Quintain

Quintain

Facts and interesting information about Medieval Weapons, Armor and arms,
specifically, the Quintain

Description of Medieval Quintain
The training method used during the Medieval times of the Middle Ages to use a lance was the Medieval Quintain. The description of the Medieval Quintain which provides basic facts and information about the weapon is as follows:

• Medieval Quintain - A Medieval Quintain was used to help to train a knight in the effective use of the lance.  It consisted of a shield and dummy which suspended from a swinging pole. When the shield was hit by a charging squire, a knight in training, the whole apparatus would rotate. The squire's task was to avoid the rotating arms and not get knocked from the saddle

• The rotating arms sometimes had a heavy sandbag attached to them

Accuracy was also an important factor and squires practised "Running at the Rings" where the lance was aimed at a target in the shape of a ring - these rings were obviously much smaller to lance than a man and this skill was therefore difficult to master.

Medieval Quintain Training
Skill in using Medieval weapons was dependent on weapon practise. The Medieval Quintain was used for training in the use of the Medieval Lance. A Medieval Quintain enabled target practise with a lance. This idea was 'borrowed' from the Romans.

The First Stage of training - A Page would start to acquire the skills required of a Knight by practising the skills of tilting a lance against the Medieval Quintain. At first a target was erected and the Page would mount a wooden 'horse' on wheels holding a lance. The wooden horse would be pulled along by two other pages towards the target and the page would aim the lance.

The second stage of training - As the apprentice Knights, the squires,  acquired the skills of horsemanship they would practise against a shield and dummy which were suspended from a swinging pole. The shield was hit by a charging squire and his objective was to avoid the rotating arms and not get knocked from the saddle. The dummy was often made to look realistic by portraying symbols of the knights current enemy. A dummy would be designed to look like a Saracen, for example, during the period of the crusades.

Weapons practise - Fully fledged knights would also practise at the Medieval Quintain to ensure their skills using the lance were in peak condition and that their bodies remained fit and agile in preparation for his role as a fighter.

The Medieval Quintain Medieval Times was an extremely violent era in history featuring battles in both Europe and the Holy Land when the crusades, and the crusaders who fought them, were numerous. Feudal Lords and Knights and their men at arms used such weapons as the lance in different types of warfare. The weapons used were dictated according to status and position. The weapons, armor and horse of the Knight were extremely expensive - the fighting power of just one knight was worth 10 ordinary soldiers - it was therefore imperative to ensure that he had excellent training in the use of all of his weapons. Knights practised their sword skills during Pell Training

Medieval Weapons and Armor - Quintain
The Medieval Life and Times website provides interesting facts, history and information about the weapons, armor and battles in Medieval history, including the Quintain, which scatter the history books. The Medieval Times Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts about the fascinating subject of the lives of the soldiers and knights who lived during the historical period of the Middle Ages. The content of this article on Quintain provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework for history courses and history coursework.