The Normans came from France's northern coast of Normandy, while it was still a separate territory. Led by William the Conqueror in 1066, the Normans conquered England from its previous holders, the Anglo-Saxons.
(Again, most commonly used)
Sword:
The sword (also sometimes called a knight's or knightly sword) is the single handed cruciform sword of the High Middle Ages, in common use between ca. 1000 and 1350, remaining in rare use into the 16th century.
Arming swords are generally considered to be descendant from the swords of the migration period and Vikings
The typical sword of a Norman soldier was a very simple and serviceable weapon with a double-edged, straight blade just over a yard long tapering to a point. A rounded hollow or 'fuller' running down the blade to near the point enabled the blade to be made lighter and thus easier to wield without in any way impairing its strength. The hand was protected by a simple metal cross-guard. Although no grips survive they were almost certainly of wood and were probably bound with interlaced thongs of cord or leather. The pommel was usually of domed form although lobate and disc-shaped pommels are found. Though sometimes decorative, the pommel's real purpose was to act as a counterweight to the blade, thus making the sword easier to wield.
Spear:
Spears, as can be expected did not go through any remarkable changes with the coming of the Normans. Materials and measurements typically remained similar to that of the Anglo-Saxon predecessors.
Shield:
The shield took on a new form after the Anglo-Saxon circular pattern. The Normans are best know for the development of the Kite Shield. Kite shields are 20 to 24 inches wide
by 40 to 48 inches tall, and may be flat or curved. The top is a semicircle and the edges may taper straight to a point or be slightly curved.
Bow:
The bow was constructed in two parts. A strip of flexible material, such as wood, was linked at the two ends with a cord, or string, to form a tension from which is propelled the arrow. Most bows were made from yew but ash, hazel and elm were also used. The string of the bow was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available. The string was then soaked in glue as some protection against moisture. The arrow was a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end and with feathers attached to the other end. The first arrows were broadhead arrows. But the the large arrow head, after which the broadhead was named, would distribute the impact over a large area and just bounce off or break against armor. Bodkin point arrows were invented to address this issue. Long bodkins were used for piercing mail. Short bodkins were used for piercing armor plate. The range of the new bodkin arrow reached 275 yards. A maker of bows, arrows, and other archery goods was called an Artillator.
Although spears could be trown when necessary, the main projectile weapon of the Norman army was the bow and arrow, used for long-range fighting and to keep the enemy from engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
Crossbow:
Perhaps the most neglected weapon of the Norman period is the crossbow, which was almost certainly known to and used by the Normans well before 1066. Indeed, two of the 11th-century descriptions of the Battle of Hastings state that there were many crossbow men in Duke William's army in 1066 and this arm formed an important part of the Norman armies that assembled for the First Crusade from 1098 onwards. By the beginning of the 12th century the crossbow was undoubtedly the most important projectile weapon not only of the Norman army but of almost every army in Europe. The crossbow used by the Normans probably had a wooden stock incorporating some form of rudimentary lock and release mechanism of the revolving nut type that was to become so popular later. But however constructed, the Norman crossbow, like the Norman bow, was a formidable weapon quite capable of piercing the mail defences of the best protected warriors.
See more at:
http://www.historynet.com/weaponry-norman-arms-and-armour.htm#sthash.JYzYdGpK.dpuf
(Again, most commonly used)
Sword:
The sword (also sometimes called a knight's or knightly sword) is the single handed cruciform sword of the High Middle Ages, in common use between ca. 1000 and 1350, remaining in rare use into the 16th century.
Arming swords are generally considered to be descendant from the swords of the migration period and Vikings
The typical sword of a Norman soldier was a very simple and serviceable weapon with a double-edged, straight blade just over a yard long tapering to a point. A rounded hollow or 'fuller' running down the blade to near the point enabled the blade to be made lighter and thus easier to wield without in any way impairing its strength. The hand was protected by a simple metal cross-guard. Although no grips survive they were almost certainly of wood and were probably bound with interlaced thongs of cord or leather. The pommel was usually of domed form although lobate and disc-shaped pommels are found. Though sometimes decorative, the pommel's real purpose was to act as a counterweight to the blade, thus making the sword easier to wield.
Spear:
Spears, as can be expected did not go through any remarkable changes with the coming of the Normans. Materials and measurements typically remained similar to that of the Anglo-Saxon predecessors.
Shield:
The shield took on a new form after the Anglo-Saxon circular pattern. The Normans are best know for the development of the Kite Shield. Kite shields are 20 to 24 inches wide
by 40 to 48 inches tall, and may be flat or curved. The top is a semicircle and the edges may taper straight to a point or be slightly curved.
Bow:
The bow was constructed in two parts. A strip of flexible material, such as wood, was linked at the two ends with a cord, or string, to form a tension from which is propelled the arrow. Most bows were made from yew but ash, hazel and elm were also used. The string of the bow was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available. The string was then soaked in glue as some protection against moisture. The arrow was a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end and with feathers attached to the other end. The first arrows were broadhead arrows. But the the large arrow head, after which the broadhead was named, would distribute the impact over a large area and just bounce off or break against armor. Bodkin point arrows were invented to address this issue. Long bodkins were used for piercing mail. Short bodkins were used for piercing armor plate. The range of the new bodkin arrow reached 275 yards. A maker of bows, arrows, and other archery goods was called an Artillator.
Although spears could be trown when necessary, the main projectile weapon of the Norman army was the bow and arrow, used for long-range fighting and to keep the enemy from engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
Crossbow:
Perhaps the most neglected weapon of the Norman period is the crossbow, which was almost certainly known to and used by the Normans well before 1066. Indeed, two of the 11th-century descriptions of the Battle of Hastings state that there were many crossbow men in Duke William's army in 1066 and this arm formed an important part of the Norman armies that assembled for the First Crusade from 1098 onwards. By the beginning of the 12th century the crossbow was undoubtedly the most important projectile weapon not only of the Norman army but of almost every army in Europe. The crossbow used by the Normans probably had a wooden stock incorporating some form of rudimentary lock and release mechanism of the revolving nut type that was to become so popular later. But however constructed, the Norman crossbow, like the Norman bow, was a formidable weapon quite capable of piercing the mail defences of the best protected warriors.
See more at:
http://www.historynet.com/weaponry-norman-arms-and-armour.htm#sthash.JYzYdGpK.dpuf