Arms and their Innovations in Aragon during the Second Half of the 14th Century

Authors

  • Álvaro Cantos Carnicer Investigador independiente

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v6i11.242

Keywords:

Armour, Weaponry, Kingdom of Aragon, 14th Century, Siege Machinery

Abstract

In this article armour and weapons in Aragon in the second half of the 14th century are analysed, making a comparison with the previous century to define their evolution and innovations. Up to now, no overall research has been carried out about this subject in Aragon, in contrast to other Spanish territories, such as Catalonia and Castile. In fact, many data about Catalonia is also valid for Aragon and can be taken, to a great extent, as a starting point or a comparative element. This study uses documentary (documents of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon, Aragonese medieval laws, municipal rules, inventories…) and iconographic sources (Aragonese and Catalonian gothic painting and sculpture).

It has been confirmed that the previous types of elements to protect the head, the neck and the body (mail defences) continued to be used but others were developed, such as the bascinet and the cuirasses with internal iron sheets; an attempt has been made to distinguish between other not well-known elements, such as suellas, espalderas, iubetes, jaques… It has been verified that the metal pieces of armour to defend the legs and the arms began to be used early in the 14th century and their use increased over the century. However, only in the last decade of the 14th century the use of an armour totally constituted by pieces of metal is detected, even the breastplate, as in other territories of the Iberian Peninsula. With regard to the arms, different references are shown about the use of spears, darts, crossbows and their types, etc.

Concerning the artillery, it has been confirmed the only use of counterweight war machines or engines and their division into three types: ingenios, trebuchets and cabritas. It has been deduced that all of them had the same basic components but different size and power. Firearms appeared around 1360, including not only canons (bombards) but also portable weapons.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Álvaro Cantos Carnicer, Investigador independiente

Álvaro Cantos Carnicer (Zaragoza, 1967) es licenciado en Filosofía y Letras: modalidad de Geografía e Historia (1990) y doctor en Arqueología (2000) por la Universidad de Zaragoza. En 2010 obtuvo el título de Licenciado en Historia del Arte en la citada universidad. Su actividad investigadora ha girado en torno a tres temáticas: la terra sigillata itálica y gálica (cerámica romana de época altoimperial), los castillos y fortificaciones aragoneses y el armamento medieval en el reino y la Corona de Aragón durante la Baja Edad Media. Su actividad profesional se ha desarrollado esencialmente en el terreno de la arqueología (excavaciones arqueológicas en solares de Zaragoza, en el castillo de Arándiga y en Navarra; elaboración de inventarios de materiales en excavaciones realizadas en Zaragoza) y el turismo. Actualmente trabaja como guía turístico en el palacio de la Aljafería de Zaragoza. Es autor de numerosas monografías y participa, habitualmente, en Congresos nacionales e internacionales.

References

BATLLE, Carme y Àngels PARÉS: “El castell de Sitges a la mort de Bernat de Fono-llar (1326)”, en Fortaleses, torres, guaites i castells de la Catalunya medieval, Acta histo-rica et archaeologica mediaevalia, Annex 3, Barcelona, Universidad de Barcelona, 1986, pp. 153-177.

BENÍTEZ MARTÍN, Lidia: Documentos para la historia de Molina en la Corona de Aragón: 1369-1375 (El registro 1551 de la Cancillería de Pedro IV), Zaragoza, Institu-ción Fernando el Católico, 1992.

BORRÁS, Gonzalo M.: La techumbre mudéjar de la Catedral de Teruel, Zaragoza, CAI 100, 1999.

CALVO, Francisco y Miguel ZUGAZA (eds.), Enciclopedia del museo del Prado, tomo VI, Madrid, Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, Tf Editores, 2006.

CANTOS CARNICER, Álvaro: “Las fortificaciones aragonesas durante la Guerra de los Dos Pedros”, en Las fortificaciones en guerra. VI Jornadas de Castellología Arago-nesa (Calatorao, 9, 10 y 11 de noviembre de 2012), Zaragoza, Asociación para la Recu-peración de los Castillos en Aragón e Iniciativa Cultural Barbacana, 2014, pp. 135-200.

ÍD.: “Las fortificaciones de Calatayud durante la Guerra de los dos Pedros (1356-1369)”, en IX Encuentro de Estudios Bilbilitanos (Calatayud, 13, 14 y 15 de noviembre de 2015), Calatayud, Centro de Estudios Bilbilitanos, 2016, tomo II, pp. 109-121.

