Indespensible "Hand-Maidens" of the Battlefield
SOURCE
Everyone vaguely familiar with the Middle Ages has heard of them, but very few people appreciate how essential "squires" were to medieval warfare. Squires were, in fact, quite simply indispensable because, in the military
context, the term “knight” did not refer to a single individual but to a
fighting unit composed of a knight and at least one destrier (warhorse),
palfrey (riding horse), packhorse and squire. Wealthier knights could afford
two or more of each (or all) of these supporting elements. Yet while most
people understand that a knight was without a horse lost his utility on the
battlefield, the importance of squires is often overlooked. Today I’d like to
redress that.
