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About This Quiz
Medieval weapons ranged from the common bow and arrow to chariots designed to slice off your legs and create dead bodies as early biological warfare. While the weapons look interesting, there is one important fact: They were meant to maim, kill and destroy anything in their path, often while applying the most pain possible. Do you think you know your weapons? Take this quiz and find out.
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Which weapon is this?
Bow and Arrow
The bow and arrow was one of the most common medieval weapons. A skilled bowman could target weak spots in armor, taking down even the mightiest knights.
Crossbow
Trebuchet
Halberd
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Which weapon is this?
Trebuchet
Crossbow
As those who saw the "Red Wedding" episode of "Game of Thrones" can attest, crossbows can do a LOT of damage. They throw a smaller projectile than a bow, but it travels faster and is more accurate.
Arbalest
Ballista
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Which weapon is this?
Battering ram
This was your basic-issue siege weapon, a pole with a heavy piece on the end used to batter down doors and drawbridges. Being one of the guys assigned to wield it was a tough job, thanks to things like the previously mentioned boiling oil.
Bombard
Petrary
Mangonel
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Which weapon is this?
Arbalest
Siege tower
Of all the jobs a medieval soldier could have, manning the siege tower was one of the worst. You were automatically riding on the biggest target on the battlefield, subject to everything from storms of arrows to fire and boiling oil. On the good side, if you survived, you were the first to get the plunder!
Onager
Mangonel
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Which weapon is this?
Motte-and-bailey
Claw of Archimedes
The actual existence of this weapon has never been proved, but it's mentioned in accounts of early Greek wars. The idea involved a crane with a grappling hook attached that was used to grab hold of attacking ships and capsize them.
Barbican
Torpedo
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Which weapon is this?
Greek fire
Flaming arrows
It seems like a simple idea: Take a regular arrow, dip it in flaming pitch, then shoot it at the attacker. The Romans used these to devastating effect, although the pitch would throw off the accuracy and range of the arrows.
Culverin
Kunai
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Which weapon is this?
Bow and arrow
Pike
Halberd
Javelin
While spears COULD be thrown, the javelin was expressly designed for the purpose. They were generally used as a mass-attack weapon, with soldiers launching tremendous volleys of them, especially against mounted attackers.
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Which weapon is this?
Bombard
Ballista
Scythed chariot
If you've seen "Gladiator," you've seen this wicked little beauty. It's basically just a chariot with a spinning blade sticking out from one or both of the wheels. You don't want to stand too close!
Battering ram
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Which weapon is this?
Trebuchet
Bombard
Onager
Cannon
If you ever wonder why accounts of cannon battles harp on the noise so much, head to a Civil War battlefield sometime for a demonstration. In the early days of their deployment, the noise of the cannons alone could win a battle against more primitive opponents.
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Which weapon is this?
Catapult
Is there a middle school student who hasn't used popsicle sticks to build one of these? In the Middle Ages, they were popular siege weapons because they were easy to build, could be fired relatively quickly and weren't picky about what you used for ammunition.
Trebuchet
Arbalest
Siege tower
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Which weapon is this?
Broadsword
Main gauche
Katana
If you've seen the "Kill Bill" movies, you're pretty well-versed in the mystique of the katana. Japanese swordsmiths would fold metal over and over again to make a blade whose flexibility and strength were unmatched.
Wakizashi
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Which weapon is this?
Zweihander
Gladius
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Rapier
The rapier is the ornate weapon, often with a "basket" hilt, that shows up most often in comic fencing scenes. It's primarily a thrusting weapon, not nearly as good for slashing as other blades, which lends itself to comical lunges.
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Which weapon is this?
Mace
Flail
Bludgeon
War hammer
If you had a really big guy in your medieval soldier unit, you wanted him to have one of these. Sure, it didn't have any sharp edges, but a solid blow from this on a knight's helmet would have him seeing little birdies for days.
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Which weapon is this?