ÍD.: “Las fortificaciones de Calatayud en el tercer cuarto del siglo XIV. Aproximación a su historia, dirección, reparaciones y armamento”, Patrimonio Cultural del Valle del Ebro (Historia, Cultura, Arte y Paisaje), 4 (2014), pp. 21-22.

ÍD.: “Los Castillos Mayor y Real de la ciudad de Calatayud en el año 1371 a la luz de dos inventarios del archivo real”, Gladius, 36 (2016), pp. 141-160.

CASTAÑÉ LLINÁS, José: El Fuero de Teruel, Teruel, Ayuntamiento de Teruel, 1991.

DE LA FUENTE, Vicente: Historia de la siempre augusta y fidelísima ciudad de Cala-tayud, Zaragoza, Caja de Ahorros de la Inmaculada, 1969.

DE RIQUER, Martín: L’arnés del cavaller. Armes i armadures catalanes medievals, Barcelona, La Magrana - RBA, 2011, pp. 173-174.

DEL CAMPILLO, Toribio: Documentos históricos de Daroca y su comunidad, Zarago-za, Imprenta del Hospicio Provincial, 1915.

DURÁN GUDIOL, Antonio: “Notas de archivo”, Argensola, 25 (1956), pp. 93-100.

ESPAÑOL, Francesca: “El panteó dels comtes d’Urgell al monestir de Bellpuig de les Avellanes”, en L’art gòtic a Catalunya: Escultura. I, La configuració de l’estil, Barcelo-na, Fundació Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2007, pp. 80-87.

FALCÓN PÉREZ, Mª. Isabel: “Paz, orden y moralidad en Zaragoza en el siglo XV. Es-tatutos dictados al efecto por los jurados”, Aragón en la Edad Media, 16 (2000), pp. 307-322.

GIMÉNEZ FERRERUELA, Héctor: “I. Crónica histórica del castillo de Cadrete. Des-de su fundación hasta nuestros días.”, en Javier BOROBIO SANCHIZ y José Luis ONA GONZÁLEZ (coords.), El castillo de Cadrete. Del abandono a la visita guiada, Zaragoza, Ayuntamiento de Cadrete - Institución “Fernando el Católico”, 2015, pp. 19-61.

ÍD.: “Un proyecto de fortificación en la Guerra de los dos Pedros (1356-1369): Los Fa-yos”, Castillos de Aragón, 12 (2005).

GONZÁLEZ ZYMLA, Herbet: El altar relicario del Monasterio de Piedra, Madrid, Real Academia de la Historia, Zaragoza, Institución Fernando el Católico, 2013.

HERNÀNDEZ CARDONA, F. Xavier: Història militar de Catalunya. Aproximació didàctica. Vol. II. Temps de conquesta. Barcelona, Rafael Dalmau, 2004.

LACARRA DUCAY, Mª Carmen: “El manuscrito del Vidal Mayor. Estudio histórico-artístico de sus miniaturas”, en Mª. Carmen LACARRA (coord.), La miniatura y el grabado de la Baja Edad Media en los archivos españoles, Zaragoza, Institución “Fernando el Católico”, 2012, pp. 7-44.

ÍD.: “La pintura gótica en los antiguos reinos de Aragón y Navarra (ca. 1379-1416)”, Artigrama, 26 (2011), pp. 287-332.

ÍD.: “Pintura gótica en la Comunidad de Calatayud”, en Julián MILLÁN y Agustín SANMIGUEL (coords.), Comarca de la Comunidad de Calatayud, Zaragoza, Departa-mento de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales, 2005, pp. 199-206.

ID.: Arte gótico en el Museo de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Departamento de Cultura y Turis-mo, 2003.

ID.: “Pinturas murales en Santa Lucía de Sos del Rey Católico (Zaragoza)”, Príncipe de Viana, 152-153 (1978), pp. 483-396.

LACARRA, Mª Carmen y Carmen MORTE: Catálogo del Museo Episcopal y Capitular de Huesca, Zaragoza, Guara, 1984.

LAFUENTE GÓMEZ, Mario: "Categorías de combatientes y su armamento en el Ara-gón bajomedieval: la Guerra de los dos Pedros (1356-1366)", Gladius, XXXIII (2013), pp. 131-156.

ÍD.: “Que paresca que ciudat es. La fortificación de Zaragoza en la guerra de los Dos Pedros (1356-1366)”, en ARÍZAGA, B. y SOLÓRZANO, J.A. (coords.): Construir en la Edad Media, VI Encuentros Internacionales del Medievo, Logroño, Instituto de Es-tudios Riojanos, 2010, pp. 571-600.

MARCH, Pere: Obra completa, ed. Lluís CABRÉ, Barcelona, Barcino, 1993.

