Armor of the Crusaders. Types and designs of swords. Swords from different eras and countries. The biggest swords

Weapons and armor of the Crusaders

Date: 02/19/2013

Byzantine army was combat-ready, but still lagged behind the armies of Europe in terms of military technology.
Just a quarter of a century before the Fourth Crusade, it was impossible to imagine that a motley gathering from all over Europe, apparently numbering no more than 20,000 people, would defeat the powerful Byzantine Empire. However, a lot changed in the last decades of the 12th century - Byzantium weakened, and its Western competitors strengthened. They still had to face strong resistance, but the state of the Byzantine army by 1202 made the conquest of Constantinople a distinct possibility. The decades leading up to the Fourth Crusade saw significant changes in weapons and defensive equipment. The most important thing was the widespread use of such weapons as the crossbow. Although crossbows were not new, constant technical improvements led to them being able to easily penetrate chain mail and even certain types of plate armor. This is very powerful weapon, although with a relatively low rate of fire, turned out to be most effective in waging sieges.

The spread of the crossbow led to changes in the defensive weapons of European armies. Because crossbow bolts had enough inertia to remain lethal even after they bounced off armor, European gunsmiths began to reinforce and armor previously poorly protected areas of the body, including the face. Fighters who had a lower social status strengthened their protection with the help of larger shields and wider hauberks. The Byzantines were surprised by the amount of armor that the crusaders wore, not only the knights, but also other warriors, including most of the infantry. In only one area of ​​​​military technology were both sides approximately equal: in siege weapons. The fixed-counterweight mangonel, or trebuchet, was widely used throughout much of Europe, as well as the Byzantine Empire, from the mid-12th century, and possibly much earlier. During the sieges of Constantinople, Byzantine stone-throwing machines proved more effective, but most likely because they were mounted on towers.

Until many Venetians unexpectedly took the cross in 1203, most of the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade were French and Flemish. Home driving force Both of these groups had religious feelings, however, elements of the new chivalric code also played an important role. Nevertheless, main feature This period began the process of professionalization of the army, and it affected France to the greatest extent. As a result, many highly skilled (but also notoriously brutal) mercenaries were employed, mainly from Navarre, Flanders, Gennegau, Brabant and other parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Most crossbowmen, apparently, were professionals. Many types of weapons used by infantry were much easier to use and did not require serious training, and they were most effectively used by mercenary detachments, in which high discipline was maintained.

The military situation in Flanders was somewhat different. Fast economic development, urbanization and attempts by the church to ban tournaments meant that the Flemish army had fewer and fewer opportunities to use its skills domestically. Thus, the Crusades provided her with such an important alternative, as well as the mercenaries from France, England and Germany. The situation was reminiscent of the one that developed in neighboring Brabant, Namur and Liege, located on the lands of the Holy Roman Empire. The Brabantians, for example, were among the most effective and respected mercenaries of the late 12th century, especially as infantry during siege warfare. Other areas of the largely German-inhabited Holy Roman Empire were militarily similar to what is now part of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Apart from the Venetian troops, the largest Italian contingent to take part in the Fourth Crusade was probably the troops of the Marquis of Montferrat. They could represent only one type of mixed armed forces that existed in Italy in those years. In addition to the main differences (militarily) between Northern, Central and Southern Italy, there were also differences between urban and rural contingents, lowlanders and mountaineers. The significance of the contribution of the Venetian army and navy to the Fourth Crusade cannot be exaggerated.

The Venetian military art of the 13th century developed in the same way as that of their Genoese competitors, and was based on land and sea forces. Both maritime republics relied on their ability to effectively use "wood and rope technology." In particular, this feature was the result of the fact that lower social strata of Venetian society were also involved in military service. Without the Venetian navy the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade might not have been able to conquer Constantinople. Galley rowers, like other sailors, were free people, not slaves. Labor on the benches of galley rowers was not considered humiliating, since the rowers were chosen by lot, and this was their contribution to the defense of their hometown.

After a catastrophic defeat by the Suljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, Byzantium was able to quickly restore its military power under the emperors Komnenos (1081-1185) (and suffered another heavy defeat at the Battle of Myriokephale in 1176, again at the hands of the Seljuks). However, after the death of Emperor Manuel in 1180, the empire entered a period of protracted crisis. IN organizationally The military system of the Komnenos was more flexible than under their predecessors, but its main weaknesses were the system of administration and financing, as well as low loyalty personnel. In addition, by the end of the 12th century, the Byzantine Empire was in serious need of human resources. Decentralization of power meant that the emperor had to constantly fight with regional rulers for control of the military. The Byzantine army of 1203 was seasoned in battles with the Juks, Wallachians, Bulgars and Kipchaks. Shortly before this she had succeeded in repelling an invasion by the Normans from the Kingdom of Sicily and southern Italy, and was clearly able to withstand a much less powerful crusader army. Apparently the biggest problem Byzantine Empire There was a decline in the morale of its population, and therefore the idea of ​​Byzantine Greeks as warriors who lacked stamina became widespread in Europe.

