Medieval Military Medicine: From the Vikings to the High Middle Ages

During the 500-year period between the ninth and thirteenth centuries in Northern and Western Europe, soldiers faced razor-sharp swords and axes, spears and arrows, and more sinister means of causing harm, such as burns and crush injuries. Brian Burfield's study focuses on these casualties, but it also examines disease, disability, disfigurement, and damaged minds. The book describes surgical methods and fixes for fractured skulls, broken bones, and damaged teeth, as well as disfiguring scars and disabling injuries. It also investigates illnesses like dysentery and St Anthony's Fire, infected wounds, and the psychological trauma caused by war. The account features many individual cases, extracted from chronicles, miracle collections, surgeries, government records, and other documents, and is brought to life through prose, poetry, literature, and modern archaeological and historical scholarship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Soldiers of the Middle Ages were confronted with formidable weapons, including razor-sharp swords and axes capable of slicing through flesh with horrifying ease. Spears and arrows were designed to penetrate both armor and the wearer, while more sinister methods of harm resulted in burns and crush injuries. These casualties of war, which occurred during the 500-year period between the ninth and thirteenth centuries in Northern and Western Europe, represent only a fraction of the overall story. Disease, disability, disfigurement, and damaged minds all played significant roles in this dreadful reality.

The book provides detailed descriptions of surgical methods and techniques used to treat fractures, broken bones, and damaged teeth. It also examines the disfiguring scars and disabling injuries that plagued soldiers during this time, alongside the contemporary attitudes towards them. Additionally, the book investigates illnesses such as dysentery and St. Anthony's Fire, as well as infected wounds, which were often more deadly than the weapons of the age.

A final chapter focuses on the psychological trauma caused by war, with a significant emphasis on the world of the Vikings. Brian Burfield's account features numerous individual cases, extracted from chronicles, miracle collections, surgeries, government records, and other documents. The prose, poetry, and literature of the period lend valuable insight into these cases, as do the evidence provided by modern archaeological and historical scholarship.

In conclusion, the soldiers of the Middle Ages faced a relentless threat from weapons and diseases, and their experiences are a testament to the brutality and hardship of the era. Brian Burfield's book provides a comprehensive and insightful account of this period, shedding light on the lives of the soldiers who fought and died in the name of their kingdoms and religions.

Weight: 516g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526754745