Elizabethan England faced a constant threat of war from Spain and France, and therefore it was imperative that Elizabethan weapons were contemporary with the times. Though quite surprising but England did not have a regular army during the Elizabethan era. Consequently, many weapons of the medieval period were still in use and were wielded by trained militia, which typically comprised of every able-bodied man between the age group of 18 and 60. There was clearly a need for advanced Elizabethan weapons.
Early Elizabethan weapons comprised of the legacy weapons from the medieval period. It was customary (or rather mandatory) for nobles to acquire fencing skills, and hence a variety of swords were used in early Elizabethan warfare. These included broadswords, cutting swords and the rapier. Though the other swords were typically wider and heavier, the rapier was a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword. The rapier was capable of both cutting and thrusting attacks, but it was used mainly for thrusting attacks. Other early Elizabethan weapons included the arbalest (a crossbow), battle axe, dagger and its various types, halberd, longbow, mace, pike, and spear among others.
The most significant development in English warfare was the introduction of firearms. The musket was crafted towards the end of the medieval era in 1520, but it was not until the mid 1590s that its use became prevalent, when the Queen ordered that all crossbows be replaced by muskets. Almost all muskets during the Elizabethan era were fired via the “matchlock mechanism”, named so because it was the first attempt at automatic ignition using a lighted match. Unequivocally, the matchlock had a few drawbacks. It was slow to reload and inaccurate at over 100 meters. Nevertheless, muskets were one of the most popular Elizabethan weapons, and their prevalence changed the face of English warfare.
A more lethal category of Elizabethan weapons were the cannon, which replaced the big siege weapons of the medieval period, namely the trebuchet, ballista and the mangonel (used to batter masonry or hurl projectiles at castle walls). The early cannon were crafted with bronze or iron, and the round shot was made of either iron or stone balls. During the later half of the 16th century, these great Elizabethan weapons were classified according to size. They had such names as culverin, falcon, falconer, cannon royal, minion etc. Cannon paved the way for England’s military and naval excellence, since it could be used effectively on both land and sea.
Elizabethan weapons were put to a grueling test when Philip II of Spain attempted to invade England with the mighty Spanish Armada in 1588. The attempt was foiled and England prevailed thereby proving the efficacy of English warfare. Elizabethan era was marked by a worldwide increase in English power and influence. For instance, the English colonization of North America took place during Elizabeth’s reign. Elizabeth’s reign is referred to as “the Golden Age”. The heights achieved by England during this period, including her successful military expeditions, would not have been possible without the magnificent Elizabethan weapons.
