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The solution to this problem was knight-service, a system in which the ruler gave his knights a plot of land-and, in effect, the people living on said land-in a pact called a knight’s fee or “fief.” The knight was a tenant of the lord, with rights to rule over his fiefdom as he saw fit. Still, as skillful horseback fighters, knights were a vital part of any army, so the ruler had to provide them with the means to support themselves. The armor, the weapons, the horse, and the servants all cost an obscene amount of money, on top of normal living expenses. That meant the invading knights had to advance with their left side to the front, which was a serious problem because pretty much all knights wielded their swords with their right hands.īeing a knight was extremely expensive. Medieval spiral staircases were designed so that they wound clockwise going up. The design also gave the defenders a bonus advantage. If an enemy army invaded the castle, their knights had an extremely difficult time walking up the narrow, curving staircase while fighting. They might seem like a clever way to save space, but actually spiral staircases were invented for warfare. They were usually located next to the castle wall (in a tower, the staircase usually ran along the outer wall and the rooms were constructed in the space in the middle). Many medieval castles featured cleverly designed spiral staircases between the floors.
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A skilled arbalestier could drop two knights a minute, yet stay safely out of reach.Īlthough knights called arbalests unchivalrous, it was clear that their time as the alpha males of the battlefield was over, especially since gunpowder weapons were invented soon afterwards. Suddenly, the mighty knight with all his combat skills, fancy armor, and a lifetime of training was nothing more than an easy target for a guy who had been learning to shoot for a couple of weeks. An arbalest was accurate up to 300 meters (984 feet), relatively quick to reload, and easy to operate. It was made of steel, so it could endure much higher tension than ordinary bows and produce greater force. The arbalest, invented in the 12th century, was a kind of super crossbow. Ironically, their end was brought about by a very simple invention called the arbalest.
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Knights were the supreme force on the battlefield for centuries and it was starting to look as if no one could ever replace them. We know they wore armor and fought in wars and tournaments . . . but what else did they do? What were their lives like? 10 The Arbalest When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better.From the Knights of the Round Table to Game of Thrones, our culture has no shortage of stories about knights, so it’s strange how little we really know about them. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Please submit feedback to Thanks for your time!ĭo you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading.