A Rose and its Thorns

An Article by: Donovan Stewart

Introduction

During the Middle Ages, knights prevailed across England. For them, this time meant chivalry, honor, and the Wars of the Roses. The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars that determined the ruler of England. Throughout this time, many advancements in weaponry and armor were made. These advancements helped pave the way for a brighter future.

Notable Armor Innovation

During the Middle Ages,many armor innovations to armor were made. The helmet contained the most notable innovation. It was remodeled to allow knights to be able to turn their heads. According to Stephen Turnbull’s The Book of the Medieval Knight “over time, the evolution in armor led to the decline in sword usage.” Due to armor becoming more durable swords weren’t capable of cutting through. In order to combat this enhancement, a few new weapons were made.

New Weapons

Many weapons were becoming obsolete as new advancements in armor were being made. Therefore, weapons evolved alongside them. New weapons such as the halberd and various hand cannons were made. The halberd was a form of weapon meant to be versatile in battle. According to an article known as Loyalty Binds Me “A small, sharp-bladed wound atop Richard III’s head signifies that they also might’ve been used as execution weapons”. However, for a knight, their weapons and armor weren’t the only things they had that made them unique.

Halberd

Customs and Traits

Knights had various customs, such as their chivalry. According to Stephen Turnbull’s The Book of the Medieval Knight, “The same sources which gave knights their style of warfare also applied their basis for chivalry.” However, chivalry wasn’t their only custom. Honor was both a custom and one of a knights key traits. In fact, when a knight entered the battlefield, they wouldn’t leave because it would bring them dishonor. A great example of this would be how the current king of England at the time, King James II, continued to ride on while being escorted via Dunbar to the fortress town of Berwick. Even though knights had their customs, not all were shared.

Beginning of War

During the year 1455, there were two houses that ruled over England; they were the House of York and the House of Lancaster. They were both descendants of Edward III. One day, during the same year, the people of England began to consider that its current rulers, the Lancasters, weren’t sufficient rulers and that their relatives, the Yorks, were. This, in turn, sparked conflict between the two houses. Eventually, this turned into what became known as the Wars of the Roses. The reason for this name being that the two houses had similar symbols to represent their sides of the family. The Yorks had a white rose and the Lancasters had a red rose. For thirty-two years the two houses remained at war with one another for the reign over England. This resulted in many casualties.

Red Rose of Lancaster

White Rose of York

Battle to the End

On August 22, 1485, Henry VII, a Lancaster, killed Richard III, a Yorkie, who was the last English monarch to be killed in battle. According to Mandy Barrow’s Battle of Bosworth, “Henry VII brought an army of about 5,000 and Richard III brought an army of nearly 8,000.” After he killed Richard III, Henry VII went on to begin the Tudor Dynasty’s reign over England. This lasted for about 118 years. Little did anyone know that the war was nearly over.

Richard III

King Henry VII (Henry Tudor)

End of War

In the year 1487, Henry Tudor, otherwise known as King Henry VII, married Elizabeth of York, who was a Yorkie. Their marriage resulted in the end of the Wars of the Roses and a new era of peace between the Lancasters and Yorks. To commemorate this moment, King Henry VII created a new symbol known as the Tudor rose. The Tudor rose was a combination of the red from Lancaster and the white of York. This combined rose was meant to symbolize the end of the two houses struggles as they ushered in a new era of peace.

Tudor Rose

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Middle Ages were a time of both struggles and prosperity. During this time period, various enhancements were made to weapons and armor to cope with the ever-changing times. This was also a period where two houses came to grow further apart due to their differences and pride. It was trials and tribulations like these that made the Middle Ages unique to its time.

Sources:

Barrow, Mandy. “War of the Roses 1455-1487.” Battle of Bosworth - War of the Roses, 2013, http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/tudors/waroftheroses.htm

Turnbull, Stephen. The Book of the Medieval Knight. Brockhampton, 1998.

Unknown, Unknown. “Wars of the Roses Weaponry and Tactics.” Wars of the Roses Weaponry and Tactics, 1 Jan. 1970, http://loyaltybindsmeuk.blogspot.com/2015/04/wars-of-roses-weaponary-and-tactics.html

All pictures were taken from:

Barrow, Mandy. “War of the Roses 1455-1487.” Battle of Bosworth - War of the Roses, 2013, http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/tudors/waroftheroses.htm

Unknown, Unknown. “Wars of the Roses Weaponry and Tactics.” Wars of the Roses Weaponry and Tactics, 1 Jan. 1970, http://loyaltybindsmeuk.blogspot.com/2015/04/wars-of-roses-weaponary-and-tactics.html