Sword History and Development

Definition

A sword is a long-edged cutting weapon, used in many forms by various civilizations throughout the world. The word sword comes from the Old English sweord, which cognates to Old High German swert, Middle Dutch swaert, Old Norse svero, Swedish svard, Old Frisian and Old Saxon swerd and Modern Dutch zwaard, from a Proto-Indo-European root *swer- "to wound, to hurt", Old Polish miecz.
A sword fundamentally consists of a blade, with one or two edges for striking and cutting, a point for thrusting, and a hilt for gripping. The basic intent and physics of swordsmanship remained fairly constant down the centuries, but the actual techniques varied among cultures and periods as a result of the differences in blade design and purpose. The names given to many swords in mythology, literature, and history reflect the high prestige of the weapon.

History

Bronze Age

The famed 2500-year-old Sword of Gou Jian, a first-level protected artifact of the People's Republic of ChinaHumans have manufactured and used bladed weapons from the Bronze Age onwards. The sword developed from the dagger when the construction of longer blades became possible, from the early 2nd millennium BCE. Swords longer than 3 feet were rare and not practical during the Bronze Age as this length exceeds the tensile strength of bronze. It was not until the development of stronger alloys such as steel that longswords became practical for combat.
The hilt at first simply allowed a firm grip, and prevented the hand from slipping onto the blade when executing a thrust. Bronze Age swords with typical leaf-shaped blades first appear near the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and in Mesopotamia. Swords from the Nordic Bronze Age from ca. 1400 BCE show characteristic spiral patterns. Sword production in China is attested from the Bronze Age Shang Dynasty.
The Naue Type II Swords which spread from Southern Europe into the Mediterranean, have been linked by Robert Drews with the Late Bronze Age collapse.

Iron Age

Iron swords became increasingly common from the 13th century BCE.[citation needed] The Hittites, the Mycenaean Greeks,[citation needed] and the Proto-Celtic Hallstatt culture (8th century BCE) figured among the early users of iron swords. Iron has the advantage of mass-production due to the wider availability of the raw material. Early iron swords were not comparable to later steel blades; being brittle, they were even inferior to well-manufactured bronze weapons, but the easier production, and the better availability of the raw material for the first time permitted the equipment of entire armies with metal weapons, though Bronze Age Egyptian armies were at times fully equipped with bronze weapons.
Eventually smiths learned that by adding an amount of carbon (added during smelting in the form of charcoal) in the iron, they could produce an improved alloy (now known as steel). Several different methods of swordmaking existed in ancient times, including, most famously, pattern welding. Over time, different methods developed all over the world.
By the time of Classical Antiquity and the Parthian and Sassanid Empires in Iran, iron swords were common. The Greek xiphos and the Roman gladius are typical examples of the type, measuring some 60 to 70 cm. The late Roman Empire introduced the longer spatha (the term for its wielder, spatharius, became a court rank in Constantinople), and from this time, the term long sword is applied to swords comparatively long for their respective periods.
Chinese steel swords make their appearance from the 3rd century BCE Qin Dynasty. The Chinese Dao (pinyin DAO) is single-edged, sometimes translated as sabre or broadsword, and the Jian (pinyin JIAN) double edged.

Middle Ages

Replica of a Roman SpathaThe spatha type remained popular throughout the Migration period and well into the Middle Ages. Vendel Age spathas were decorated with Germanic artwork (not unlike the Germanic bracteates fashioned after Roman coins). The Viking Age saw again a more standardized production, but the basic design remained indebted to the spatha.
It is only from the 11th century that Norman swords begin to develop the quillons or crossguard. During the Crusades of the 12th to (13th) century, this cruciform type of arming sword remained essentially stable, with variations mainly concerning the shape of the pommel. These swords were designed as cutting weapons, although effective points were becoming common to counter improvements in armour. Single-edged weapons became popular throughout Asia. Derived from the Chinese dao, the Korean hwandudaedo are known from the early medieval Three Kingdoms. The Japanese katana, production of which is recorded from ca. 900 AD (see Japanese sword), is also derived from the dao.

Late Middle Ages and Renaissance

From around 1300 to 1500, in concert with improved armour, innovative sword designs evolved more and more rapidly. The main transition was the lengthening of the grip, allowing two-handed use, and a longer blade. By 1400, this type of sword, at the time called langes Schwert (longsword) or spadone, was common, and a number of 15th and 16th century Fechtbacher offering instructions on their use survive. Another variant was the specialized armour-piercing swords of the estoc type. The longsword became popular due to its extreme reach and cutting and thrusting abilities. The estoc became popular because of its ability to thrust into the gaps between plates of armor. The grip was sometimes wrapped in wire or coarse animal hide to provide a better grip and to make it harder to knock a sword out of the user's hand.
In the 16th century, the large DoppelhAnder (called the ZweihAnder today; both German names refer to the use of both hands) concluded the trend of ever-increasing sword sizes (mostly due to the beginning of the decline of plate armor and the advent of firearms), and the early Modern Age saw the return to lighter, one-handed weapons.
The sword in this time period was the most personal weapon, the most prestigious, and the most versatile for close combat, but it came to decline in military use as technology changed warfare. However, it maintained a key role in civilian self-defense.