Greek fire
If you've seen season 2 of "Game of Thrones," you know the concept of Greek fire. An early form of napalm, this tarry substance was lit ablaze and used primarily against warships, with deadly effect.
Ballista
Bombard
Onager
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Which weapon is this?
Arrow
Halberd
Spear
The spear is one of the oldest weapons, dating back to prehistoric times. Imagine being a Neanderthal hunter, trying to bring down a mammoth with a tree branch sharpened with stone tools. Not fun!
Pike
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Which weapon is this?
Throwing Ax
Whacking someone with an ax is generally termed to be a hostile act, and it's even worse when you don't even do it from arm's length. The problem with the throwing ax, though, is that if you miss you might have to dodge your own weapon.
Flail
Gladius
Man catcher
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Which weapon is this?
Arbalest
The arbalest was essentially a crossbow on steroids. It had a steel construction, which allowed for a much greater tension on the bowstring and thus a much greater punch. It had an accurate range up to 100 meters.
Crossbow
Broadsword
Ballista
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Which weapon is this?
Chakram
Hand Cannon
At first glance, this seems like a redneck joke gone horribly wrong. Take a battle cannon and reduce it to portable size, then hold it in your hand and light the fuse. Oddly enough, this was a pretty popular weapon.
Culverin
Ballista
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Which weapon is this?
Gladius
The gladius was the sword that held the Roman Empire together. It was simple to manufacture, big enough to do serious damage, but small enough for long combat and deadly even in moderately trained hands.
Rapier
Shortsword
Claymore
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Which weapon accessory is this?
Helm
Trebuchet
Shield
Medieval shields were used in hand-to-hand combat to protect the wearer from attacks.
Bow and arrow
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Which weapon is this?
Main Gauche
Sword breaker
One thing I've always liked about military nomenclature is how frequently the name exactly describes the function. The sword breaker was designed to catch an enemy's sword. With a wrist-flick, the wielder could then snap the blade.
Parrying dagger
Claymore
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Which weapon is this?
Main gauche
Stiletto
Shortsword
Spring-loaded triple dagger
Swordsmen were known for trickery, and this little blade is one of their best toys. You're fighting an opponent with a blade in each hand, then suddenly your dagger sprouts two more blades!
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Which weapon is this?
Morning Star
Hardly the most exotic of medieval weapons, this is one the Negan, of Walking Dead fame, would appreciate. Take a big, heavy stick and put a big, heavy pointed thing on the end of it. Or several pointed things.
Mace
Flail
Maul
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Which weapon is this?
Hunga munga
This bizarre-looking blade looks like something a Klingon warrior should be carrying on the bridge of a Bird of Prey. It's an African tribal weapon that has existed in various shapes for centuries.
Glaive
Sickle
Rapier
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Which weapon is this?
Bola
Mace
Stirrup
Caltrop
If you've ever played jacks, you're familiar with the shape, but this is no child's toy. These spiked bits of evil were used against men and horses alike, since it's hard to gallop or walk with steel spikes in your foot.
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Which weapon is this?
Hand cannon
Culverin
Here's another example of ill-considered medieval weapons technology. Just like the hand cannon, this involves loading explosives into a tube and holding it in your hand. Descendants of the wielders of this weapon are the guys who hold Roman candles and shoot them at each other.
Musket
Flintlock
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Which weapon is this?
Halberd
Spear
Javelin
Pike
One of the continuing dilemmas in medieval warfare was how unarmored soldiers could beat armored and mounted knights. The pike, wielded by massed soldiers, was a handy solution. The long, wickedly bladed or pointed staffs made a very hazardous wall through which to ride.
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Which weapon is this?
Crossbow
Longbow
The longbow was the most difficult bow to master, but also the most powerful. A properly fired arrow from a longbow could pierce armor, and the effective range was truly impressive. The English longbow was the apex of the craft.
Ballista
Mongol bow
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Which weapon is this?
