During the Middle Ages, weapons and armor played a crucial role in the survival and life of all social classes and types of people. Love and weapons were used by all armies since the Middle Ages. All men were expected to know how to fight. They were expected to be ready and willing when called upon to fight for the king. Their lives were organized and structured to incorporate military training into their daily lives. Weapons training was provided by the lords. A knight's most prized possessions were his armor, his weapons, and his warhorse. These three items were very expensive, meaning that only the rich could afford to become knights. Many knights hoped to recoup some of the cost through plunder when they conquered enemy towns and cities. To survive, weapons and armor became one of the most important aspects of life during the Middle Ages. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the Middle Ages, there were a variety of weapons used for fighting, hunting, and generally surviving. There was a sword, which is a long, sharp piece of forged metal. The word sword comes from the Old English word "sweord" which comes from a Porto-Indo-European root "Swer" meaning to cut or wound. Swords could be single or double bladed and straight or curved. There were four types of swords during the Middle Ages: swords, broadswords, falchions, and longswords. “The Greatsword had a double-edged blade that measured 2-3 inches wide at the base and tapered to a point. The length of the broadsword ranged from 30 to 45 inches and weighed between 3 and 5 pounds. A Falchion sword was favored by some medieval knights who had participated in the crusade. Medieval Falchion swords had a short, heavy blade with a single edge. Longswords are also known as hand-and-a-half swords. The length of the long sword ranged from 44 to 50 inches long. Arming swords were initially used by knights of the early Middle Ages and were also particularly popular with the Vikings. There were daggers and knives. A dagger is a double-edged blade used primarily for stabbing or thrusting. Daggers would play the role of a second defense in a fight. Knives were used primarily for cutting, rather than for food, nature, or a person. There were 4 types of daggers used there during the entire time period. One type is known as Anelaces and it was a long dagger and was almost like a short sword. Another type was called a Stiletto, which is a short blade with a long, thin blade used primarily for stabbing. The last two types are Poigand and Rondel. Poigands are lightweight daggers with fanciful designs and were created during the Renaissance. One type of Rondel dagger was a casual blade and was commonly carried by most people such as knights, merchants, and even farmers. Armor played a crucial role in survival, and there were several types of armor. There are two most commonly used types of armor: steel and leather. the knights wore heavy metal armor. There are two main types of steel armor: chain mail and plate armor. Chainmail Chainmail was made up of thousands of metal rings. The typical mail armor was a long cloak called a hauberk. Knights wore a padded cloak under their armor to help them support the weight of the armor. A chainmail hauberk could weigh up to 30 pounds. Although chain mail was flexible and offered good protection, it could be pierced by an arrow or a thin sword. Some knightsthey began placing metal plates on vital parts of their bodies for greater protection. Soon they were completely covered in plate armor and stopped wearing chain mail. (Brian Price “Medieval Armor Reproduction Techniques”)During this period, leather armor was one of the most popular types of armor to use. In the later stages of the Middle Ages, leather became less popular, but always found a place in the soldier's battle equipment. THE reason leather armor was so popular was because it was cheap and very easy to find. Another reason leather armor was popular was because it didn't require as much skill to make as chain mail or plate mail. A soldier could make his own repairs if necessary. Leather armor was typically used by the lower classes, although it was also used by some nobles who could not afford more expensive armor. Leather armor became less popular as chain mail and plate mail became cheaper, but a typical soldier always wore leather armor even if it was just around his legs or under the chain mail. It was also used as a base. The evolution of armor from the beginning of the Middle Ages to the end had major improvements while maintaining the same basic ideas. Chain mail, or chain mail, made of interwoven iron rings, is believed to have been invented in Eastern Europe around 500 BC. Gradually, additional small iron plates or discs were added to the mail to protect the vulnerable areas. Hardened leather and splinted construction were used for the arm and leg pieces. A plate cloak was developed which was like armor made of large plates sewn inside a leather cloak. First courses in Italy and other places in the 13th-15th centuries were made of iron. The iron armor could be cemented to provide a harder steel surface. (Rivista Medievale, “Evolution of armor through the Middle Ages”). Plate armor became cheaper than chain mail in the 15th century as it required less labor, and labor became much more expensive after the Black Death. Chain mail continued to be used to protect those joints that could not be protected properly by plates. For example, the armpit, the crook of the elbow and the groin. Another advantage of the plates was that a spear rest could be mounted on the breastplate. The small skullcap evolved into a larger true helmet, the bascinet, as it was elongated downward to protect the back of the neck and sides of the head. Additionally, several new forms of fully enclosed helmets were introduced in the late 1300s. Probably the most recognized style of armor in the world became the plate armor associated with the knights of late medieval Europe. By around 1400 the whole harness of plate armor had been developed. Heavy cavalry have dominated the battlefield for centuries, in part thanks to their armour. By the early 15th century, advances in weapons allowed infantry to defeat armored knights on the battlefield. The quality of the metal used in armor worsened as armies became larger and armor became thicker. If during the 14th-15th centuries the armor rarely weighed more than 15 kg, then by the end of the 16th century it weighed 25 kg. (Medieval Magazine “The evolution of armor through the Middle Ages”). The increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armor provided greater and much needed strength. The evolution of weapons during the Middle Ages was not that enormous, but many improvements were still made when necessary. There was.