Winged Hussars!
This is coolbert:
For those interested, here is an authoritative web site for Polish cavalry of the 1600's. Click here to see the site.
This site does describe the weaponry carried by the "winged hussars". A Polish cavalryman would carry a long lance, a rapier six foot long that was to be used in lieu of the lance if the lance broke, a saber, pistols, carbine, bow and arrows, and a war hammer.
During this period [1600's] it was not unusual for troops to carry such a melange of weapons.
Carrying firearms and bow and arrows both at the same time was not a contradiction. In battle, the carbine and pistols would be carried loaded, fired once, then the hussar would use the bow and arrow as arrows could be fired faster than firearms of the period reloaded and fired again.
If this seems strange, Ben Franklin at one time advocated arming the Continental Army with bow and arrow as he felt it would be more effective after the initial discharge of muskets [this idea was not adopted].
One picture from the above web site shows the lancers moving in to lance the enemy, while bowmen are also firing at the same [the bowmen are shown using the recurve bow favored by the Tartars. The Tartars being descendents of the Mongols living in the vicinity of the Crimea and the frequent opponents of the Poles].
Another picture from the above mentioned site shows a hussar carrying the war hammer in his hand. One end of the hammer head has the normal flat hammer surface, the opposite site of the head having the spike that could be driven through armor.
The role of the Polish cavalry did feature prominently in the writings of the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1905. As a matter of fact, the books of Henryk were said to have inspired many Poles to develop idea of an independent homeland [Poland at that time was a part of the Russian Empire]. A cover from one of Henryk's books shows such a cavalryman, sporting both firearms and bow and arrows, the bow being again the Tartar type recurve, with the Tartar type quiver.
coolbert.
This site does describe the weaponry carried by the "winged hussars". A Polish cavalryman would carry a long lance, a rapier six foot long that was to be used in lieu of the lance if the lance broke, a saber, pistols, carbine, bow and arrows, and a war hammer.
During this period [1600's] it was not unusual for troops to carry such a melange of weapons.
Carrying firearms and bow and arrows both at the same time was not a contradiction. In battle, the carbine and pistols would be carried loaded, fired once, then the hussar would use the bow and arrow as arrows could be fired faster than firearms of the period reloaded and fired again.
If this seems strange, Ben Franklin at one time advocated arming the Continental Army with bow and arrow as he felt it would be more effective after the initial discharge of muskets [this idea was not adopted].
One picture from the above web site shows the lancers moving in to lance the enemy, while bowmen are also firing at the same [the bowmen are shown using the recurve bow favored by the Tartars. The Tartars being descendents of the Mongols living in the vicinity of the Crimea and the frequent opponents of the Poles].
Another picture from the above mentioned site shows a hussar carrying the war hammer in his hand. One end of the hammer head has the normal flat hammer surface, the opposite site of the head having the spike that could be driven through armor.
The role of the Polish cavalry did feature prominently in the writings of the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1905. As a matter of fact, the books of Henryk were said to have inspired many Poles to develop idea of an independent homeland [Poland at that time was a part of the Russian Empire]. A cover from one of Henryk's books shows such a cavalryman, sporting both firearms and bow and arrows, the bow being again the Tartar type recurve, with the Tartar type quiver.
coolbert.
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