Mêlée weapon
Encyclopedia
A melee weapon is any weapon
that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use. A weapon that fires a projectile, or is a projectile itself, is a ranged weapon
.
As such melee weapons do not include statically emplaced weapons, like a boobytrap or burning devices, but are carried. A melee
weapon is a type of "cold weapon
".
There are two basic divisions — edged weapons, of which examples include sword
s, spear
s, axe
s and knives
and blunt weapons, such as clubs
and maces.
The basic principle of edged weapons is to increase the user's pressure by concentrating force applied onto a smaller surface area, such as an edge or point, thus more easily penetrating the opponent's body to cause wound
s. Because most of the effectiveness of edged weapons depends upon breaking the skin of an opponent, they lose much of their usefulness when pitted against armour
.
Blunt weapons on the other hand rely mostly on mass and raw impact energy to disable opponents through broken bone
s, internal trauma
or concussions. Generally they are used in some sort of swinging motion to charge kinetic energy into the weapon's mass.
Historically, maces and flail
s were developed and used to combat armoured infantry, such as knight
s, because of their ability to cause injuries even "through" plate armour, and were also very effective against flexible armour, such as mail
. However, blunt weapons are usually heavier than edged weapons, as the extra weight is needed to cause greater damage, especially through armour. This often makes blunt weapons both strenuous to wield and difficult to maneuver.
Most melee weapons live within the spectrum from very lightweight blades or spikes to extremely heavy, blunt poles. Heavy cavalry swords are perhaps about midway along the range in both kinetic energy and concentration of pressure, and showcase how any point in the spectrum can sometimes yield an effective weapon.
Another ancient way of crafting weapons was first discovered in southern Africa. Natives found that by heating a certain stone called silcrete they could chip it away and create more sophisticated knives, axes, and other weapons. Scientists speculate although that these weapons were not improved though by the fire, but were actually more likely to shatter. In fact Stony Brook's Shea says 'Instead the flashy artifacts might have been ways that "some humans showed off that they had time on their hands," '. This is very much like the swords worn by kings in Europe.
The discovery of metals like bronze and copper changed the way weapons were made completely. These weapons were stronger and more ornate than their predecessors in the Stone age
. During the beginning of the Bronze age
the metal head of the weapons were still bound to the shafts of the weapons. Later the weapons were secured more securely with sockets and pins. This age started roughly 3500 B.C.. It showed the beginning of the use of the technology that allowed tin, copper, and zinc alloys to be mixed to produce the metal bronze. This metal was very durable and strong and it got stronger the hotter it was heated.
The Iron Age
which started around 1200 B.C. marked the beginning of the use of iron for the majority of use for weapons and armor.
Heating metal and then hammering it into the desired shape, along with rapidly cooling it, was how the metal bronze was forged. These bronze weapons were much better than the stone ones of the same type, although these were more difficult to make and procure. The same basic techniques were used with iron during that age to great reward. Iron proved to be stronger and even more reliable than bronze, making it the metal of choice in later years. A picture of a bronze sickle sword and an iron axe are featured to the right.
One of the greatest advancements in melee weapon technology was the Damascus steel
forged by the Muslims during the Crusades
against King Richard the Lionheart and other Christian kings (1095–1270). In the book The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott, a picture is painted of King Richard with a broadsword pitted against an Islamic nobleman with a scimitar crafted of Damascus steel. In this comparison the scimitar is looked at as an equal or even a superior to the broadsword despite its more slender and seemingly weaker appearance. The reason for its comparison is that the scimitar is made of Damascus steel, a man forged metal that had a dark watery appearance to it. The secret of creating this metal could not be replicated by European smiths, though many tried. After the Crusades even the Islamic smiths lost the secret to its creation. Many scholars accredit the modern study of materials science
as springing from the search for this lost secret.
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use. A weapon that fires a projectile, or is a projectile itself, is a ranged weapon
Ranged weapon
A ranged weapon is any weapon that can harm targets at distances greater than hand-to-hand distance. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in man-to-man combat is called a melee weapon....
.
As such melee weapons do not include statically emplaced weapons, like a boobytrap or burning devices, but are carried. A melee
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
weapon is a type of "cold weapon
Cold weapon
A cold weapon is any weapon that does not involve fire or explosions as a result from the use of gun powder or other explosive materials....
".
There are two basic divisions — edged weapons, of which examples include sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s, 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...
s, axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s and knives
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
and blunt weapons, such as clubs
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....
and maces.
The basic principle of edged weapons is to increase the user's pressure by concentrating force applied onto a smaller surface area, such as an edge or point, thus more easily penetrating the opponent's body to cause wound
Wound
A wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
s. Because most of the effectiveness of edged weapons depends upon breaking the skin of an opponent, they lose much of their usefulness when pitted against armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
.