Modern Age

Some think the rapier evolved from the Spanish espada ropera in the 16th century[citation needed]. The rapier differed from most earlier swords in that it was not a military weapon but a primarily civilian sword. Both the rapier and the Italian schiavona developed the crossguard into a basket-shaped guard for hand protection. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the shorter smallsword became an essential fashion accessory in European countries and the New World, and most wealthy men and military officers carried one. Both the smallsword and the rapier remained popular dueling swords well into the 18th century.
As the wearing of swords fell out of fashion, canes took their place in a gentleman's wardrobe. Some examples of canes - those known as sword canes or swordsticks - incorporate a concealed blade. The French martial art la canne developed to fight with canes and swordsticks and has now evolved into a sport.
Towards the end of its useful life, the sword served more as a weapon of self-defense than for use on the battlefield, and the military importance of swords steadily decreased during the Modern Age. Even as a personal sidearm, the sword began to lose its preeminence in the early 19th century, paralleling the development of reliable handguns.
The hilt of the 18th century smallsword used by Captain John Paul Schott in the American Revolutionary War.Swords continued in use, but were increasingly limited to military commissioned officers' and non-commissioned officers' ceremonial uniforms, although most armies retained heavy cavalry until well after World War I. For example, the British Army formally adopted a completely new design of cavalry sword in 1908, almost the last change in British Army weapons before the outbreak of the war. The last units of British heavy cavalry switched to using armoured vehicles as late as 1938. Swords and other dedicated melee weapons were used occasionally by various countries during World War II, but typically as a secondary weapon as they were outclassed by contemporaneous guns.

Terminology

The sword consists of the blade and the hilt. The term scabbard applies to the case that covers the sword blade when not in use.

Blade

Three types of attacks can be performed with the blade: striking, cutting, and thrusting. The blade can be double-edged or single-edged, the latter often having a secondary "false edge" near the tip. When handling the sword, the long or true edge is the one used for straight cuts or strikes, while the short or false edge is the one used for backhand strikes. Some hilt designs define which edge is the 'long' one, while more symmetrical designs allow the long and short edges to be inverted by turning the sword of one's hand on the hilt.
The blade may have grooves known as fullers for lightening and stiffening the blade while allowing it to retain its strength, similar to the structure of a steel "I" beam used in construction. The blade may taper more or less sharply towards a point, used for thrusting. The part of the blade between the Center of Percussion (CoP) and the point is called the foible (weak) of the blade, and that between the Center of Balance (CoB) and the hilt is the forte (strong). The section in between the CoP and the CoB is the middle. The ricasso or shoulder identifies a short section of blade immediately forward of the guard that is left completely unsharpened, and can be gripped with a finger to increase tip control. Many swords have no ricasso. On some large weapons, such as the German ZweihÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¤nder, a leather cover surrounded the ricasso, and a swordsman might grip it in one hand to wield the weapon more easily in close-quarter combat. The ricasso normally bears the maker's mark. On Japanese blades this mark appears on the tang (part of the blade that extends into the hilt) under the grip.
In the case of a rat-tail tang, the maker welds a thin rod to the end of the blade at the crossguard; this rod goes through the grip (in 20th-century and later construction). This occurs most commonly in decorative replicas, or cheap sword-like objects. Traditional sword-making does not use this construction method, which does not serve for traditional sword usage as the sword can easily break at the welding point. In traditional construction, the swordsmith forged the tang as a part of the sword rather than welding it on. Traditional tangs go through the grip: this gives much more durability than a rat-tail tang. Swordsmiths peened such tangs over the end of the pommel, or occasionally welded the hilt furniture to the tang and threaded the end for screwing on a pommel. This style is often referred to as a "narrow" or "hidden" tang. Modern, less traditional, replicas often feature a threaded pommel or a pommel nut which holds the hilt together and allows dismantling. In a "full" tang (most commonly used in knives and machetes), the tang has about the same width as the blade, and is generally the same shape as the grip. In European or Asian swords sold today, many advertised "full" tangs may actually involve a forged rat-tail tang. From the 18th century onwards, swords intended for slashing, i.e., with blades ground to a sharpened edge, have been curved with the radius of curvature equal to the distance from the swordman's body at which it was to be used. This allowed the blade to have a sawing effect rather than simply delivering a heavy cut. European swords, intended for use at arm's length, had a radius of curvature of around a meter. Middle Eastern swords, intended for use with the arm bent, had a smaller radius.

Hilt

The hilt is the collective term of the parts allowing the handling and control of the blade, consisting of the grip, the pommel, and a simple or elaborate guard, which in post-Viking Age swords could consist of only a crossguard (called cruciform hilt). The pommel, in addition to improving the sword's balance and grip, can also be used as a blunt instrument at close range. It may also have a tassel or sword knot.
The tang consists of the extension of the blade structure through the hilt.

