How were thousands of people killed in medieval battles? Surely swords were far less efficient than guns

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The simple answer is that in A absolute terms the numbers of casualties inflicted in medieval battles were generally far lower than those suffered in the great battles of the industrial age.

In addition, medieval armies were smaller and battles much shorter in duration. The figure of 28,000 dead is often quoted for the battle of Towton in 1461 – the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil – but most historians now accept that this is almost certainly a gross exaggeration.

Having said that, as a percentage of those who actually took part, the casualties in such battles and in the pursuits that often followed them could be extremely high – and the weapons used could be horrifyingly efficient, causing considerable damage.

Whereas hand-to-hand combat is now the exception, in the Middle Ages it was very much the norm and weapons like the English bill with its stabbing spike, slicing blade and tearing hook were ideally suited for it. At the battle of Flodden in 1513, the bill accounted for the deaths of 5,000–7,000 Scots, perhaps 20 per cent of their entire army.

Missile weapons like the longbow could also be effective at killing large numbers. At the battle of Stoke in 1487, for example, Henry VII’s archers took a heavy toll of the 4,000 unarmoured Irish troops who made up the bulk of the Earl of Lincoln’s rebel army.

Every issue, picture editor Samantha Nott brings you a recipe from the past. This month it’s a chicken dish dreamt up for a special royal occasion