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The Chinese crossbow had a longer power stroke, around 51 cm (20 in) or so, compared to the early medieval European crossbow, which typically sat around only 10–18 cm (3.9–7.1 in). This was made possible by the more compact design of the Chinese trigger, which allowed it to sit further back at the rear-end of the tiller.
The main armament of the Genoese crossbowmen was the crossbow, made in Genoa by the Balistrai Corporation. As well, the mercenaries were equipped with a dagger, a light metal helmet, a gorget, a hauberk and a large shield, called a pavese (), which was used while reloading the crossbow.
Medieval European crossbows had a much smaller draw length than bows, so that for the same energy to be imparted to the projectile the crossbow had to have a much higher draw weight. A direct comparison between a fast hand-drawn replica crossbow and a longbow shows a 6:10 rate of shooting [92] or a 4:9 rate within 30 seconds and comparable weapons.
The term "arbalest" is sometimes used interchangeably with "crossbow". Arbalest is a Medieval French word originating from the Roman name arcuballista (from arcus 'bow' + ballista 'missile-throwing engine'), [3] which was then used for crossbows, although originally used for types of artillery.
An extensive list of archaic words for medieval crossbowmen is given by Payne-Gallwey. [6] Richardson, in his 1839 dictionary, [7] did not make specific reference to the crossbow in his definition of arbalist: "One who casts or shoots from a bow."
January 10, 2024 at 10:07 AM While exploring a 500-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Sweden, divers discovered “surprising” cargo and weapons that may have helped repel pirates.
A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. [ a ] A man-at-arms could be a knight , or other nobleman , a member of a knight's or nobleman's retinue, or a mercenary in a company serving under a captain.
The Master of Crossbowmen (French: Maître des Arbalétriers) or more precisely, Master of Arbalesters or Master of Archers was the title of a commander of the Infantry of the French army (the "host") in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.