MARTINENA RUIZ, Juan José: “Noticias documentales acerca del castillo de Tudela”, Revista del Centro de Estudios de la Merindad de Tudela, 14 (2006), pp. 63-102.

MIRET I SANS, Joaquim: “Inventaris de les cases del Temple de la Corona d’Aragó en 1289”. Boletín de la Real Academia de Buenas Letras de Barcelona, 42 (1911), pp. 61-75.

MONREAL Y TEJADA, Luis: Ingeniería militar en las crónicas catalanas, Discurso de ingreso leído el día 31 de enero de 1971 en la Real Academia de Buenas Letras, Barce-lona, Real Academia de Buenas Letras, 1971.

RODRIGO ESTEVAN, Mª Luz: La ciudad de Daroca a fines de la Edad Media: selec-ción documental (1328-1526), Daroca, Centro de Estudios Darocenses, 3, 1999.

ROVIRA I PORT, Jordi y Àngels CASANOVAS I ROMEU: Las pinturas murales medievales del castillo calatravo de Alcañiz, Alcañiz, Centro de Estudios Bajoaragone-ses, 2014.

SÁEZ ABAD, Rubén: “El sitio de Teruel en el contexto de la guerra”, Castillos de Ara-gón, 25 (2012).

ÍD.: Artillería y poliorcética en la Edad Media, Madrid, Almena, 2007.

SÁNCHEZ AMEIJEIRAS, Mª del Rocío: “El arnés y el armamento del caballero me-dieval gallego (1350-1450)”, Acta historica et archaeologica mediaevalia, 10 (1989), pp. 427-436.

SERRANO Y SANZ, Manuel: “Inventarios aragoneses de los siglos XIV y XV. XXIII”, Boletín de la Real Academia Española, 4 (1917).

ÍD.: “Inventarios aragoneses de los siglos XIV y XV. IX”, Boletín de la Real Academia Española, 2 (1915).

SOLDEVILA, Ferran (ed.): Les quatre grans Cròniques, IV. Crònica de Pere III el Ce-rimoniós, revisió filològica de Jordi BRUGUERA, revisió històrica de M. Teresa FE-RRER I MALLOL, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014.

SOLER DEL CAMPO, Álvaro: La evolución del armamento medieval en el reino caste-llano-leonés y al-Andalus (siglos XII-XIV), Madrid, Servicio de Publicaciones del E.M.E., 1993.

ZURITA, Jerónimo: Anales de la Corona de Aragón, Edición de Ángel CANELLAS LÓPEZ, Institución Fernando el Católico, Zaragoza, 1967-1988.

Downloads

Published

2017-06-15

How to Cite

Cantos Carnicer, Álvaro. (2017). Arms and their Innovations in Aragon during the Second Half of the 14th Century. Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 6(11), 109–135. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v6i11.242

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 11 (2017): Guerra y competencia entre Estados en el Mediterráneo Medieval (siglos XIV-XV)

Section

Dossier

License

Copyright (c) 2017 University Journal of Military History

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License

By exercising the Licensed Rights (defined below), You accept and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License ("Public License"). To the extent this Public License may be interpreted as a contract, You are granted the Licensed Rights in consideration of Your acceptance of these terms and conditions, and the Licensor grants You such rights in consideration of benefits the Licensor receives from making the Licensed Material available under these terms and conditions.

Section 1 – Definitions.

  1. Adapted Material means material subject to Copyright and Similar Rights that is derived from or based upon the Licensed Material and in which the Licensed Material is translated, altered, arranged, transformed, or otherwise modified in a manner requiring permission under the Copyright and Similar Rights held by the Licensor. For purposes of this Public License, where the Licensed Material is a musical work, performance, or sound recording, Adapted Material is always produced where the Licensed Material is synched in timed relation with a moving image.
  2. Copyright and Similar Rights means copyright and/or similar rights closely related to copyright including, without limitation, performance, broadcast, sound recording, and Sui Generis Database Rights, without regard to how the rights are labeled or categorized. For purposes of this Public License, the rights specified in Section 2(b)(1)-(2) are not Copyright and Similar Rights.
  3. Effective Technological Measures means those measures that, in the absence of proper authority, may not be circumvented under laws fulfilling obligations under Article 11 of the WIPO Copyright Treaty adopted on December 20, 1996, and/or similar international agreements.
  4. Exceptions and Limitations means fair use, fair dealing, and/or any other exception or limitation to Copyright and Similar Rights that applies to Your use of the Licensed Material.
  5. Licensed Material means the artistic or literary work, database, or other material to which the Licensor applied this Public License.
  6. Licensed Rights means the rights granted to You subject to the terms and conditions of this Public License, which are limited to all Copyright and Similar Rights that apply to Your use of the Licensed Material and that the Licensor has authority to license.
  7. Licensor means the individual(s) or entity(ies) granting rights under this Public License.
  8. NonCommercial means not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation. For purposes of this Public License, the exchange of the Licensed Material for other material subject to Copyright and Similar Rights by digital file-sharing or similar means is NonCommercial provided there is no payment of monetary compensation in connection with the exchange.
  9. Share means to provide material to the public by any means or process that requires permission under the Licensed Rights, such as reproduction, public display, public performance, distribution, dissemination, communication, or importation, and to make material available to the public including in ways that members of the public may access the material from a place and at a time individually chosen by them.
  10. Sui Generis Database Rights means rights other than copyright resulting from Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases, as amended and/or succeeded, as well as other essentially equivalent rights anywhere in the world.
  11. You means the individual or entity exercising the Licensed Rights under this Public License. Your has a corresponding meaning.

Section 2 – Scope.

  1. License grant.
    1. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Public License, the Licensor hereby grants You a worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to exercise the Licensed Rights in the Licensed Material to:
      1. reproduce and Share the Licensed Material, in whole or in part, for NonCommercial purposes only; and
      2. produce and reproduce, but not Share, Adapted Material for NonCommercial purposes only.
    2. Exceptions and Limitations. For the avoidance of doubt, where Exceptions and Limitations apply to Your use, this Public License does not apply, and You do not need to comply with its terms and conditions.
    3. Term. The term of this Public License is specified in Section 6(a).
    4. Media and formats; technical modifications allowed. The Licensor authorizes You to exercise the Licensed Rights in all media and formats whether now known or hereafter created, and to make technical modifications necessary to do so. The Licensor waives and/or agrees not to assert any right or authority to forbid You from making technical modifications necessary to exercise the Licensed Rights, including technical modifications necessary to circumvent Effective Technological Measures. For purposes of this Public License, simply making modifications authorized by this Section 2(a)(4) never produces Adapted Material.
    5. Downstream recipients.
      1. Offer from the Licensor – Licensed Material. Every recipient of the Licensed Material automatically receives an offer from the Licensor to exercise the Licensed Rights under the terms and conditions of this Public License.
      2. No downstream restrictions. You may not offer or impose any additional or different terms or conditions on, or apply any Effective Technological Measures to, the Licensed Material if doing so restricts exercise of the Licensed Rights by any recipient of the Licensed Material.
    6. No endorsement. Nothing in this Public License constitutes or may be construed as permission to assert or imply that You are, or that Your use of the Licensed Material is, connected with, or sponsored, endorsed, or granted official status by, the Licensor or others designated to receive attribution as provided in Section 3(a)(1)(A)(i).

  2. Other rights.

    1. Moral rights, such as the right of integrity, are not licensed under this Public License, nor are publicity, privacy, and/or other similar personality rights; however, to the extent possible, the Licensor waives and/or agrees not to assert any such rights held by the Licensor to the limited extent necessary to allow You to exercise the Licensed Rights, but not otherwise.
    2. Patent and trademark rights are not licensed under this Public License.
    3. To the extent possible, the Licensor waives any right to collect royalties from You for the exercise of the Licensed Rights, whether directly or through a collecting society under any voluntary or waivable statutory or compulsory licensing scheme. In all other cases the Licensor expressly reserves any right to collect such royalties, including when the Licensed Material is used other than for NonCommercial purposes.

Section 3 – License Conditions.

Your exercise of the Licensed Rights is expressly made subject to the following conditions.

  1. Attribution.

    1. If You Share the Licensed Material, You must:

      1. retain the following if it is supplied by the Licensor with the Licensed Material:
        1. identification of the creator(s) of the Licensed Material and any others designated to receive attribution, in any reasonable manner requested by the Licensor (including by pseudonym if designated);
        2. a copyright notice;
        3. a notice that refers to this Public License;
        4. a notice that refers to the disclaimer of warranties;
        5. a URI or hyperlink to the Licensed Material to the extent reasonably practicable;
      2. indicate if You modified the Licensed Material and retain an indication of any previous modifications; and
      3. indicate the Licensed Material is licensed under this Public License, and include the text of, or the URI or hyperlink to, this Public License.
      For the avoidance of doubt, You do not have permission under this Public License to Share Adapted Material.
    2. You may satisfy the conditions in Section 3(a)(1) in any reasonable manner based on the medium, means, and context in which You Share the Licensed Material. For example, it may be reasonable to satisfy the conditions by providing a URI or hyperlink to a resource that includes the required information.
    3. If requested by the Licensor, You must remove any of the information required by Section 3(a)(1)(A) to the extent reasonably practicable.

