Tower of London Collection, England

Henry V was King of England from the year 1413 until his death in 1422, at the ripe old age of 35. In his 35 years, though, he became one of England’s most important monarchs for several reasons, including his many victories in the Hundred Years War. Until his untimely death from dysentery, he was recognized as a powerful warrior and military leader – fighting from as young as 14, and leading an army at the age of 16.
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From approximately 250AD until 802AD, Europe experienced a transitional phase commonly known as the Migration Era. During this time many people groups wandered from place to place before finally settling down roots as the Early Middle Ages began. German and Slavic tribes clashed with Viking invaders for many years before beginning to create kingdoms and empires that would define the shape of Europe and course of its history for centuries to come. Many different waves of "barbarian" invaders made their mark on the area at this time as Europe began to solidify into the Middle Ages. The evolution of the sword underwent some drastic leaps forward during this period.

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Tower of London Collection, England

English Archers were some of the deadliest warriors of the Middle Ages, and their fearsome weapon – the English longbow – was a marvel of engineering. It enabled the English armies to strike devastating blows at great range at very little risk to themselves. Used with great effectiveness since the early 12th century, the longbow helped establish English dominance in many battles that followed.

However, as they were only truly effective at a distance, if the archers were attacked they would need a close range weapon to defend themselves with. This weapon would later be referred to as an Archer’s Sword.

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