The main weapons of the medieval Knight were the sword and the lance. In a cavalry charge, the long heavy lance would be the first weapon with which a Knight would make contact with the enemy. After the charge, fighting would be hand-to-hand in a meleé, rather similar to, but more deadly than the tournament meleé. Knights sometimes used a mace that was often reinforced with metal ribs at the head. This was a weapon favored by military-minded clerics (who were not allowed to carry weapons with blades or to shed blood) such as the Bishop of Beauvais who captured the Earl of Salisbury at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214 by stunning him with a mace.
It was customary for Knights to form about 20 to 25 percent of an army, the rest being composed of various kinds of infantry: men-at-arms, and archers or crossbowsmen. Increasingly during the 14th century, Knights dismounted and fought on foot during battles, though the cavalry charge was still an effective way of disrupting the enemy's ranks. The increased effectiveness of the longbow and the crossbow meant that even plate armour could be pierced and the importance of cavalry in battle declined.
Axes were another weapon favored by Knights and men-at-arms. A short handed battle-axe, especially if wielded from horseback, could deliver a fatal blow.
James Zoppe
Founder and Director
American Jousting Alliance