What Are Medieval Swords?
- A knight had an almost mystical connection with his sword.Johannes Simon/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
A sword consists of a blade and a hilt. Blades are designed for cutting, stabbing or both. They can be straight or curved depending on their purpose. The hilt consists of a grip for holding the sword, a guard for protecting the hand and a weight called the pommel for balancing the blade. During the Middle Ages swords gradually evolved from the slashing swords wielded by Vikings to the giant two-handed swords such as claymores carried by Scottish Highlanders. Medieval warriors considered their swords a living extension of themselves and often gave them names such as Excalibur carried by the legendary King Arthur. - The Viking swords created in the 9th to 11th centuries developed from swords used by Germanic warriors after the fall of Rome. Viking swordsmiths made these swords with a technique called pattern welding that involved twisting trips of metal together, heating and beating them into shape. The complete sword was about 3-feet long and featured a double-edged blade with slightly rounded tip, and was used for slashing rather than stabbing. The hilt was often wrapped in leather and decorated with silver. The warrior carried his sword on his left side so he could draw it quickly with his right hand. Similar swords were used by the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings' French descendants, the Normans.
- The swords carried by the Crusaders were considered holy.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
The typical knight's sword, called an arming sword by scholars, developed in the late 11th century. It was about 3-feet long from the pommel to the tip of the blade and usually held in one hand. In the early Middle Ages, knights used steel swords for slashing through an enemy's plate armor. However, as plate armor developed, swords became more tapered for stabbing through gaps in the armor. During the Crusades, swords were consecrated by a priest. If the Crusader died, his sword was returned to the altar where it was consecrated. - Longswords were essentially giant versions of the arming sword. They developed late in the 13th century and were used into the 17th century. They featured blades that were sometimes as much as 5-feet long and hilts that were long enough for a warrior to grip in both hands. They were popular with both knights and foot soldiers. Longswords developed into the claymores carried by Scottish Highlanders and the zweihanders wielded by flamboyant German mercenaries called landsknechts.
