Traditional weapons such as spears, axes, clubs and swords remained in use into the twentieth century, never fully supplanted by firearms. Below are samples of some long-handled weapons from Essentials of the Military Arts. The handles of clubs, maces, and axes could be up to three or four meters long. In what situations would long-handled weapons be preferred over ones with short handles? |
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The general to the left, from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is holding under his arm a long-handled halberd with a long blade.
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Below are three scenes from The Water Margin showing various weapons in use. |
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How many weapons in these pictures can you identify ? What kind of comparisons and contrasts can be drawn between this army and a medieval European army on parade?
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Move on to Catapults |