Single-edged and double-edged swords

As noted above, the terms longsword, broad sword, great sword, and Gaelic claymore are used relative to the era under consideration, and each term designates a particular type of sword.
One strict definition of a sword restricts it to a straight, double-edged bladed weapon designed for both slashing and thrusting. However, general usage of the term remains inconsistent and it has important cultural overtones, so that commentators almost universally recognize the single-edged swords such as Asian weapons (dao, katana) as "swords", simply because they have a prestige akin to their European counterparts.
Europeans also frequently refer to their own single-edged weapons as swords - generically backswords, including sabres. Other terms include falchion, scimitar, cutlass, dussack, messer or mortuary sword. Many of these refer to essentially identical weapons, and the different names may relate to their use in different countries at different times. A machete as a tool resembles such a single-edged sword and serves to cut through thick vegetation, and indeed many of the terms listed above describe weapons that originated as farmers' tools used on the battlefield.

Single-handed

Bronze Age swords, length ca. 60 cm, leaf shaped blade. Iron Age swords like the xiphos, gladius and jian, similar in shape to their Bronze Age predecessors. Spatha, measuring ca. 80-90 cm. The classical arming sword of Medieval Europe, measuring up to ca. 110 cm. The late medieval Swiss baselard and the Renaissance Italian cinquedea and German Katzbalger essentially re-introduce the functionality of the spatha, coinciding with the strong cultural movement to emulate the Classical world. The cut & thrust swords of the Renaissance, similar to the older arming sword but balanced for increased thrusting. Light duelling swords, like the rapier and the smallsword, in use from Early Modern times. The Japanese short sword, or wakizashi The ida of the Yoruba tribe of West Africa. It can also be regarded as a two-handed sword. The Arabian scimitar, the similar Persian shamshir. The East Indian kris, with a wavy double-edged blade.

Two-handed

Katana of the 16th or 17th Century, with its saya.The Japanese samurai sword, or katana, tachi and nodachi The longsword (and bastard sword/hand-and-a-half sword) of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The 16th-century Doppelhander or Zweihander. The Chinese anti-cavalry sword, zhanmadao of the Song Dynasty. The Scottish Highland claymore, (or claidheamh mor-gaidhlig, great sword); in use until the 18th Century.

Famous Swords

In this painting Ravana is seen cutting the wings of Jatayu with his sword Chandrahas.Apart from the aforementioned types of symbolical swords, the following individually named swords are noteworthy:

Swords in History

Honjo Masamune, Sword of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal military dictatorship of Japan established in 1603. Jewelled Sword of Offering, Sword of King George IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1820-1830). Seven-Branched Sword, which Wa received from Baekje. Snake Sword, which was wielded by the great king Ashoka.[citation needed] Sword of Boabdil, Sword of the last Moorish King in Spain. Sword of Gou Jian, a historical artifact from the Spring and Autumn Period. Tizona, El Cid's personal sword which exists to this day in Spain as a national treasure. A Mameluke sword was given by Prince Hamet Karamali to Presley O'Bannon, an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, during his participation in the First Barbary War.

Swords of Myth and Legend

Arondight - Sword of Lancelot Attila the Hun's sword, which he claimed was the sword of Mars, the Roman god of war Caladbolg - Sword of Fergus mac Roich Chandrahas (Moon blade) - King Ravana's sword in the Indian epic Ramayana. ClaÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂomh Solais - Sword of Nuada Airgeadlamh, legendary king of Ireland Crocea Mors - Sword of Julius Caesar Curtana - Sword of Ogier the Dane , a legendary Danish hero Durendal - Sword of Roland, one of Charlemagne's knights Excalibur/Caliburn/Caledflwch - Sword of King Arthur Fragarach - Sword of Manannan mac Lir and Lugh Lamfada Gram (Balmung) (Nothung) - Sword of Siegfried, hero of the Nibelungenlied Hauteclere - Sword of Olivier, a French hero depicted in the Song of Roland Hrunting - Sword of Beowulf Joyeuse - Sword of Charlemagne Kusanagi - Sword of Susanoo Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar - Sword of King Solomon Tyrfing - Cursed sword that causes eventual death to its wielder and their kin Zulfiqar - Sword of prophet Muhammad and imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (prophet's cousin and son-in-law)

Swords of Modern Fiction

The Lightsaber is a sword concept featured in the Star Wars universe. Its popularity has inspired similar laser based swords to have been used in other works of science fiction media. Various swords from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, including Narsil (later Anduril), Sting, and Glamdring. Many, if not all, European fantasy swords found in literature today where inspired by these swords as Tolkien's works were unique for their time. However, similar mystical swords could be found far back into older mythology and religions. The Zanbato is an incredibly large type of Japanese sword with a mysterious historical background that has inspired various fictional swords found in a wide variety of today's media including anime television, books and video games. Most unrealistically large swords such as the Buster Sword or the Tessaiga found in Japanese media today are inspired by the zanbato. The Vorpal blade is a sword from the poem Jabberwocky. It has since been adopted into modern media as a type of magic sword. Similar magical swords have become common in fantasy literature, games, and art, but this particular sword has had its name continuously mentioned and spread among many works.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sword".