Memes aside where I can read more about their raid and battle tactics? Also were French, Irish and Saxon commoners allowed to own weapons or did they only have pitchforks to defend themselves with?
>>823595
Well Carolingians banned commoners from forming Guilds to opose raiders, so its very likely that they were armed.
>>823643
why would they ban it? Were they afraid that the guilds would also oppose them?
I find Byzantine battle tactics fascinating.
>>823710
Most likely.
>>823595
Everyone was allowed weapons, but not everyone could afford good ones
>>823730
LIKE IN USA LOL
>>825488
depends on the local lord and how wealthy he is
>>825488
Something like the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd was typically only wealthy landowners being required to respond to a levy.
>>823713
tell more
>>823595
>Also were French, Irish and Saxon commoners allowed to own weapons or did they only have pitchforks to defend themselves with?
I think that even if they weren't there were no measures to enforce that kind of law back then.
The problem however was that raiders attacked without any kind of warning, so before the "village militia" could get back from fields, equip their weapons, armours and form up, everything was burning already.
>>825488
Depends on period. Typically the requirement was that a vassal has to bring soldiers according to amount of land he owned.
Poorer ones only had to provide infantry while richer had to bring their own cavalry. I think it's safe to say that they've at least provided some weapons since that was something they've needed surplus of anyway(you know, that shit breaks).
>>823595
>Saxon commoners
Don't know about the others but in Anglo-Saxon territory, Wessex, Sussex, Mercia, etc. all men were required to own weapons, swords shields bows spears and such, they were the Fyrd and in times of war a Thegn, Aetheling, Ealdorman could levy a small army in a matter of hours. Not a collection of peasants but rather hardened countrymen trained to fight.
Every year each man was required to give two months of service, so if they were not at war it would be filled with training, building, making weapons, etc.
The entire population could be mobilized within days in order to fight an invading army.
Not only with Fyrdsmen but also thegns and ceorls which provided the more professional warrior backbone.
>>823595
Also the french banned the longbow later on in history because it had the capacity to render professional knights and men-at-arms useless.
imagine 300 peasants with longbows against 30 knights.
>>828087
