Misericorde
Literally: mercy
Also known as: misericorde, miséricorde
A long, narrow medieval dagger, known from the 12th century, used to finish a mortally wounded knight through a helmet's visor or plate armour's weak points.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
The misericorde has been known since the 12th century and was used throughout the high Middle Ages. The name comes from the French miséricorde, mercy, which in turn comes from the Latin misericordia, an act of mercy. It appears in the equipment of England, Germany and Persia; Polish knights used it from at least the 14th century. It is a long, narrow knife, thin enough to pass through gaps in armour. We have not been able to establish specific dimensions from the sources we used. It served to finish off knights who had suffered mortal wounds, but could also be used against an opponent still fighting, for instance in a wrestling match. The blade was pushed through the visor or eye-slits of a helmet to reach the brain, or through openings and weak points of plate armour, such as under the arm, to reach the heart.
Related weapons
- Gave rise to: Stiletto