14th Century Polearms
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:45 pm
Other than the billhook which was largely used by the common classes was there a polearm? Specifically around 1350? Would a man at arms EVER use a billhook in combat?
It appears that men-at-arms were very strict about trying to associate certain weapons with certain rates of pay and as symbols of rank. How successful they were at this is totally unknown. We don't really know if there was shame associated with men of higher ranks using weapons seen among the ranks of the common soldier or not.
We don't really know if you would see a dismounted knight or squire with a billhook or a glaive. We don't really know if knights actually took certain looted weapons away from archers and common soldiers, claiming that they were not worthy enough to bear them.
Pop culture traditions have come down from who-knows-where with these ideas, and they may be true, or they may be total hogwash. We don't know how particular people were about being seen with weapons that were strictly associated with income level, "good breeding" or rank.
We don't really know.
