Mercenaries, or hired swords in service to the highest bidder, were a common sight in the turbulent Middle Ages. Despite the negative connotations often associated with these soldiers, their impact on the battlefield was far-reaching. This issue explores several chapters in the shadowy history of medieval mercenaries, but be warned: their world was not always a pleasant one…

Theme: The Power of wealth: Mercenaries in the Middle Ages

• Historical introduction – Owen Rees, ‘Introduction to the Theme’.
• The Source – Murray Dahm, ‘The Chronicles of Froissart’.
• Sidney Dean, ‘The German Landsknechte’.
• Arnold Blumberg, ‘The use of mercenaries by the English Crown, 1066 – 1250’.
• Raffaele d’Amato, ‘The Varangian Guard’.
• Vassilis Pergalias, ‘The Catalan Company’.

Features:

• The Weapon – Ross Cowan, ‘Distinctive Scottish Longswords of the 14th and 15th centuries’.
• The Castle – Gareth Williams, ‘The iron ring of Edward Long-Shanks: Castles of North Wales’.
• The Battle – Andrei Pogacias, ‘The Battle of Varna’.
• Weapon Handling – John Clements, ‘The absence of documentable evidence for Early Medieval fighting arts’.