Section 4 – Sui Generis Database Rights.

Where the Licensed Rights include Sui Generis Database Rights that apply to Your use of the Licensed Material:

  1. for the avoidance of doubt, Section 2(a)(1) grants You the right to extract, reuse, reproduce, and Share all or a substantial portion of the contents of the database for NonCommercial purposes only and provided You do not Share Adapted Material;
  2. if You include all or a substantial portion of the database contents in a database in which You have Sui Generis Database Rights, then the database in which You have Sui Generis Database Rights (but not its individual contents) is Adapted Material; and
  3. You must comply with the conditions in Section 3(a) if You Share all or a substantial portion of the contents of the database.

For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 4supplements and does not replace Your obligations under this Public License where the Licensed Rights include other Copyright and Similar Rights.

Section 5 – Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability.

  1. Unless otherwise separately undertaken by the Licensor, to the extent possible, the Licensor offers the Licensed Material as-is and as-available, and makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the Licensed Material, whether express, implied, statutory, or other. This includes, without limitation, warranties of title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, absence of latent or other defects, accuracy, or the presence or absence of errors, whether or not known or discoverable. Where disclaimers of warranties are not allowed in full or in part, this disclaimer may not apply to You.
  2. To the extent possible, in no event will the Licensor be liable to You on any legal theory (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise for any direct, special, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, or other losses, costs, expenses, or damages arising out of this Public License or use of the Licensed Material, even if the Licensor has been advised of the possibility of such losses, costs, expenses, or damages. Where a limitation of liability is not allowed in full or in part, this limitation may not apply to You.
  1. The disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability provided above shall be interpreted in a manner that, to the extent possible, most closely approximates an absolute disclaimer and waiver of all liability.

Section 6 – Term and Termination.

  1. This Public License applies for the term of the Copyright and Similar Rights licensed here. However, if You fail to comply with this Public License, then Your rights under this Public License terminate automatically.

  2. Where Your right to use the Licensed Material has terminated under Section 6(a), it reinstates:

    1. automatically as of the date the violation is cured, provided it is cured within 30 days of Your discovery of the violation; or
    2. upon express reinstatement by the Licensor.
    For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 6(b) does not affect any right the Licensor may have to seek remedies for Your violations of this Public License.
  3. For the avoidance of doubt, the Licensor may also offer the Licensed Material under separate terms or conditions or stop distributing the Licensed Material at any time; however, doing so will not terminate this Public License.
  4. Sections 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 survive termination of this Public License.

Section 7 – Other Terms and Conditions.

  1. The Licensor shall not be bound by any additional or different terms or conditions communicated by You unless expressly agreed.
  2. Any arrangements, understandings, or agreements regarding the Licensed Material not stated herein are separate from and independent of the terms and conditions of this Public License.

Section 8 – Interpretation.

  1. For the avoidance of doubt, this Public License does not, and shall not be interpreted to, reduce, limit, restrict, or impose conditions on any use of the Licensed Material that could lawfully be made without permission under this Public License.
  2. To the extent possible, if any provision of this Public License is deemed unenforceable, it shall be automatically reformed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable. If the provision cannot be reformed, it shall be severed from this Public License without affecting the enforceability of the remaining terms and conditions.
  3. No term or condition of this Public License will be waived and no failure to comply consented to unless expressly agreed to by the Licensor.
  4. Nothing in this Public License constitutes or may be interpreted as a limitation upon, or waiver of, any privileges and immunities that apply to the Licensor or You, including from the legal processes of any jurisdiction or authority.

Creative Commons is not a party to its public licenses. Notwithstanding, Creative Commons may elect to apply one of its public licenses to material it publishes and in those instances will be considered the “Licensor.” The text of the Creative Commons public licenses is dedicated to the public domain under the CC0 Public Domain Dedication. Except for the limited purpose of indicating that material is shared under a Creative Commons public license or as otherwise permitted by the Creative Commons policies published at creativecommons.org/policies, Creative Commons does not authorize the use of the trademark “Creative Commons” or any other trademark or logo of Creative Commons without its prior written consent including, without limitation, in connection with any unauthorized modifications to any of its public licenses or any other arrangements, understandings, or agreements concerning use of licensed material. For the avoidance of doubt, this paragraph does not form part of the public licenses.

Creative Commons may be contacted at creativecommons.org.