A Beginner’s Guide To Medieval Weapons

I like to insert an occasional, relevent (to me) article. I think everyone should be prepared, at least in a modest way, for the coming dark times. I recently found a nice home for sale, with a seperate studio & guest house, plus a 1000 sq ft concrete bunker! I'd buy that in a minute if I won the Lotto (House=$850,000)! Not everyone can buy huge stocks of firearms and ammo. At some point even that will run out. Home made "medieval weapons" may be a necessary choice".

Technological conditions and nature of availability of raw materials form the basis of any culture's arsenal at any point of time in the history of mankind. Prehistoric human race, often better known as the Stone Age civilization were known for their intelligent usage of grinding tools, stone and shaping axes, and creating arrows and spears as weapons for survival strategies. But these implements improved over the years as the technological skills of these cultures improved.

The development of the metallic tools, implements and weapons that persisted through the Middle Ages were actually originated during the Bronze and Iron Ages and following that, these implements have dramatically altered over time. Eventually, with the appearance of gunpowder in Europe in the early 14th century most of these weapon were rendered useless and the castle too took a backseat to the extent of becoming redundant.

The castle was considered to be one of the most formidable weapons of medieval warfare while if we consider the smaller weapons, there were also a lot of lethal ones, the ones that were movable and capable of wreaking havoc and death of an opponent. Thus despite having played a key role in the deaths of many people during the Middle Ages, it is a category of its own and hence will be kept out the following discussion on medieval weaponry.

The Middle Ages witnessed the dominance of double edged swords, metal-headed spears and axes among weapons while arrows and short bows were also in vogue. A very interesting fact that is pretty well known in this regard is that the Saxons valued swords very highly to the extent of considering the value of a sword to be equivalent to the value of 120 oxen or 15 male slaves and thus according great importance and status to a man possessing a sword. Because of these weapons being simple to construct and easy to wield, throughout the Middle Ages these weapons remained popular.

In spite of the three weapons of the sword, the spear (or lance) and the battle-axe being very prevalent during the 12th century, yet the crossbow quickly gained popularity. Compounded with the rapidly rising popularity of the horse warfare that supposedly made movement easy and allowed a benefit to its martial riders who held spears and the beginning of massive siege engines, eventually these hand-held weapons helped invaders like the Normans to overpower these less technologically advanced people.

Call 666, The Rudeness Police

Three people walking abreast on a four foot wide sidewalk, slacker homeless spit on sidewalks, trash everywhere, no one says "excuse me", pushing to get first in line, etc. People are just rude!

I've blogged about this before, but the trend grows worse. Gang bangers whine about being disrespected. How about "normal people" disrespecting everyone! Mindless robots waddle down the streets tuned out to the real world with iPod earphones on, or cell phones glued to their ears, bump into folks and keep going like zombies. It's not just rude, it's a sad state of affairs.

I don't remember being raised to be polite per say, it just feels like the correct thing to do, "Golden Rule" and all that. So in my reclining years, I've decided to become the rudeness police and call offenders on it. What are they going to do to a 60 year old man, kill me?

Protest or Revolution?

I have been blogging and tweeting about the Iran unrest. It reminds me of “letters to the editor” I wrote back in the mid 1960’s in regards to the anti-war protestors and hippies swarming over the college campus.

Unlike the mindless scum that protested the war in Vietnam, those pawns of Communism and the Soviet Union, the protestors in Iran appear to be self-evolving, rather than the puppets of outside agitators. As the killing of unarmed Iranians continues and perhaps intensifies, the evil that are the Ayatollahs and their oppressive regime become more evident.

From western eyes the ayatollahs are far worse that the Shah that they replaced and a good example to westerners of the rationale of separating religion and politics. I know I don’t want my life, thoughts, actions, and beliefs micromanaged.

Old Farts Fighting

Before I became old, I never realized that old guys were so aggressive. Whether on the street, the Senior Center, or here at the “Home”, aggression among the oldsters runs rampart. Perhaps it is because 50% are ex-cons, uneducated, or going through some kind of elderly hormonal crisis for men. It reminds me of elementary school.

Two guys, well maybe four, here have gotten into a few scuffles so that the police were called yesterday. Most of it was talk, but some of these guys are on meds, and yes some even have guns! Today they are filing complaints against each other with the senior agency that runs the building.

I’ll walk three blocks to the Senior Center soon, probably pass a few oldsters arguing on the street, and of course during lunch, will witness a verbal altercation or two. Upon reflection I think it is more due to the socio-economic background of the guys that makes them aggressive. I’d be amazed if the elderly in Beverly Hills or on Park Ave in NYC resort to such shenanigans. It is kind of funny to watch though, basically free entertainment!

06-19-09 Update:

A local Radio commercial states that aggression in the elderly is a sign of Alzheimer's! If so then, it is a pandemic!

Evaluation, Judgement and Authority

OK, as the title suggests, I don't like to be evaluated nor judged. It goes back to my father and childhood. If I got a report card with 4 "B"s, 1 "C", and an "A"..he would yell at me to get all "A"s, like I was retarded or a slacker. It didn't take a lot of effort to get "B"s...and really not that much to get all "A"s. Who cares? What does it get you...in my case, nothing!

I never liked being reviewed for raises, promotions, or hell even job interviews! I know what I am capable of, why should I have to always prove it! OK, I also hate competition. Being above average in most things, greatness was mostly constant practice at one thing. I never cared enough to practice nor to prove anything to anyone! I finished graduate school with a 4.0 GPA in my program: am 4 courses short of an MBA with a 3.75 GPA...I started and finished graduate school in my early 50's. I have never gotten a job based on my college degrees, nor a raise. What I got was unemployed and homeless!

Today, I have to prove to the Apartment Manager that I have no income or assets! That is more difficult than you may think. What forms can you show to prove you have nothing? The entire process makes me go ....DUH! Fortunately, medication helps!


PS:

I went round and round over my bank statement of 5 months ($12 balance all 5 months).....she wants another month to "prove" I have no assets! Shoot me now!