Goedendag
Encyclopedia
The goedendag was a weapon originally used by the militias of Medieval Flanders
in the 14th century. It was essentially a combination of a club
with a spear
. Its body was a wooden staff roughly five feet (150 cm) long with a diameter of roughly four inches (10 cm). It was wider at one end, and at this end a sharp metal spike was inserted by a tang.
The name "goedendag" derives from Dutch, usually taken in English sources to have meant "good day", with reference to the revolt of Bruges in 1302
, at which the guildsmen of Bruges purportedly took over the city by greeting people in the streets, and murdering anyone who answered with a French accent
. This derivation of the name may however be spurious: the name is found only once, in a French account from shortly after the Battle of Courtrai. The Dutch phrase also means "good dagger", which may be as significant. The Flemings themselves referred to the weapon as a spiked staff (gepinde staf).
The weapon was used to great effect by the guildsmen of Flanders'
wealthy cities against the French
knights during the Guldensporenslag, the Battle of Courtrai or Battle of the Golden Spurs
, near Kortrijk
(Courtrai) on 11 July 1302. (The date is still marked as the celebration of Flanders', Brabant's and Antwerp's independence and Flanders' national celebration day.) It is depicted being used against the French knights in the Battle of Courtrai in the carvings on the Courtrai Chest
, a 14th century wooden chest (discovered c1905 on a farm owned by New College, Oxford
, England
, and now to be seen in the Ashmolean Museum
.) There is also a now faded fresco from the Leugemeete in Ghent
.
, speaking of the battle of Courtrai, states, "each held his godendart raised against the French, the iron as one meets a wild boar". which suggests it was first used as a spear to meet a charge, then a club as the enemy was halted. The goedendag was probably set in the ground secured by the fighter's foot and aimed with both hands. The thicker knob under the spike, a safeguard against the horse impaling itself and then going on to crash into the defender, served the same purpose as the cross bar on a boar-spear. The military historian Kelly de Vries asserts that "its chief function was to bring down a knight from his horse". Verbruggen describes the role of the goedendag thus:
The Courtrai Chest shows men with Goedendags standing behind a line of men with pikes
.
Other clubs, maces, swords, or knives could well also have been used by a guildsman for close combat after meeting a charge with the goedendag. On this account, the goedendag was sometimes confused with the halberd
, morning star
, or Lucerne hammer
, a halberd with a hammer instead of an axe blade. In contrast with the goedendag, these were expressly built for professional warriors, to rip a rider off his horse while he was charging or passing by. Such weapons were much more effective but also more expensive, requiring greater craftsmanship to make. They were the weapons of regular infantrymen. This is why regular Flemish troops abandoned the goedendag at the beginning of the fifteenth century; after that point the weapon was used exclusively by the Flemish "burgers".
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in the 14th century. It was essentially a combination of a club
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
with a spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
. Its body was a wooden staff roughly five feet (150 cm) long with a diameter of roughly four inches (10 cm). It was wider at one end, and at this end a sharp metal spike was inserted by a tang.
The name "goedendag" derives from Dutch, usually taken in English sources to have meant "good day", with reference to the revolt of Bruges in 1302
Bruges Matins (history)
The Bruges Matins or Brugse Metten was the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by the members of the local Flemish militia on 18 May 1302. It has been named "matins" in analogy to the Sicilian Vespers...
, at which the guildsmen of Bruges purportedly took over the city by greeting people in the streets, and murdering anyone who answered with a French accent
Shibboleth
A shibboleth is a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially a long-standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important...
. This derivation of the name may however be spurious: the name is found only once, in a French account from shortly after the Battle of Courtrai. The Dutch phrase also means "good dagger", which may be as significant. The Flemings themselves referred to the weapon as a spiked staff (gepinde staf).
The weapon was used to great effect by the guildsmen of Flanders'
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
wealthy cities against the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
knights during the Guldensporenslag, the Battle of Courtrai or Battle of the Golden Spurs
Battle of the Golden Spurs
The Battle of the Golden Spurs, known also as the Battle of Courtrai was fought on July 11, 1302, near Kortrijk in Flanders...
, near Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
(Courtrai) on 11 July 1302. (The date is still marked as the celebration of Flanders', Brabant's and Antwerp's independence and Flanders' national celebration day.) It is depicted being used against the French knights in the Battle of Courtrai in the carvings on the Courtrai Chest
Oxford Chest
The Chest of Oxford is an oak chest. The chest was discovered around 1909 in New College, Oxford...
, a 14th century wooden chest (discovered c1905 on a farm owned by New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and now to be seen in the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
.) There is also a now faded fresco from the Leugemeete in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
.
Use
Exactly how the weapon was used is a source of debate. Contemporary illustrations show it being used as a club but the contemporary chronicler Guillaume GuiartGuillaume Guiart
Guillaume Guiart , French chronicler and poet, was probably born at Orléans, and served in the French army in Flanders in 1304....
, speaking of the battle of Courtrai, states, "each held his godendart raised against the French, the iron as one meets a wild boar". which suggests it was first used as a spear to meet a charge, then a club as the enemy was halted. The goedendag was probably set in the ground secured by the fighter's foot and aimed with both hands. The thicker knob under the spike, a safeguard against the horse impaling itself and then going on to crash into the defender, served the same purpose as the cross bar on a boar-spear. The military historian Kelly de Vries asserts that "its chief function was to bring down a knight from his horse". Verbruggen describes the role of the goedendag thus:
They were placed between the pikemen, or in the second rank, so that with their shorter, very heavy weapons they could put the horses out of action
The Courtrai Chest shows men with Goedendags standing behind a line of men with pikes
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
.
Other clubs, maces, swords, or knives could well also have been used by a guildsman for close combat after meeting a charge with the goedendag. On this account, the goedendag was sometimes confused with the halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
, morning star
Morning star (weapon)
The term morning star is used to describe medieval club-like weapons which included one or more spikes. Each used, to varying degrees, a combination of blunt-force and puncture attack to kill or wound the enemy.- Design :...
, or Lucerne hammer
Lucerne hammer
The Lucerne hammer is a type of polearm which was popular in Switzerland during the 15th to 17th centuries. It was a combination of the bec de corbin with the blunt war hammer....
, a halberd with a hammer instead of an axe blade. In contrast with the goedendag, these were expressly built for professional warriors, to rip a rider off his horse while he was charging or passing by. Such weapons were much more effective but also more expensive, requiring greater craftsmanship to make. They were the weapons of regular infantrymen. This is why regular Flemish troops abandoned the goedendag at the beginning of the fifteenth century; after that point the weapon was used exclusively by the Flemish "burgers".