PIKE

The Pike In The 17^th Century.

The pike has a long history in warfare, from Alexander the great right through to its use against armoured knights in the Middle Ages. Its history continued during the 17^th century and tacticians learned to combine the strengths of pike with that of the musket. Indeed until the invention of the bayonet, and improvements in firepower made it redundant, the pike continued to be an extremely valuable weapon.

Pikemen were armed with a 16 to 18ft long ash pole tipped with a metal point. They wore a helmet called a morion, some had back and breast armour with thigh plates known as tassetts. (However armour became less popular as the war continued, and there is no evidence to suggest it was worn by the Royalist Oxford Army) In addition pikemen often carried short swords and daggers. Typically pike and musket were used in unison. Each one supporting the other, the pike defending against cavalry attack, and the musket protecting the pike units’ vulnerable flanks.

It was considered to be an honourable weapon, because of its long and noble history and it was therefore regarded as the weapon of choice for many soldiers. Though a good officer would have been wise to have familiarised himself with both pike and musket tactics.

When attacking, the block would be formed in division. They would march onto the enemy after the initial engagement at point. The division would continue to push forward, each man pressing on the one in front, and so the action would have likely become a combination of hand to hand and push. When engaged against cavalry, pike would form a protective “hedgehog” of pikes. From this cover musketeers could safely fire; whilst the cavalry were unable to get beyond the points of the massed pikes, and any unhorsed riders could be swiftly dispatched by the sword. Generally, at the beginning of the civil war pike outnumbered musket but by the conclusion the rough ratio of musket to pike was 2 to 1.

Pike in the SK.

The pike forms an important part of most regiments in the society and the rivalry between different blocks can be as intense as the pride in winning an engagement against an “enemy” pike block. It is very rewarding role which makes demands on stamina, and can be physically demanding, but full training is given and safety protocols are observed.

For safety reasons, the SK has two methods of pike fighting. Point and push. And the elation of winning a push is immense, and an excellent way of getting rid of pent up aggression safely. If you want to try it, then full training will be given to you. The regiment owns its own pikes so you do not need to purchase one, we can also provide a limited number of helmets (which must be worn by everyone in the pike block) to new-comers although anyone wishing to remain in the pike block for a length of time will need to buy their own.