Blunt weapons on the other hand rely mostly on mass and raw impact energy to disable opponents through broken bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s, internal trauma
Blunt trauma
In medical terminology, blunt trauma, blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma refers to a type of physical trauma caused to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack; the latter usually being referred to as blunt force trauma...
or concussions. Generally they are used in some sort of swinging motion to charge kinetic energy into the weapon's mass.
Historically, maces and flail
Flail (weapon)
The flail is a hand weapon derived from the agricultural tool.The handle is attached to the striking part of a weapon by a flexible chain or cord...
s were developed and used to combat armoured infantry, such as knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s, because of their ability to cause injuries even "through" plate armour, and were also very effective against flexible armour, such as mail
Maillé
Maillé may refer to the following places in France:* Maillé, Indre-et-Loire, a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, site of a 1944 war crime* Maillé, Vendée, a commune in the Vendée department* Maillé, Vienne, a commune in the Vienne department...
. However, blunt weapons are usually heavier than edged weapons, as the extra weight is needed to cause greater damage, especially through armour. This often makes blunt weapons both strenuous to wield and difficult to maneuver.
Most melee weapons live within the spectrum from very lightweight blades or spikes to extremely heavy, blunt poles. Heavy cavalry swords are perhaps about midway along the range in both kinetic energy and concentration of pressure, and showcase how any point in the spectrum can sometimes yield an effective weapon.
History
People have always had weapons for a variety of reasons, whether it be for hunting or attacking. What is considered probably the earliest way to craft weapons was for a hard stone such as flint to be chipped away until it met the desired shape, often a point or cutting edge. At first these weapons were held directly in the hand, until the discovery of the haft or handle which allowed more force to be applied to the weapon. This allowed it to do more harm on both the battlefield or on the hunt. Hand axes were often polished so that the user needn’t hurt his hand when hitting something. Although the blade of the axe was often left unpolished as the rougher edge was the more effective. A picture of an ancient hand axe is below. The stone weapons used during the last parts of the stone age and into the bronze age do exhibit a little more artistic craftsmanship. For example they were often finely polished and chipped in a shape that would be considered pleasing to the eye.Another ancient way of crafting weapons was first discovered in southern Africa. Natives found that by heating a certain stone called silcrete they could chip it away and create more sophisticated knives, axes, and other weapons. Scientists speculate although that these weapons were not improved though by the fire, but were actually more likely to shatter. In fact Stony Brook's Shea says 'Instead the flashy artifacts might have been ways that "some humans showed off that they had time on their hands," '. This is very much like the swords worn by kings in Europe.
The discovery of metals like bronze and copper changed the way weapons were made completely. These weapons were stronger and more ornate than their predecessors in the Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. During the beginning of the Bronze age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
the metal head of the weapons were still bound to the shafts of the weapons. Later the weapons were secured more securely with sockets and pins. This age started roughly 3500 B.C.. It showed the beginning of the use of the technology that allowed tin, copper, and zinc alloys to be mixed to produce the metal bronze. This metal was very durable and strong and it got stronger the hotter it was heated.
The Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
which started around 1200 B.C. marked the beginning of the use of iron for the majority of use for weapons and armor.
Forging and Technology
The most common stone used for making weapons was silex (otherwise known as flint). This stone was hard enough to withstand the pressure that was exerted on it, while it was still workable into the shape that the worker wished it to be. The working of stone was a fine art that man did a great job of mastering. When creating a weapon a craftsman would choose a stone that was close to the shape desired by the craftsman. Then a second stone was used to repeatedly strike the stone in a single area causing splinters to chip away from the stone. The difficult part about this skill was that when the splinters flew from the stone they came from the side of the stone opposite to where the blows were struck, not from the place of initial impact. This then complicated the matters a little bit because the workman could not see exactly where he was working and had to rely on feeling. This skill of feeling the shape of the stone and knowing precisely where to strike it was an extraordinary skill.Heating metal and then hammering it into the desired shape, along with rapidly cooling it, was how the metal bronze was forged. These bronze weapons were much better than the stone ones of the same type, although these were more difficult to make and procure. The same basic techniques were used with iron during that age to great reward. Iron proved to be stronger and even more reliable than bronze, making it the metal of choice in later years. A picture of a bronze sickle sword and an iron axe are featured to the right.
One of the greatest advancements in melee weapon technology was the Damascus steel
Damascus steel
Damascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
forged by the Muslims during the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
against King Richard the Lionheart and other Christian kings (1095–1270). In the book The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott, a picture is painted of King Richard with a broadsword pitted against an Islamic nobleman with a scimitar crafted of Damascus steel. In this comparison the scimitar is looked at as an equal or even a superior to the broadsword despite its more slender and seemingly weaker appearance. The reason for its comparison is that the scimitar is made of Damascus steel, a man forged metal that had a dark watery appearance to it. The secret of creating this metal could not be replicated by European smiths, though many tried. After the Crusades even the Islamic smiths lost the secret to its creation. Many scholars accredit the modern study of materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
as springing from the search for this lost secret.