![]() However, Philip’s installed governors squeezed Flanders’ cities for all they were worth – and quickly, the urban guild workers in the cloth trade were covertly organizing their own rebellion. Philip invaded Flanders in 1297 CE, sweeping aside the Count of Flanders and his feudal armies with ease, partly because the proud cities of Flanders offered the Count only token support in an attempt to preserve their independence under the inevitable royal military occupation. However, for King Philip IV of France, this independence burned a hole in missed tax revenues. They were some of the most highly urbanized, industrialized areas in Europe: cities like Douai, Ghent and Lille produced and sold fine textiles for export all over Europe, the first serious pan-European industry since Roman times. ![]() The Kings of France had held nominal overlordship over the County of Flanders since the days of the Carolingian Empire – but in practise, their cities exercised a great degree of independence. It is usually described as a combination of a spear and a cudgel – and it was the terror of the French aristocracy at the turn of the 14 th century. The thick end had an iron collar or ball, with a short spike set into it. The goedendag was a short, thick wooden halt, between three and five feet in length, tapering at one end. The Goedendag – An Artisan’s Knight-Stick But there’s a reason why they’ve remained Five of the Weirdest Medieval Weapons! The Battle of Beverhoutsveld, as depicted in Froissart’s Chronicles, 15th century. As we’ll see, they all had their own reasons for existing, and their own strange logic. But some avenues of innovation produced very strange weapons indeed. Some of these are familiar to us, like plate armor and the crossbow. These wars necessitated the constant search for innovation. Arbitrary violence from greedy lords seeking their taxes and tithes, invasions and raids, and constant dynastic wars touched the lives of ordinary people. But Medieval society was undoubtedly more violent than our modern world. The Medieval period wasn’t all about fighting – most people lived reasonably peaceful lives, with very much the same preoccupations of life and love as we do today.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |