Whether primarily armed with pikes, halberds or bows, all infantry in general favored a short sword. Many battles were decided by the initial clash of arms, but often times a battle would end up a bloody hand-to-hand conflict, and a short sword that could chop, slash and stab was a handy thing to have around. This is the 12th Century example. The light, fast blade was an excellent weapon against the armor of the period. The hollow in the face of the steel pommel was frequently painted, or small good luck pieces or symbols were affixed.