104 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period II. 



double-edged, sometimes only single. They were gene- 

 rally straight, but curved falchions were often used. 

 They were of all lengths, some two-handed, and as much 

 as seven or eight feet in length. These large two-handed 

 Bwords were not used by the knights on horseback, for 

 they always dismounted when they wished to use them. 

 A small sword or dagger was sometimes attached to the 

 pommel of the knight's saddle, while the heavy sword 

 was usually worn on a belt on the left side. These 

 weapons were held in high consideration, and were 

 elaborately ornamented, the hilts being often studded 

 with jewels, and the blades bearing inscriptions. The 

 sword could only be worn by freemen, and delivering it 

 up was the usual form of surrender. 



The dagger was always a portion of the knight's 

 equipment, and was worn at the right hip. It was used 

 to give the final blow, when the knight had thrown his 

 opponent to the ground and conquered him. 



Battle-hammers were used long before the institution 

 of chivalry. Charles Martel took his name from the 

 martel or hammer, which was his favourite weapon, and 

 was used by him at Tours in 732, These weapons had 

 a hammer at one side and a pick at the other ; they were 

 used during the middle ages as late as the fourteenth 

 century,^ and were looked upon as knightly weapons. 

 So also were the battle-axes, which varied much in size 

 and shape, and were very generally used. The mace or 

 club of iron or of wood with spikes, was anoi:her weapon 

 sometimes used by the knights, but common also to the 

 lower orders. 



The tactics of the knights were of the simplest character, 

 and the organisation into tactical divisions was, com- 

 paratively speaking, unknown to them. The only sem- 

 blance of a tactical unit seems to have been the " lance 

 foumie," which was composed of the knight who carried 

 his lance, and his satellites or attendants. 



In referring to the Gaulish cavalry in the time of 

 the Romans, we have already seen the idea in use in 

 the Trimacresie mentioned by Pausanias. These little 



^ Lowy, 75, 76. 



