Of all the varieties of knives, the club is the oldest. However, as the soldiers of the Middle Ages considered, its possibilities were limited. To protect himself from the blow with a club, a person just had to put on plate armor. In connection with this fact, a need arose for a more effective strike weapon, for which heavy armor would not become an obstacle. The Morgenstern became such an almost ideal means of killing. The weapon was widely used by German soldiers during the 13-16 centuries. Information about its structure, application, advantages and disadvantages can be found in this article.
Acquaintance with the weapon
“Morgenstern” in German means “morning star”. It is a special kind of strike weapon. It got its name due to the fact that its spherical warhead (beater) was equipped with pointed spikes at different angles. Thus, the product resembles a star. Morgenstern is believed to be the weapon of Swiss warriors. This term was applied to clubs with spiky tops. However, there is also the concept of “kettenmorgestern”, or “chain morgenstern”. This product is a brush whose beater contains spikes. Thus, the Morgenstern is a melee weapon designed to pierce heavy armor with existing pointed steel spikes.
About production
According to experts, the Morgenstern is a weapon that is quite easy to manufacture. In the 13-16 centuries, technologies for working with various metals were already developed so that the gunsmiths did not have difficulties. Cast iron, bronze and iron were used as the material for the impact part. Master Morgenstern (photo of the weapon is presented in the article) as follows:
- warheads and spikes forged separately;
- spikes were simply welded to an iron beat.
Before that, all the components of the weapon were hardened. If the warhead was made of bronze or cast iron, then special mounting holes were made in it beforehand, the diameter of which was less than the diameter of the shanks of steel spikes. Then the beater was subjected to heat treatment. Then, spikes were inserted into the holes of the most warmed warhead. After the beat began to cool, the temperatures were equalized, due to which each spike was “grabbed” and held firmly in the warhead.
According to experts, they often made beats from wood. It was enough to simply equip the club with iron spikes. Despite the fact that this method was less time-consuming, the design was not strong enough. Cracks often formed on impact weapons during combat. The most effective were the morgensterns with 4 kg warheads. Making a weapon with a bill whose weight was less than a kilogram was simply not practical.
About application
According to experts, the medieval weapon of the Morgenstern was widely used by both cavalry and foot soldiers. Despite the fact that the result from the strike of the "rising star" was incredibly crushing, the inertia was present in the weapon. For this reason, the morgenstern was used as a weapon of one blow. Technically, due to its high speed and maneuverability, it was much easier to do this for an infantryman. The equestrian fighter had to carefully calculate the place for the strike. Since the walking soldiers had both hands free, the morgensherns were much more effective in their use. In the cavalry, the "rising star" was held only with one hand, so the blow was weaker.
About the merits
Although the manufacture of forged spikes was a troublesome and expensive task, it was compensated during the battle. Morgenstern has established itself as an effective cold weapon, through which it was possible to kill enemy infantry and cavalry. Sharp steel spikes pierced chain mail and armor, leaving no chance for the enemy. In addition, the Morgenstern, unlike the two-handed sword, had a simple structure. To be controlled by him, the warrior did not need to take a long training course.
About weaknesses
Despite the undeniable advantages, the “rising star” had the following disadvantages:
- Because of the sharp spikes for the Morgenstern, it was impossible to sew a cover. Therefore, during transportation, the fighters had a lot of trouble: weapons clung to clothes, it was not easy to walk with him. In addition, the warrior operating the Morgenstern posed a danger to "his own."
- "Rising Star" is considered a weapon rather primitive. They were only hit vertically. If the enemy was not ready for this and did not have time to hide behind the shield in time, then a head injury was provided to him.
- Since the working part of this medieval weapon was a studded top, the warrior should have calculated the distance in such a way that it hit the target. If the enemy reduced the distance, the warrior fell into the blind zone, in which the Morgenstern is absolutely useless.
