RenJunkie-I'm glad that you got the chance to get this off your chest in a tactful manner.
I came upon this thread late, or I would have asked the question: "If knights led from the rear, then why did they train all their lives so they could heft those 30lb. swords in the first place?"
They were tanks compared to the regular footmen, would they be content just to
watch from the rear...it seems more likely that if you trained in arms your whole life, you would at least want to test your skills in real battle.
This holds true for man to this day, as most servicemen I know, including myself, wanted a piece of the action in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Where are all of those 30lb. swords she speaks of? Surely they would have survived, and been passed on generation to generation, especially since she thinks they were never used. I guess that is why we never found anything like that on dig sites...
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If maille is not "real armor" then why did the Franks use it to such good effect? They were rendered nearly impervious to injury according to some recorded accounts from "real" battles. References escape me for now, but I can get them if you want to revisit this argument later.
(Somewhat off-topic aside) Did anybody catch the episode of "Deadliest Warrior" when they showcased the Samurai vs. Viking? In that episode, the fella wielding a katana told everyone that the sword could cut any Viking in half (paraphrasing). They put a mail shirt over a pig carcass, and let the guy have at it...to no effect whatsoever! I don't think he tried thrusting through it though, just powerful slashes to a stationary target. I am sure the guy under the maille would have had bruises, possibly some cracked ribs (if he wasn't wearing padding underneath), but he would have survived the blows for sure.
I know you would never use that show as an example to your professor, but I thought I would mention it anyway, because several people spoke of Japanese culture in this thread, and it brought this show to mind.
Have a happy Thanksgiving,
Oddvarr
