A rondel (pronounced ['rɒndəl] or [rɒndɛl]) or roundel was a type of stiff-bladed dagger in Europe in the late Middle Ages (from the 14th century onwards), used by a variety of people from merchants to knights. It was worn at the waist and might be used as a utility tool, or worn into battle or a jousting tournament as a side-arm. The blade was typically long and slim, measuring 12 inches (30 cm) or more; the whole dagger might be as long as 20 inches (50 cm). Rondel means round or circular; the dagger gets its name from its round (or similarly shaped, e.g. octagonal) hand guard and round or spherical pommel (knob on the end of the grip). This is a concise version of the International Phonetic Alphabet for English sounds. ... A dagger (from Vulgar Latin: daca - a Dacian knife) is a blade weapon (essentially a double-edged knife) used for stabbing, thrusting or as a secondary defense weapon in close combat. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... The Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler. ... Jousting is a staple entertainment at Renaissance Fairs. ... Tournament, or tourney (Fr. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A centimetre (US: centimeter) is a factor of the SI unit of length: there are one hundred centimeters in the base unit of measure, the metre. ... In Euclidean geometry, a circle is the set of all points in a plane at a fixed distance, called the radius, from a fixed point, the centre. ... A regular octagon. ... A sphere (< Greek σφαίρα) is a perfectly symmetrical geometrical object. ... See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ...

This example has one sharpened edge and a sharp point. The grip would be made from wood or bone, and was often carved.

The guard and pommel are both discs or "rondels", from which the dagger gets its name. The steel blade is slim and stiff and best suited to a stabbing motion. It would most commonly have been as long as this in proportion to the grip, if not longer.

The blade was stiff, made from steel, and the tang extended through the handle, which was cylindrical, normally carved wood or bone. In profile, the blade was usually diamond-shaped, lenticular, or triangular. These blades would have a sharpened point, and either one or both edges would also be sharpened. They were principally designed for use with a stabbing action, either underarm, or over arm with a reverse grip (think ice pick). They would also have been used for cutting. The long straight blade would not have lent itself to a slashing or sabre action. Rondels were ideal in battle for puncturing chainmail, and although they would not have been able to punch through plate armour, they could be forced between the joints in a suit of armour and helmets. This was often the only way in which a heavily armoured knight could be killed. Image File history File links Diagram_of_rondel_dagger. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... The word cylinder has several meanings. ... This shape is a rhombus In geometry, a rhombus (also known as a rhomb) is a quadrilateral in which all of the sides are of equal length. ... A lens contained between two cirular arcs of radius R, and centers at O1 and O2 The shape of the portion of Kenny McCormicks face visible through his hood is almost a lens, although the arcs are either elliptical or parabolic rather than circular. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Szabla. ... David rejects the unaccustomed armour (detail of fol. ... Plate has several meanings: A plate electrode in a vacuum tube. ... A hoplite wearing (only) a helmet, breastplate greaves and a shield. ... Pickelhaube of a Swedish Royal Guard soldier For the band, see Helmet A helmet (a 15th century loan from Middle French, a diminutive of Frankish helm, from Proto-Germanic *khelmaz, PIE *kelmo- a cover) is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or...

A few examples also exist of four-edged rondels, the blade having a cruciform profile. These blades would not have been suited for cutting, or use as a general utility tool; they would have been worn as a side-arm in battle. The rondels which have survived and found their way into museums and collections are usually those with fine craftsmanship and often ornate decoration. The blades may be engraved, the grips ornately carved, and the hand guards and pommels highly decorated. A Greek cross (all arms of equal length) above a saltire, a cross rotated by 45 degrees For other uses, see Cross (disambiguation). ...

Merchants wearing rondels

(Uncropped version)

In this image, merchants and tradesmen can be seen wearing rondels at their waists (bottom left). The scene is from a miniature by Girat de Roussillon depicting the construction of twelve churches in France c. 1448. Before the 1400s, daggers were actually a peasant's weapon. However, in the 15th century they became the standard side-arm for knights, and would have been carried into battles such as the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. They were a knight's backup weapon to be used in hand to hand fighting, and as such one of their last lines of defence. Since they were able to penetrate a suit of armour (at the joints, or through the visor of the helmet), rondels could be used to force an unseated or wounded knight to surrender (a knight might fetch a good ransom). Daggers may also have been thrown at unseated enemy knights to force them to engage in battle, though a mace was perhaps better suited to this task. Merchants wearing rondel daggers, original medieval source. ... Events January 5/ 6 - Christopher of Bavaria, Norway and Sweden dies with no designated heir leaving all three kingdoms with vacant thrones. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength 5,900 troops: 900 men-at-arms 5,000 archers (Longbowmen) 36,000 troops: 11,200 mounted men-at-arms 18,000 dismounted men-at-arms 6,800 crossbowmen (few archers) Casualties 150-250... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... Assorted maces For its symbolical derivative, see ceremonial mace. ...

Close-quarter fighting with rondel daggers from Talhoffers Fechtbuch, a 15th Century manual of combat

This image is from a manual of combat by Hans Talhoffer (Talhoffers Fechtbuch) from 1467. It is one of a series of images of two men fighting hand to hand with rondels, demonstrating possible attacks and defences. Hand to hand fighting with rondel daggers. ... Portrait of Talhoffer (pictured left), and his coat of arms, from the 1459 Fechtbuch plate 25 of Talhoffers Fechtbuch of 1467, showing two longsword fencers standing in the ward (Stand beid in der Hut) plate 170 of Talhoffers Fechtbuch of 1467, showing rondel dagger combat Hans Talhoffer (also spelled Talhofer... Events October 29 - Battle of Brusthem: Charles the Bold defeats Liege Beginning of the Sengoku Period in Japan. ...

See also:

List of medieval weapons

Military technology and equipment

Medieval weapons varied from simple tools to complex engines of emerging medieval warfare technology. ... This article lists military technology items, devices and methods. ...

External links

armoured longsword combatants wearing roundel daggers as backup weapons (Codex Wallerstein, 15th century).

• Google image search for rondel daggers
• Website about Talhoffers Fetchbuch
  • photographs of people practicing Talhoffer's rondel fighting techniques
• Overview of Medieval arms and armour - link broken 2005-12-20
• Overview of the 15th century knight's weapons and armour

For other uses of rondel see rondel (disambiguation). Image File history File links Wallerstein_219. ... Image File history File links Wallerstein_219. ... Gothic armour Plate armour is personal armour made from large metal plates, worn on the chest and sometimes the entire body. ... The spadone is a two-handed sword used by knights during Medieval times. ... the first page shows a fencer with various arms. ... Rondel (from Old French, the diminutive of roont round, meaning small circle) may refer to: A rondel or roundel was a type of medieval dagger A sort of short poem of 14 lines, see Rondel (poem). ...