Most recognized for its s-shaped or figure 8-shaped guard, the katzbalger was the short sword of the Landsknechts- German mercenary fighters of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Katzbalger The Katzbalger (1500-1515) used as a main sidearm weapon – Credits: Art Institute of Chicago An alternative to wearing gauntlets was to use a wooden dussack that has blades that are often more curved than the messer. The messer was traditionally carried in one hand with the other hand behind the back, as commonly seen in modern saber fencing. In sword practice, the hand was likely the principal target, and combatants often needed gauntlets. The sword and buckler combination was common across Europe, but fencing with a messer was an exception. The messer often had a slightly curved blade and was efficient for slashing, powerful enough to slice off a hand from the arm with a single blow. On the other hand, the kriegsmesser or war knives were large enough to use two-handed, rivaling a longsword in size. The lange messer was a one-handed, single-edged sword with a simple cross hilt. The term messer literally means knife, though it belonged to a family of cutting weapons of different sizes. In medieval Germany, commoners carried a messer as a sidearm. Lange Messer A Lange Messer during the late 1400s to early 1500s – Credits: Worcester Art Museum Cleaver-like forms were rarely seen after about 1370, while the clip-point style remained in use. However, falchions with a clip point-or the back edge cut away, giving it a cusped, beak-like shape-were efficient for cutting and thrusting. The knights and light troops, such as archers and spearmen, used the falchion on the battlefield.Ĭleaver-shaped blades were heavy and unbalanced for thrusting. In the later Middle Ages, falchion had two distinct blade forms-a machete-like cleaver and a clip-point style. Most recognized for its broad blade flared at the point, the falchion developed from the Norse sax and derived from the Greek kopis. Falchion The Falchion with evidence of Middle Eastern influence from its hilt decoration – Credits: Met Museum Early crusader swords had a relatively broad blade, but swords of the late crusading period usually had pointed tips, better suited to thrusting against plate armor. The arming sword was also the typical crusader sword of the Knights Templar-the first military order founded in 1119 and named after the Temple of Jerusalem. The famous sword of King Henry V of England is a classic arming sword with an acutely tapering blade. It was often used with the buckler, a small hand shield. Arming swords generally had a straight, double-edged blade suited for slashing blows against mail armor, composed of hundreds of linked iron rings. Also called the knightly sword, it served as a secondary weapon after the lance broke or in close-quarters combat. The classic weapon of the medieval knight, the arming sword is recognized for its simple, cruciform shape and one-handed grip. Arming Sword A knightly sword during the early 15th century – Credits: Met Museum The Vikings also used a fighting knife called sax or seax, which would have been efficient in close-quarters combat. Viking chieftains traditionally owned ornate swords for ceremonial occasions, though the warriors also used the weapon in dueling. However, many Viking swords were easily bent, so the warriors often straightened it themselves. Still, their rounded tips could also thrust well against unarmored targets. These swords had a lightweight pommel, which shifted the balance toward the tip, optimizing them for slashing. Some were single-edged or double-edged, with the former more typical in Norway than in other parts of Scandinavia. Viking swords had relatively wide, heavy blades and a short handguard. Hacking blows were a common fighting technique of the Vikings, so they likely used their swords as slashing weapons. It was a single-handed weapon, so the Viking warrior used his other hand to hold a shield. Viking Sword A 10th century Viking sword owned by a high ranking warrior – Credits: Met MuseumĮvolved from the Roman cavalry sword spatha, the Viking sword was among the weapons used throughout the Viking Age, from the 9th to the 11th century. Some originated in ancient times, while others emerged in the medieval and Renaissance periods. One-handed swords allowed both hands to act independently from one another and varied in their use in sword fighting. Let’s explore the different types of single-handed swords, their historical uses, and how they compare with two-handed swords. Eventually, the sword became the same weapon for attack and defense. In the early medieval times, the single-handed grip allowed the use of a shield and other companion weapons on the other hand. One-handed swords refer to the swords wielded using one hand.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |