Medieval Weapons

The linked-sword dances of of north-eastern England are performed by five, six or eight men.  Traditionally they appear only during the Christmas season, usually on Plough Monday, which is January 12 this year.

The ceremony begins with the dancers walking round in a circle, in some versions clashing their swords together.  Then they place the sword over the shoulder and each man grasps the point of the sword in front of him with one hand, while keeping hold of his own hilt with the other hand.  Next the swords are lowered to waist-level, so that the dancers form a ring, linked with hilt and point by their weapons.  This link is normally maintained throughout the dance.

Always mintaining their grip on their own and their neighbor’s swords, the dancers then perform a series of complicated figures–  each following the other, they jump over and pass under the weapons, either singly or in pairs, so that the whole set turns itself inside-out and right-way-about many times.  As a culmination, the swords are ingeniously woven togher into a pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal star (variously called the Lock, Rose, Knot or Nut) which is held aloft for display.

Both forms of sword dance share these basic characteristics.  The Longsword dances of Yorkshire are performed by six or eight men, who use semi-rigid swords made from wood or metal, about three feet long, with a simple hilt at one end.  After the Lock has been made – and sometimes passed from hand to hand round the marching ring of dancers–it is dropped over the head of a jester or clown so that it rests about his neck.  Then at a given signal the dancers suddenly withdraw their swords and the pretend victime falls “dead” to the ground.

This dramatic feature is not included in the Rapier dances of Northumberland and Durham.  These five-man dances are performed with short two-foot rapiers of flexible sprung steel, having both a fixed hilt and a swivelling point-guard.  The pentagular Nut is so small that sudden withdrawal could really result in a beheading.  The Nut is symbolically rested around the victim’s neck or used to knock off his hat.  Often it is simply held up while the sword team performs clog dance in line or perform athletic feats like back somersaults over the swords.

Where did this sword dance originate?  It is possible that this ritual dates to prehistoric times.  It is also feasible that the dance originally represented the sacrifice of either a man or woman or totem beast.  In some places the victims or jesters still wear animal skin caps whose resurrection were vital to the survival of the community.  In prehistory the animal was the human source of food, clothing and weapons.

However it originated, it is a unique and skillful representation of the way of the sword.  The sword dancers who still perform today are preserving a  link to the past. 

Happy Plough Day! 

The definition   of The Hand and a Half or Bastard Sword according to A Glossary of the Construction, Definition and Use of Arms and Armor,  is a long, straight blade of the 15th century with a plain cross guard, long grip and rounded pommel.  This sword was ordinarily used with one hand, but the grip was long enough to allow it to be grasped with two to three fingers of the left hand if it was desired to give extra weight to the blow.

Actually according to Swords and Hilt Weapons this Bastard Sword made its appearance in the mid twelfth century.  Perhaps these early Hand and a Half Swords were produced for the Plantaganet family, or a well known family who always desired a little extra power on the blade. 

One of the most famous Bastard Swords that is preserved belonged to Henry IV of England.  It was made for him by Herman van Cleve, a goldsmith.  This Medieval Sword was obviously ceremonial in nature, because of its rich detail of gold forget-me-nots, which was Henry’s symbol before he ascended the throne.  If you are interested in an entertaining  description of Henry IV, Shakespeare provides a lively account  in his plays, HenryIV, parts I and II.  If you desire to be a Renaissance man with a sword and combat skills, try adding a little literacy to the mix also.

Speaking of the Renaissance, this is the period that saw the greatest popularity of the Bastard Sword.  Plate armour became very sophisticated with metal of various sizes being attached to a reinforced heavy fabric  jacket.  In combat against this type of armor, the thrusting sword was favored over the cutting sword.  The mounted knight of the early Renaissance  was armed with two swords, one on the front or side of his saddle and the other on his hip.  Both of these weapons were Bastard or Hand and a Half Swords.

These swords were used extensively in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.  Their use continued until the seventeenth century.

If you are interested in a Bastard Sword in your LARP or historical reenactment, there are many different price ranges of these replica swords.  If you have the big bucks, why not have a custom Hand and a Half weapon made especially for you.  One of the most talented swordsmiths  is Michael “Tinker” Pearce.  Also, Pearce has done design work for CAS/Hanwei, and if you can’t afford a custom sword, the CAS/Hanwei “Tinker” Sword is an outstanding well balanced weapon.  Who doesn’t need a little extra power in the blade?

Charlemagne came to the throne in 768. He was the son of King Pepin and Big-foot Bertha (yes, this is what his mother was called). He was known as Charles the Great, and he was great in many ways—size, political acumen, ambition and prowess. He was 6’4″ tall which was much taller than most of the men of his time.He loved hunting and competitive games, which probably included a game akin to the joust, and he was the best of swimmers. His swimming pool would hold 100 bathers, because he loved the comraderie with all people. He also loved music, and collected Frankish ballads. He was the most powerful man of his time; he expanded the Frankish kingdom to include the Lombards, the Bavarians, and the Saxons. He was a remarkable man with many talents who relished every moment of his life, including his music, his friends, his games, but most of all he loved swordplay. He insisted that a young age his children be instructed in the use of a sword.

 History and lore attribute three swords to the Emperor, Joyeuse, the Flamberge(“the flame-cutter”) and a sabre which is housed at the Kunsthistoriches museum in Vienna.Charlemagne’s swords were romanced in literature and legend as having a life of their own. His best known sword was called Joyeuse which means joy. Here is the description of the sword from the “Song of Roland” which is a an epic poem of the struggles of a young knight.

