Ah weapons. If you know anything about me at all, it’s that I am fascinated by medieval weaponry, battle, and jousts. I’m a sucker for a guy in armor. I happen to own a few medieval-styled weapons and like to bring them with me when I give talks (in fact, I was just at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library where I gave such a talk and I will be giving a short version of my spiel at Left Coast Crime in Hawaii this March. Don’t miss it on Sunday, March 8 at 4:30pm called “Getting Medieval with Jeri Westerson.” Catchy, no?)
Today, I’d like to talk about daggers. Daggers had many uses by the 14th century. There was defense and offense, of course, but it was also a bit of medieval bling. And yes, the size of the blade also added a bit of the Freudian to the mix. One might also carry an eating knife, a personal utensil. But a dagger was about status. Although, in 1351, it became illegal to carry arms out in the streets in the city of London. There were occasions where lawbreakers were imprisoned or fined or both for being caught out with knives, but it did not seem to be a law stringently enforced otherwise. After all, members of parish fraternities and confraternities often wore special badges and jeweled daggers. One can imagine the beginnings of lodge brothers with these unifying emblems. John of Gaunt was a member of the confraternity of canons of Lincoln Cathedral. I doubt if he went about town unarmed.
As practical weapons, there were none like daggers. Small, easy to carry, and relatively easy to use, daggers were an all-in-one weapon. And they came in many shapes and sizes.
First there was the Baselard. A two-edged, sharply tapering blade with little or no cross guard. Small. Something a lady might carry attached to their belts or, as they were called, girdles. The one in the photograph below—mine—is about 9 inches long from tip to pommel.
A Kidney dagger might very well be used to strike at an opponent’s back, but it was really so-called because of the kidney-shaped lobes at the base of the hilt. It is a kind of baselard, only with a longer blade.
A Main-gauche is a left-handed dagger used to parry blows while fighting with your sword in the right hand. A simple dagger with a cross guard could be used for this as well, that extra protection for the hand being needed. This form of fighting became very popular in the 16th century with rapiers. Fighting with a heavier sword like a broadsword would require great strength to continuously ward off blows with a dagger. A buckler or small shield was really the ticket here but an extra weapon when your opponent grew weary could make the contest end in your favor.
A Misericorde is a straight, thin-bladed weapon. The term means “little mercy” and would be used on one’s enemy as a final mercy stroke when he was down.
A Rondel dagger is a weapon where the hand guard and the pommel are made of flat discs—roundels. A military dagger.
The picture to the left is in the style of a short sword with a two-edged blade, a cross guard, hilt, and round pommel. Its overall length is about 13.5 inches. If the blade wre longer, it would be considered a short sword. A handy weapon, weighing very little with an extremely sharp blade. A lovely fighting weapon in close quarters. Very easy to slice into a body.
You, too, can get up close and personal with these weapons when I make my appearances. I always bring my Box of Death with me (which includes a helm, two daggers, a small battle axe, a flail, and my sword). Check this page to find out if I’ll be near you.
Photo at the top by Louise Paziak at the Burbank Library. The illustration is by Pauline Baynes, and the two photos of daggers are mine.
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