By the 11th century, no warrior was as prized as the Norman fighter. The detachments of these fierce, reckless men in battle without a twinge of conscience acted as mercenaries and with the same pleasure plundered entire countries under the leadership of their leaders. Over time, the heavy cavalry of the Normans became the most dangerous military force in all of Europe, and the descendants of the Vikings themselves became the real elite of the ancient world.
Greedy and merciless
Already the first period of expansion of the Normans showed that the civilized world has nothing to oppose to such warriors. Greedy, warlike, recklessly brave sailors attacked England, Scotland and Ireland. Around the end of the 9th century, the generally intelligent Normans change their tactics and begin to populate rather than plunder new territories.
Norman conquest
In 911, the Duchy of Normandy appeared on the territory of Northern France. A little later, the conquerors, skilled in military labors, subjugate first England, and then southern Italy and Sicily. Moreover, the Normans were not the worst rulers. On the contrary, they often preferred to follow the letter of their own laws and rarely broke agreements. Why cut down on peasants who regularly pay taxes?
Promotional video:
Knightly manners
In those days, the new class of Norman warriors was significantly different from the old aristocracy of the Franks. Normans could rarely remember their ancestors more than a generation ago: these knights were poor and did not possess large land holdings. But they had no equal in the battle, which was confirmed by the extremely successful raids and conquests of William the Conqueror.
Heavy cavalry
The new tactics allowed Wilhelm to win many battles. The main part of the duke's army was heavy cavalry: in battle, the detachments were lined up in two ranks and went on the attack stirrup to stirrup. Try to imagine this avalanche of steel and muscle rolling towards the enemy! Moreover, neither the new tactics, nor the more developed weapons did not affect the very technique of using the spear - the blow was still inflicted with an outstretched hand.
Equipment
The clothes and weapons of the Norman equestrian warrior are generally characteristic of all Western Europe at that time. The head is protected by a riveted four-segment conical frame helmet with a nose piece. The long chain mail with a hood and a front chain mail flap has slits in the front and back hem for easy riding. Under the chain mail, a quilted gambeson with long sleeves is worn. The large amygdala shield comfortably protects the warrior's body and legs when mounted on a horse. Steel umbon serves to strengthen the plane of the shield. The offensive armament consists of a sword with a belt sling and a spear with a pennant.
War horses
The rider is as good as his horse. The Normans carefully selected and carefully looked after their comrades in arms. Typically, the warhorse was a powerful and stubborn beast, as dangerous as the knight himself. Trained stallions bit the opponent, beat him with their hooves, or simply crushed him with a wide chest. Few could withstand the attack of the Norman cavalry!
Elite
The Norman Knights can trace their ancestors back to the very Jomsvikings, the harsh warriors of ancient Denmark. Merging with the Anglo-Saxons, Irish and even Italians, the Normans became a completely new race of warriors, courageous and skillful. It was they who led the heavy cavalry to the European battlefields - and this tactic was used until the Middle Ages.