 [Charlemagne] was wearing his fine white coat of mail and his helmet with gold-studded stones; by his side hung Joyeuse, and never was there a sword to match it; its color changed thirty times a day “

Joyeuse is almost a mystical blade that possessed magical powers. Many legends are told about this sword. Some say that it was buried with Charlegmagne. Other bards and story-tellers believe that Joyuese is somewhere in the mist of the lake with Excalibur, Arthur’s sword from Camelot. When Arthur returns, Charlemagne will return with him to assist in reestabling Camelot and and then both men will claim their magical swords. 

The hero in the epic poem “The Song of Roland” also wielded a sword that was attributed to Charlemagne.  Legend has it that Charlemagne gave a massive sword to Roland because of his brave service to the crown.  Roland’s sword also had a life of its own like Excalibur and Joyeuse.  The sword was named Durendal.  At Roland’s tragic death he talked with the sword as if it were an intelligent being. Two centuries later this massive type of sword was later named the Flamberge by Egerton Castle who wrote a history of sword play.

Charlemagne because of his assistance to the pope, when he was incapable of protecting the Holy Roman Empire, was crowned Emperor of this realm.  He was presented a magnificent sabre at his coronation.  He was the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.  This coronation sword is the only sword associated with Charlemagne that has been preserved.  The “Saber of Charlemagne the Great” is a vital part of European history, being an important artifact in the Insignia of the Holy Roman Empire.  The Medieval Sword is housed today in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna.

Charlemagne possessed the qualities of the ideal Medieval ruler.  He was talented as a musician and bard.  He was the first to collect the folk songs and folk lore of his time. He was a superb athlete.  He had empathy for all people unlike some rulers of this age.  He came to the aid of the church when other leaders would not.  He was the true Renaissance man before the term was coined.

Halloween is fast approaching. For sure, everyone will be hopping from one costume party to another. One costume that never runs out of style come Halloween is the costume of a knight.

Boys who don’t want any of the gaulish stuff would always prefer coming as a gallant knight with a medieval sword. It’s easier to dress up as a knight, especially when no scary make-up is needed.

The longsword is a European sword used during the medieval and Renaissance eras.  Longswords are also sometimes called bastard swords, greatswords or hand-and-a-half swords. The Scottish claymore is sometimes referred to as a longsword.   The longsword was developed because plate armor replaced chainmail, so a longer and heavier sword was needed to penetrate the armor.  The longsword is usually held in both hands although sometimes it may be used single-handed.  This sword is used for striking, cutting and thrusting. This sword was not used as often in medieval combat as the lighter swords  were much easier to handle. 

The longest of these swords was the zweihander whose length was up to 6 feet. This sword was used by the landsknechts who came from the Holy Roman Empire or an area that is now modern-day Germany.  These swords were also used to break up infantry formations by attacking pikes and halberds. Today the longsword is the most popular weapon used by European martial artists.  If you are interested in obtaining further information on medieval martial arts, I suggest that you visit the Tinker Swords website.  Michael Tinker Smith has also published a book which has a very thorough description of medieval swords. You can download this book from this website.

Swordplay had a very significant role in defining the Medieval Chivalric Code of Honor subscribed to in the Middle Ages in Medieval Europe.  I assume that this occurred because should people be civil while trying to wound or kill the other, they would be the same in everyday life. Literature idealizes the knight who wielded the sword against evil.  The embodiment of the Chivalric ideal was so strong that the sword of the user also took on these noble characteristics, and was given a name by the bards and poets of this time.

The most famous of the named swords was King Arthur’s Excalibur.  The story is told of young Arthur who extracted the sword from the stone when others could not do so.  Arthur was of noble lineage and imbued with princely qualities, therefore, he was able to attain the great sword and be crowned King.  He reigned in the idyllic Camelot, and with the magnificent magical sword was able to defeat all enemies and give his subjects an almost perfect life.

Tennyson, the English poet, described the spectacular weapon as sparkling with diamonds, topaz lights, and jacinth work of sublest jewelry.  The replica of Excalibur is one of the most popular of the collectible swords.

Camelot decayed because of the imperfections of men.  However, Excalibur lives on somewhere in the universe, and is only waiting for Arthur to return and again claim the regal sword.  Alfred Lord Tennyson in “Morte d” Arthur” describes Excalibur’s fate after the death of Arthur.  The sword was thrown into the lake by one of Arthur’s knights.

“So flash’d and fell the brand Excalibur

But ere he dipt the surface, rose an arm

Cloth’d in white samite, mystic, wonderful,

And caught him by the hilt, and brandish’d him

Three times and drew him under in the mere.”

A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword with a long blade and a complex, sometimes embellished hilt primarily used for thrusting attacks in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.  The hilt of the rapier is made to protect the hand that wields it.  Also called a hilt rapier, this thrusting sword was called other things as well due to the tendency of sword masters of the time using description of a sword’s function as a method of naming it.

It is thought that the rapier began to develop in Spain around the year 1500 as a type of dress sword for civilians and duels.  It became increasingly fashionable over time in Europe among the wealthier classes, but always had its detractors. With its long reach, the rapier allowed for fast reactions suitable for civilian combat in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Military-style swords for cutting and thrusting purposes continued to evolve to meet battlefield needs, and rapiers continued to change with the times as well, becoming lighter and shorter and eventually succumbing to the widespread use of the smallsword in the 1700s.