Every epic fantasy or historical book set before the
1800’s has at least one scene with two men facing off against each other,
swords clashing, until one died in a spray of blood. Swords were handed down
from father to son or taken as prizes of war. Damascus steel from India, steel
from Toledo, or Ulfberht swords from Scandinavia were the top of the line.
Weapons could be single edged or double, straight or curved, short or long, and
used for cutting or thrusting. What is a sword but a piece of metal? The
weapons are the foremost symbols of war, associated with every type of warrior
from ancient times to our modern military.
 |
| Ulfberht swords |
The first true swords were made of bronze. Archeologists
have discovered beautiful weapons in tombs, graves, and among rubble. One
example of an ancient find is a weapon located in Denmark estimated to have
been made about 1600 BCE. The tip of the blade curls inward, reminiscent of
Hittite designs. Another ancient weapon found in Egypt, also cast in bronze,
has a straight hilt but a hooked blade. This weapon was made around 1250 BCE.
 |
| bronze sword |
The Iron Age changed warfare. Better metals meant better
weaponry. Iron had been known before this time but the practice of ironworking
had spread out about 1000 BCE. Iron was stronger than bronze and holds an edge
better. One of the common swords seen during this time was a falcata. These
swords were commonly single-edged blades with a slight curve which made them
very strong. The best falcatas were cast
from laminated steel plates and buried for two or three years, allowing the
‘weaker’ metal to rust away.
 |
| Falcata |
Greek warriors were known for being tough. They carried a
sword called a hoplite, or xiphos. The xiphos was short, only two feet in
length with a double-edge leaf-shaped blade that tapered to a point. These
swords were lethal. Greek soldiers carried their swords in baldric slung across
their backs. Another sword in use was the kopis. This was a single-edged blade
used for hacking or chopping. Another weapon similar to the kopis was called a
makhaira, which has a slight curve.
The Romans carried a gladius. This was a short sword used
for thrusting and slashing. It was a weapon perfect for piercing through armor.
The gladius was god for the infantry but the cavalry replaced the blade with
the Spatha. This weapon was longer with a shorter point. Eventually the two
merged and they became too similar to tell apart.
 |
Gladius
|
Middle East and Asian swords have a very different look.
Scimitars were thin with a curve and often had a slight groove towards the end
of the blade. The word Scimitar comes
from Persian ‘shamshir’, which translates to “paw claw”. Another type of sword
was a pallasch. This weapon was a single-edged, straight blade carried by the
Ottomans. A talwar has a gentle curve with a recurved knuckle guard. A seme was carried by Masai warriors and was used for
hacking and slashing. This weapon was two-sided and flared slightly near the end
point. Compare the seme to the Kuban sword. This strange weapon resembled a
leaf in its shape.
 |
| Seme sword |
A unique looking sword from China was a fang. This
double-edge blade had a hook that resembled a sharks’ fin, near the end. The
sharp hook was used to slice bridles or reins or opponents. A tachi sword was customarily
engraved with the maker and the manufacturer information on the tang (blade).
Tachi swords were long weapons, or two-handed blades, with a curve and often
carried in tandem with a shorter sword caled a tanto. The tachi swords were designed to be used
while on horseback, slashing downward. Japanese warriors used slender long
swords called uchigatana, or katana. In contrast to tachi weapons, katana strikes
went up, in a rapid movement. The Japanese warriors paired katanas with a
shorter sword called a wokizashi. Both weapons were curved. In Sri Lanka, an
unusual sword called a kora was the national weapon. Kora swords are
single-edged, concave curved blades ending with a flare to increase the cutting
force. These swords were utilized in executions. Kukri swords would have an
angle in in middle where the metal was at its widest point, and then the metal
would come to a point. Kukri swords were carried by the Nepalese Gurgkhas.
Western blacksmiths developed many different swords. The
Vikings (Norsemen) loved to decorate weapons with runes and gild the swords
with precious metals and jewels. Many swords were named and decorated with
beautiful scrollwork. The best Viking swords were Ulfberhts, made from the 9th
century to the 11th. These swords are unmatched in quality even
today, and were known for keeping their edge over time.
The classic knights’ sword varied in size and shape. One
of the more commons swords in use was called a falchion, or the ‘arming’ sword.
It was a single-edged weapon primarily used for hacking and slashing against
leather and chain mail. The length grew to a broadsword in the 14th
century (about the same time plate armor came along). Around this same era, a
weapon called a ‘tuck’ or ‘estoc’ sword’ was invented specifically to use
against the armor. The thin blade could be slipped between gaps in the steel
plates. Of course, that meant getting up close and personal with the knight in
question. The huge great swords of the Renaissance were largely symbolic,
although they were used by battle to swing side-to-side, cutting paths or to
break pike formations.
 |
| Estoc sword |
Common folk carried a ‘gentler’ sword. The foil, epee, or
rapier became popular. Some countries enacted sumptuary laws regarding issuing
and wearing of swords. For example, Queen Elizabeth I’s government forbade the
wearing of rapiers with blades longer than one yard and half a quarter (40
inches). In addition, daggers with blades longer than 12 inches were not
allowed. The law had two intentions: keep folks from bankrupting themselves in
order to purchase weapons and to keep peace within the new merchant class
(couldn’t have them upstage the nobility). Blacksmiths turned out rapiers with
increasing intricacy, including basket-weave hilts and guards. One maker,
Andrea Ferrara’s broadswords were so sought out after his name became
synonymous with ‘claymore’. His rapiers
were ornate.
 |
| Ferrara sword |
During this general time a few other weapons were seen. A
burglar trying to assault a person in their bed might come across a ‘pillow
sword’. These short swords were made to be used for personal self-defense. A
colichemarde was kept by some nobility. This sword started out wide and
abruptly tapered down to a point. The infamous cutlass preferred by dastardly
seadogs on the high seas started out as modified short swords. remember, there wasn't a lot of space on board ships for long swords.
Rapiers were long and thin. Calvary soldiers needed a
better sword: the sabre. Sabres have a slight curve with a single-edged blade.
The grips can be curved or straight and made of anything from ivory, horn, wood,
or metal. Dress swords can be gilt with precious metals, jewels, miniature
paintings, and tassels. Other military swords were seen including the karabela
(it had a cross-hilt and a gentle, curved blade).
This has been a very brief introduction to the wide
variety of swords throughout history. For more detailed infromation, see the
following sources:
The Illustrated History of Weapson: Swords, Spears &
Maces
by David Soud
2014 Kinsford edition
ISBN #978-17436-3058-7
The Archeology of Weapons: Arms and Armor from Prehistory
to the Age of Chivalry
by R. Ewart Oakeshott
1996 edtion Dover Publications
ISBN #0-486-29288-6
Stay safe out there!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.