Broadsword
The broadsword was your basic-issue hacking and slaying weapon, especially for knights. They weren't nearly as quick or nimble as rapiers, but if you got hit by one you weren't likely going to get up.
Claymore
Rapier
Gladius
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Which weapon is this?
Galleon
Hellburner
These floating bombs were used during the Siege of Antwerp. They were essentially shaped charges made out of ships, designed to break blockades. They were only partially effective.
Galley
Longship
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Which weapon is this?
Throwing dart
Chakram
Culverin
Shuriken
Unlike the "throwing stars" that we know today, the original shurikens were small, coated with poison to kill or disable an opponent. They were made from a variety of items, including coins and nails.
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Which weapon is this?
Button shield
Buckler
Lantern shield
This odd-looking piece of defensive equipment wasn't used much for battle, but rather for swordsmen fighting duels. If the fight just couldn't wait until dawn, this shield had a lantern embedded in it, or hung from a hook on it, that both blinded the opponent and let the wielder see what he was stabbing.
Falchion
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Which weapon is this?
Mace
Flail
Morning star
Club
If you're looking for an ancient weapon, this is it! The club has been around since Og got mad at Thag for stealing his portion of dead animal and whacked him with the nearest big stick.
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Which weapon is this?
Flail
Mace
People often get maces and flails confused. The easy way to remember is that if the head is fixed, it's a mace. If it's loose, attached by a chain or other means, it's a flail. Both really hurt when they hit you in the head.
Morning star
Maul
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Which weapon is this?
Trebuchet
The trebuchet was a modification of the classic catapult. It used a counterweighted lever system to throw heavier payloads for great distances. It's now popular at "punkin chunkin" contests.
Catapult
Siege tower
Ballista
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Which weapon is this?
Rapier
Sabre
The sabre is the most elegant of battle swords. It's light, wielded by one hand and, when used by someone fluent in fencing, a deadly weapon. Even against knights in armor, its ability to fit through the joints in the suit makes it fearsome.
Broadsword
Claymore
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Which weapon is this?
Broadsword
Claymore
Longsword
This was your standard issue blade for knights. It wasn't terribly pretty or elegant, but if you were on horseback and wanted to cleave a path, swinging this would pretty well do the trick.
Rapier
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Which weapon is this?
Battle ax
This is the weapon of the berserker, the wild man who wades into a melee and starts laying about him with gusto. It doesn't mess around with accuracy or finesse ... whatever it hits will sustain enough damage to be put out of commission.
Throwing ax
Shestopyor
Flanged mace
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Which weapon is this?
Pike
Lance
The lance was of course the most popular part of jousting contests. If you've ever seen "A Knight's Tale," you've seen plenty of the strategy involved. It wasn't really that useful in a pitched battle, though, since it was fairly unwieldy.
Halberd
Military fork
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Which weapon is this?
Recurve bow
The recurve was an example of medieval weapon R&D, with the second curve allowing a more efficient transfer of force from bowstring to arrow. However, the additional tension was frequently too much for middling-quality materials, and it made more noise when fired, making its use as a sniper weapon limited.
English longbow
Francisca
Culverin
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Which weapon is this?
Chakram
Nzappa zap
Garrote
Sling
The sling is another one of those weapons whose origins go back into the mists of time. The most famous use was in the biblical story of David and Goliath.
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Which weapon is this?
Crossbow
Ballista
The ballista was a crossbow on steroids. Imagine if Tim Allen, of "Home Improvement" fame, got hold of a crossbow. The result is a giant weapon that requires a team to load and cock, which throws a bolt that looks like half a telephone pole.
Repeating crossbow
Hand cannon
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Which weapon is this?
Mortar
The mortar was a natural for siege warfare. While cannons were straight-ahead weapons, the mortar lobbed its payload in a high arc, making it easy to fire over castle walls.
Onager
Ballista
Cannon
You Got:
/44
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