

[@mysticonthehill]

The aegis of greek times was believe to cause people to freeze, hesitate at crucial times. Sort of a lesser version of the actual gorgon head of mythology. On the other hand while perhaps interesting the face shield does resemble it so I have no idea why it existed

[@MegaKnight2012]

Not a bad theory. If the weapon could distract your opponent in any way, why not use it? Heard that's one of the reasons Chinese spears and swords will sometimes have tassels on them

[@vidard9863]

I suspect that part of it would be identification, but it would also add texture to help stop weapons from simply sliding off of it. Obviously for a boss grip shield it would give you an artistic way to display the boss as a nose. In actual fact the human eye recognizes faces at a remarkably low level on consciousness, and the shield might actually be able to genuinely cause a moment of hesitation.

[@slydoorkeeper4783]

The face shield may be an illusion to giant slaying. A way to boast how mighty the weilder is as a means of intimidation.

[@foolonthehill16807]

I am so glad to have been surprised by some of these! I particularly want to make myself a face shield or buckler at least just to be annoying in I:33

[@ariellaelema6770]

Good stuff, Matt! You covered a few of my favourite oddities. But you should have read my article in Acta Periodica Duellatorum first! I've found out some more weird facts about these weapons since we last chatted. The first references to giant duelling shields showed up in the laws of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the thirteenth century, but they didn't make it to German-speaking lands until two centuries later. Before the fifteenth century, Germans used smaller round shields in judicial duels. Also, if we read the German legal sources, duels between a man and a woman were always about rape, never between a husband and a wife. Generations of eager historians have only ever managed to find one example of a trial by combat between a man and a woman that actually happened, and none of the sources mention the weapons. It occurred in Bern in 1288, and the woman won. It's likely that none of the fight book masters ever witnessed an earnest man-in-a-hole versus rock-in-a-sock duel or spoke to anyone who had seen one. Their illustrations may have been the result of their own experiments with HEMA. Receipts here: bop.unibe.ch/apd/article/view/6870/9755

[@OhWow1337]

There’s an amazing documentary on Talhoffers book of secret’s that chronicles just posted a week ago that goes into detail about many of those trail by combat weapons that you were showing images of. It’s a great video

[@antivalidisme5669]

Face shields always make me think of Perseus and Gorgo. And for the anecdote, Medusa's head symbol can even be found on some nineteenth century swords guards- notably 1882/1896 French cavalry officers' pallash swords-, the shield of their age I guess! Definitely need to put some distance between my girlfriend and my socks though

[@danyoutube7491]

More importantly, keep her away from your rocks.

[@kleinjahr]

The sock with a rock has several variants, from modern sock with a couple of rolls of coins in it to the Thugee rumal, a weighted sash. Though the latter was more to entangle and strangle the Thugee’s victims.

[@mateoocampo3165]

From what I understand, the rock in a sack was used because many women kept a rock in an apron pocket to use as a field expedient weapon, like a broken beer bottle would be today. They would be given a rock in a sack since it was a weapon they were familiar with.

[@BigWillyG1000]

Like women of my grandmothers age carrying a roll of pennies in a stocking in their purse against muggers.

[@DSlyde]

This was a really well edited video. Really liked this style and i know it must have taken a lot of work so heres a comment to let you know that it was appreciated!

[@RonOhio]

They still make those cleavers. Look at the Woodsman's Pal tool, still has the hook on the back. Form follows function.

[@davecarlson1918]

I was going to say, a bill or billhook too, no?

[@awmperry]

Regarding the notch in the cleavers at 6:50 and 7:00, they have a similar profile to modern gutting hooks or gutting knives - hook-shaped blades with a sharpened edge on the inside and blunt on the outside so they can be used to open the skin on a carcass with no risk of puncturing the gubbins inside. Wouldn’t make sense for the other cleavers with the scalloped back, of course, but could work for those two.

[@ArcanisUrriah]

Have to admit, I thought I'd know them all, but didn't know the reverse falchion, nor the TBC pick. Well done and thanks for furthering my education.

[@Yora21]

Those inverse falchion are really just the same idea as the kopis, kopesh, and falcata.

[@RokuroCarisu]

Not quite. The top back end of the kopesh was designed to double as a hammer.

[@Bogey1022]

Great video. Great editing. Great examples. Thank you Matt

[@TheAurgelmir]

Face Shields give you protection from being surprised and bonus to initiative. No wait that's a magic item in Dungeons and Dragons. Obviously that guy fighting the giant snail is playing an early version of DnD. (I'm sure that's a flail snail, pesky buggers those)

[@karliikaiser3800]

I knew most of the weapons from Shad. But some interesting detail information from you made it worth watching!

[@jonathanlovelace521]

For a while there I thought the manuscript on fighting with a flail was being offered by the Great Courses Plus.

[@isn0t42]

"Go outside, get a rock. Go inside, get a sock." Then go get help.

[@johnladuke6475]

What, you think I'll need some friends? Well I'll provide the socks but they'll have to find their own rocks.

[@michaelheider4742]

Just an idea for the cleaver: Take a look at pictures of the clogger's knife, a large knife with a hook at the end to engage with the workbench and thus exert more and more controlled force.

[@ilari90]

You could use those cleaver notches for hooking a shield or something, stopping a blade perhaps. I wouldn't dismiss idea of them being used for something like that, because they are there for some reason. At least that's my assumption. Those different shapes of notches could be used to push or hook in different ways perhaps. I suggest that someone in community should get one and try it vs shields, swords and spears. Excellent content as always!

[@CollinMcLean]

When Matt brought up the possibility of them being repurposed tools my initial thought was that maybe the notches were a way of shaving some weight from the blade to better balance it and make it more sword like in terms of handling.

[@stuartahowell]

I am not sure if you have seen the programme "Knight Fight" but it included several of your weird weapons. I only discovered it the other day and ended up binge watching the entire series in one morning.

[@Kindrin]

I am looking forward to your upcoming videos. As a practitioner of Kobudo I have an interest in other aspects of Japanese warfare.

[@Kindrin]

Wow, my grammar was horrible today.

[@DogsaladSalad]

I love the hussite flail, I wish it were more normal to see in media

[@adamwu4565]

Those judicial duel shields sort of remind of Star Trek’s Klingon Bat’leth. It’s always been my head canon that the Bat’leth began life as an honour/judicial duel weapon, because it kind of sucks for regular battlefield use by a humanoid.

[@ZagorTeNayebo]

A rock in a sock is nothing to sneeze at, especially when upgraded to half a brick in a sock, you know where you are with half a brick in a sock

[@adreabrooks11]

Thought on the "inverted falchion:" I wonder if sharpening the backside of the blade was useful in fighting armoured opponents. Done right (and, possibly, by lucky strike), the shallow "V" on the rear of the blade would bring the force of a chop onto a very small point, rather than the broad cutting edge of a typical blade - similar principle to a war pick instead of a hammer. Of course, if one can't pull such a strike off, it still has that broad edge (unlike an axe with its much shorter blade), so a less fortunate blow still strikes with edged steel. This is just an idea that occurred to me while watching, and I have no idea if this is a viable notion, but it *sounds* plausible enough that a section of the population might have given it a go.

[@mikefule]

Makes perfect sense.

[@omariscovoador7486]

I'm amused that i, with my 10 year old mind, "invented" the same thing of medieval people did for dueling, the rock in da sock, but i did it with other sock inside to hit my older brother with.

[@gobalmighty7463]

Growing up in the eighties, the common Space Hopper was the new Rock in a Sock. Not only did we look awesome bouncing down the road but a slap to the side of the head with a Space Hopper would send you into the next county.

[@c.j.ferris1533]

I'd imagine the logic is along the lines of "Well, she's the one who's going to have to fix that sock. Maybe she'll think better of it and we can avoid this thing all together."

[@scratchy996]

They should make a TV series about the adventures of guy who came up with those crazy dueling rules, and his travels all across Europe.

[@d0r1an06]

Can we talk about the crazy trial by combat and dueling costumes that everyone seems to be wearing? Where do I get one of these cross adorned painter's suits for battle?

[@CollinMcLean]

I kind of think that they did all that stuff just to mess with people when they were bored...

[@d0r1an06]

@@CollinMcLean These combat painter suits are second on my list right after war mittens. mini-site.louvre.fr/trois-empires/en/metaux-8-z2.php Goddamned I need me some war mittens.

[@julietfischer5056]

The entire process was governed by various rules and requirements. The trial by combat gear was probably to equalize the combatants so that neither enjoyed any advantages (aside from skill and training). It also reminded people that this was judicial, not two knuckleheads in pissy moods.

[@paavobergmann4920]

@@julietfischer5056 jupp. The gowns were regulation to mark the combattants, and make chances even, so none could grapple or use a piece of clothing, and none could hide additional weapons

[@stretchedmetaphor3238]

This is a fun video. Everyone is rightly pointing out the rock-in-sock, but my favorite was easily the dueling shield. They all look like something an over-designed video game character would wield or that they came from some rejected Star Trek spin-off

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

I think it should be added that in Medieval art there was a practice of giving "the bad guys" different weird weapons so the viewer could easily recognize who the bad guy is. Not every weapon depicted in art, even if it appeared often, was used or even existed.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Indeed, which is why I avoided all of those. All of the 10 featured are weapons we know existed IRL.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

@@scholagladiatoria Yep, although I have my doubts about those two-handed maces. But the rest unquestionably existed.

[@timbehrens2863]

I know the "armoured fighting long sword" under its German name "Bohrschwert", literally meaning "bore sword" indicating its specialisation for thrusting. There are a lot of them in the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna. Source: mittelalter.fandom.com/de/wiki/Bohrschwert_(Panzerstecher)

[@00784865]

"At the end of the day, a sharp lump of metal is a sharp lump of metal."- Scolagladiatoria 2021 AD

[@sebastian.tapia.v]

at 14:56 you say that there are some weapons in medieval art which were in fact, pure fantasy, could you make a video about those? I think it could be very interesting. Awesome video btw

[@evilwelshman]

Anyone else here appreciating the fact that at 19:45, the knight seems to be wearing a LANYARD that's attached to his sword? 😁😁

[@paavobergmann4920]

it was kind of common in that time, at least in germany, to have helmet and sword fixed to the breastplate of armor, so you wouldn´t lose them in the heat of battle. There are many surviving examples in museums of breastplates with 1-3 fixing points or chains at the front.

[@jordicanals6246]

the "rock-in- a sock" reminds me the argentinian bolas (used to catch the cattle) or the maori poï (which was used for the training of warriors)

[@andybaxter4442]

My thought on the rock in the sock is that there was some assumption in medieval times that every woman would have learned to defend themselves like this as a last resort, like something commonly taught from mothers to daughters. The assumption also being that women would not have been expected to have any training in formal weapons systems ... but every medieval bloke knew that every medieval woman probably had a rock in a sock stashed somewhere.

[@OrigMaelstrom]

The hook on the end is probably related to the 'paroir de sabotier' or the long sharp blade used by sabot/clog makers. The hook goes under a bar on a bench and provide additional leverage to cut through wood blocks when making wooden clogs. Here's one for sale on ebay: www.ebay.fr/itm/outil-ancien-Paroir-de-sabotier/133629237695?hash=item1f1cec59bf:g:0zkAAOSwQ2tf85UO and here's one in position on the sabotiers workbench : image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/none/path/s723c300432782df1/image/i9f2487b3817bb15a/version/1492498671/image.jpg We see quite a few of these showing up at estate sales here in France (or we used to, until this COVID nightmare started up!!)

[@hugowells3052]

Hey Matt, great vid. You’ve mentioned trench raiding in a couple of videos now. Would love to see a video on weapons that made a comeback for trench raiding 🙂

[@zerozeroone4424]

Knew about all of these except for the "trial by combat pick" and the "rock in a sock"

[@charlesphillips4575]

I suspect the weird judicial duelling weapons were to avoid people benefiting from previous experience. If one person had experience with a normal weapon but the other did not then it would be unfair to use that weapon in a duel. So devise weapons that nobody would use in normal combat.

[@BigWillyG1000]

They certainly look to be intended to handicap for balance reasons.

[@philiplewis8213]

Dueling shields reminds me of the fancy sign people on street corners flinging them around and in circles.

[@joshuatempleton9556]

i somehow missed this vid and came back to watch it after seeing you test the flail on todds channel, and as soon as you mentioned judicial duels my mind went instantly to the sock in the rock, i saw it years ago in a documentary on the history channel when they were doing a lot about medieval stuff.

[@Incandescentiron]

Found this through Todd's Workshop channel, collaboration on the spiked flail he built. Looking forward to future collaborations. I love the discovery.

[@RDGoodner]

Mandatory Pratchett quote whenever a sock with a rock in it is mentioned: “What a Morpork citizen liked to have on his side in a fight was odds of about twenty to one, but failing that a sockful of half-brick and a dark alley to lurk in was generally considered a better bet than any two magic swords you cared to name.” ― Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

[@jlworrad]

This is one of my favourite of your vids. I spat out my tea with laughter at the rock in a sock bit.

[@АкиЧуд]

He: you probably didn't know about this weapons. Me, who readed GURPS Low-Tech and Martial Arts: you underestimate my power.

[@Harradrush]

Ah, a fellow man of culture. But i don't recall any spears with fins in LT. Have I missed it somehow?

[@stephena1196]

@@Harradrush Tod Cutler has a video about it: on the dart not GURPS.

[@merten0083]

Is there a museum which has one of these armored fighting longsword? I would love to see one.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes, the Imperial Armoury in Vienna and Wawel Castle in Krakow.