Simply put, due to a combination of economic situations and lack of martial interests, many of these nobles and bannerets didn’t prefer to answer their king’s call to arms.Īnd their solution came forth in the form of the scutage or ‘shield money’, which basically entailed a tax or fine paid by the magnate in lieu of offering military service. But as always, the practicality of the evolving hierarchy of society (sometimes defined by economic means) impeded what was seemingly a fair-enough system for the nobles.
#Warlords call to arms armorgames full
Now theoretically these magnates were expected to appear in person with their full quota of knights and retinue when called upon by the king. In fact, it was this very same societal mechanism that fueled the rise of the European knights in the 11th century AD. The feudal system brought to England by the Normans essentially alluded to a simple enough scope where magnates and lords received lands from the king in return for military service. These 1300-1400 elite troops formed the core of the army that possibly comprised around 15,000 total men. To that end, Edward I brought forth 800 of his own men comprising his familia troops and mercenaries, and they were accompanied by only 564 household warriors fielded by the other nobles of England. For example, the dwindling nature of the forces mustered by the English feudal lords was mirrored by their scant numbers at the famous Battle of Falkirk in 1298 AD. On the other hand, the royal household warriors along with their attachments of mercenaries often formed the majority of the familia warriors on the battlefield. Similarly, in 1282 AD, his successor Edward I (also known as Edward Longshanks) employed some 1,500 crossbowmen from Gascony, and they vastly outnumbered his paltry 245 mounted household warriors (comprising both royal English knights and squires). And while Magna Carta sought to expel most of these foreign warriors, the English kings continued to actively recruit mercenaries for their foreign campaigns.įor example, in 1230 AD, Henry III himself may have hired over 1,500 mercenaries (with 500 of them being knights) in Poitou, west-central France. The Mercenary Side of Affairs Illustration by Graham Turner, for Osprey Publishing.Ī unique military arrangement in 13th century England led to the employment and formation of mercenary companies that were counted among the ‘complementary’ units that formed the royal detachments. On occasions, the lord even passed down his heirlooms to his closest household knights, thus suggesting the two-way nature of oaths of fealty.
Now like their predecessors, the familia were given their fair share of remuneration and rations (as opposed to a consistent salary), with bannerets (high-ranking English knights who fought under their own banner) receiving 4 shillings and ordinary English knights receiving 2 shillings (which was increased to 3 on active duty). And it should be noted that this number rather increased with the passing of the decades. They were accompanied by the royal squires, sergeants, and their own personal squires – thus possibly amounting to a king’s elite retinue of around 300-350 men. A muster list from circa 1225 AD showed how Henry III himself could only raise a force of around 100 household knights. Suffice it to say, in most cases, the familia was very well armed and armored, with the king’s very own familia forming the nucleus of his royal army. In essence, this elite retinue of mounted warriors contributed to a logistically advantageous situation, especially in marches and areas that saw frequent skirmishes. In the latter’s case, these household warriors were known as the familia, and as such consisted of a core body of troops (both knights and squires) who were close to their lord or king.
The Frankish battle-hardened scarae followed this tradition and so did the lordly class of 13th century England. The Germanic tribal warlords and ‘kings’ had their chosen followers who were offered the high ranks of hearthweru (or heath-guard) warriors. Honorable Mention – Brotherhood in Arms The Familia Illustration from Winchester Bible, c.The Paradoxical Notion of Medieval Knightly Ideals.English Knights and The Magna Carta Effect.
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