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Brabançons
The Brabançons or Brabanters () were ''routiers'' (mercenary troops) originally from the Duchy of Brabant active between 1166 and 1214. Origins Brabant was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. The social origins of the Brabançons are uncertain. Some were the younger sons of the knightly class who had received formal military training. Others were drawn from the lower classes and had little or no such training. There were some women in their ranks. They mostly fought as infantry, possessing few horses. They were feared because of their ruthlessness, but probably had less of a tactical impact than the ''routiers'' of the later Middle Ages. Despite their name, the Brabançons came to be drawn from all across northern Europe. Walter Map in his '' De nugis curialium'' written about 1180 described the origins of the Brabançons thus: A new and particularly noxious sect of heretics arose. The fighters of these ''rotten'' were protected from head to foot by a leather jerkin, and were armed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Routiers
Routiers () were mercenary soldiers of the Middle Ages. Their particular distinction from other paid soldiers of the time was that they were organised into bands (''rutta'' or ''routes''). The term is first used in the 12th century but is particularly associated with free companies who terrorised the French countryside during the Hundred Years' War. Routiers of the 12th and 13th centuries Although paid soldiers were known before the 12th century, the phenomenon of distinct bands ( German ''Rotten'', French ''routes'') of mercenary soldiers, often mainly footsoldiers (spearmen, slingers, javelineers, archers and crossbowmen), appears to date from the mid 12th century. Exactly what distinguishes these mercenaries from simple paid soldiers is disputed by scholars but common elements include fighting for profit (as opposed to other reasons such as fealty or faith), a "foreignness" of coming from a different geographical area to that in which they were fighting, and that as membe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |