Sword

A sword (from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swerd lit. "wounding tool", from the Proto-Indo-European *swer- "to wound, to hurt") is a long edged bladed weapon, consisting in its most fundamental design of a blade, usually with two edges for striking and cutting, and a point for thrusting, and a hilt. The basic intent and physics of swordsmanship remain fairly constant, but the actual techniques vary between 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 (see list of swords).

History

Bronze Age

Humans 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 BC. The hilt at first simply allowed a firm grip, and prevented the hand from slipping onto the blade when executing a stab. Bronze Age swords with typical leaf-shaped blades appear in around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and in Mesopotamia. Swords from the Nordic Bronze Age from ca. 1400 BC show characteristic spiral patterns.

Related Topics:
Bronze Age - Dagger - 2nd millennium BC - Bronze Age sword - Mediterranean - Black Sea - Mesopotamia - Nordic Bronze Age - 1400 BC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sword production in China is attested from the Bronze Age Shang Dynasty.

Related Topics:
China - Shang Dynasty

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Iron Age

Iron swords became increasingly common from the 13th century BC. The Hittites, the Mycenean Greeks, and the Proto-Celtic Hallstatt culture 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 and soft, they were even inferior to good 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.

Related Topics:
Iron - 13th century BC - Hittites - Mycenean - Proto-Celtic - Hallstatt culture - Steel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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.

Related Topics:
Smith - Carbon - Smelting - Charcoal - Steel - Pattern welding

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ancient and Byzantine history

By the time of Classical Antiquity and the Parthian and Sassanid Empires in Iran, irons swords were common. The Greek Xiphos and the Roman Gladius (after which gladiators are named) are typical represenants 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.

Related Topics:
Classical Antiquity - Xiphos - Gladius - Gladiator - Roman Empire - Spatha - Spatharius - Long sword

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chinese steel swords make their appearance from the 3rd century BC Qin Dynasty. The Chinese Dao (刀 pinyin dāo) is single-edged, sometimes translated as sabre or broadsword, and the Jian (劍 pinyin jiàn) double edged.

Related Topics:
3rd century BC - Qin Dynasty - Dao - Pinyin - Sabre - Broadsword - Jian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Middle Ages

main articles: Viking sword, Knightly sword.

Related Topics:
Viking sword - Knightly sword

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Spatha type remained popular throughout the Migration period and well into the Middle Ages. Vendel Age Spathas decorated with Germanic artwork (not unlike the Germanic fibulae fashioned after Roman coins). The Viking Age sees again a more standardized production, but the basic design remains indebted to the Spatha.

Related Topics:
Migration period - Middle Ages - Vendel Age - Fibula - Viking Age

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is only from the 11th century that Norman swords begin to develop the quillon or crossguard. During the Crusades of the 12th to (13th) century, this cruciform type of knightly sword remains essentially stable, variations mainly concerning the shape of the pommel

Related Topics:
11th century - Norman - Quillon - Crossguard - Crusades - 12th - 13th - Knightly sword - Pommel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Single-edged weapons became popular throughout Asia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Korean Hwandudaedo are known from the early medieval Three Kingdoms. Derived from this is the Japanese Katana (刀; かたな), production of which is recorded from ca. 900 AD (see Japanese sword).

Related Topics:
Korea - Hwandudaedo - Three Kingdoms - Japan - Katana - 900 - Japanese sword

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Late Middle Ages and Renaissance

From around 1300, 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 long sword, and in Italy spadone, today it is also known as "bastard-sword" or "hand and a half sword", were common, and a number 15th century fechtbuchs teaching their use survive. Another variant was the specialization on armour-piercing swords of the Estoc type.

Related Topics:
1300 - Armour - 1400 - Long sword - 15th century - Fechtbuch - Estoc

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 16th century Germany, the large Zweihänders concluded the trend of ever increasing sword sizes(mostly due to the decline of plate armor and the advent of firearms), and the early Modern Age returned to elegant and light one-handed weapons.

Related Topics:
16th century - Zweihänder

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sword was the most personal weapon, the most prestigious, and the most verastile for close-combat. But it came to find a greater role in civilian self-defense than in military use as technology changed warfare.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Modern Age

The rapier evolved from the Spanish espada ropera from the 16th century. Both the rapier and the Italian schiavona developed the crossguard into a basket for hand protection. During the 17th and 18th centuries, a smallsword became an essential fashion accessory in European countries, and most wealthy men carried one. Both the smallsword and the rapier remained popular duelling swords well into the 18th century.

Related Topics:
Rapier - Espada ropera - 16th century - Schiavona - 17th - 18th centuries - Smallsword - Duelling swords

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 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.

Related Topics:
Cane - Swordstick - French - Martial art - La canne

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sword served more as a weapon of self-defence 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 pre-eminence in the late 18th century, paralleling the development of reliable handguns.

Related Topics:
Modern Age - 18th century - Handgun

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Swords continued in use, although increasingly limited to military officers and 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. Cavalry charges still occurred as late as World War II during which Japanese and Pacific Islanders also occasionally used swords, but by then an enemy armed with machine guns, barbed wire and armoured vehicles would usually completely outmatch swordsmen.

Related Topics:
Officer - Uniform - World War I - 1908 - Armoured vehicle - 1938 - Cavalry - Charge - World War II - Pacific Islanders - Machine gun - Barbed wire - Armoured vehicle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~