However, the Byzantine army was still known for its strict discipline among officers and men, generous salaries, and an efficient system of distributing weapons, armor, and horses at the start of a campaign. However, the quality of the high command directly depended on the personality of the emperor. Worst of all, Emperor Isaac II Angelus appeared to appoint men to senior military positions based on political preferences rather than on the candidates' competence. Structurally, the Byzantine army still consisted of local contingents recruited from their respective regions, as well as “national” \ foreign \ mercenary formations and elite palace or guard regiments. The cavalry was divided into heavily armed warriors, designed for close combat, armed in the traditional Middle Eastern, rather than Western European, style of lightly armed horse archers. The most famous elite palace formation was the Varangian Guard. Initially it was formed from Viking mercenaries, but by the time of the Fourth Crusade it mainly consisted of Anglo-Saxons, as well as Frisians, Germans, etc.

Due to the difficult economic situation in which Byzantium found itself at the beginning of the 13th century, the number of Western European mercenaries decreased sharply. Most of the people from Western Europe who fought in the ranks of the Byzantine troops and defended Constantinople during Fourth Crusade, were most likely residents of trading colonies and members of ship crews. The largest group supporting the sitting emperor were the commercial competitors of the Venetians. By the time of the Fourth Crusade main role Turkic mercenaries played in the Byzantine army, their number included numerous people from the semi-nomadic Turkic peoples of the Western steppes. Another contingent of Turkic mercenaries came from Anatolia, but the number of such troops, according to researchers, was greatly reduced after the defeat of the Byzantines at Myriokephalos in 1176.

5 most formidable two-handed swords of the Middle Ages October 9th, 2016

After we've discussed it, let's find out something closer to reality.

Around the two-handed swords of the Middle Ages, thanks to the efforts of popular culture, the most incredible rumors always swirl. Look at any art picture of a knight or a Hollywood film about those times. All the main characters have a huge sword, reaching almost to their chest. Some endow the weapon with a weight of pounds, others - with incredible dimensions and the ability to cut a knight in half, and still others even argue that swords of this size could not exist as military weapons.

Claymore

Claymore (claymore, claymore, claymore, from the Gaulish claidheamh-mòr - “big sword”) - two-handed sword, which has become widespread among Scottish Highlanders starting from the end of the 14th century. Being the main weapon of infantrymen, the claymore was actively used in skirmishes between tribes or border battles with the British.

Claymore is the smallest among all its brothers. This, however, does not mean that the weapon is small: average length The length of the blade is 105-110 cm, and together with the handle the sword reached 150 cm. Its distinctive feature was the characteristic bend of the cross-arms - downwards, towards the tip of the blade. This design made it possible to effectively capture and literally pull out any long weapon from the enemy’s hands. In addition, the decoration of the horns of the bow - pierced in the shape of a stylized four-leaf clover - became a distinctive sign by which everyone easily recognized the weapon.

In terms of size and effectiveness, the claymore was perhaps the most the best option among all two-handed swords. It was not specialized, and therefore was used quite effectively in any combat situation.

Zweihander

The Zweihander (German: Zweihänder or Bidenhänder/Bihänder, “two-handed sword”) is a weapon of a special unit of landsknechts who are on double pay (doppelsoldners). If the claymore is the most modest sword, then the zweihander was indeed impressive in size and in rare cases reached two meters in length, including the hilt. In addition, it was notable for its double guard, where special “ boar tusks“The unsharpened part of the blade (ricasso) was separated from the sharpened part.

Such a sword was a weapon of very narrow use. The fighting technique was quite dangerous: the owner of the zweihander acted in the front ranks, pushing away with a lever (or even completely cutting) the shafts of enemy pikes and spears. To own this monster required not only remarkable strength and courage, but also significant swordsmanship, so the mercenaries did not receive double pay for their beautiful eyes. Fighting technique two-handed swords bears little resemblance to conventional blade fencing: such a sword is much easier to compare with a reed. Of course, the zweihander did not have a sheath - it was worn on the shoulder like an oar or spear.

Flamberge

Flamberge ("flaming sword") is a natural evolution of the usual straight sword. The curvature of the blade made it possible to increase the lethality of the weapon, but in the case of large swords, the blade was too massive, fragile and still could not penetrate high-quality armor. In addition, the Western European school of fencing suggests using the sword mainly as piercing weapon, and therefore, curved blades were not suitable for her.

By the 14th-16th centuries, advances in metallurgy led to the fact that the chopping sword became practically useless on the battlefield - it simply could not penetrate armor made of hardened steel with one or two blows, which played a critical role in mass battles. Gunsmiths began to actively look for a way out of this situation, until they finally came to the concept of a wave blade, which has a series of successive anti-phase bends. Such swords were difficult to manufacture and expensive, but the effectiveness of the sword was undeniable. Due to a significant reduction in the area of ​​the damaging surface, upon contact with the target, the destructive effect was increased many times over. In addition, the blade acted like a saw, cutting the affected surface.

The wounds inflicted by the flamberge did not heal for a very long time. Some commanders sentenced captured swordsmen to death solely for carrying such weapons. Catholic Church She also cursed such swords and branded them as inhumane weapons.

Slasher

Espadon (French espadon from Spanish espada - sword) is a classic type of two-handed sword with a tetrahedral cross section blade. Its length reached 1.8 meters, and the guard consisted of two massive arches. The center of gravity of the weapon often shifted to the tip - this increased the penetrating ability of the sword.

In battle, such weapons were used by unique warriors who usually had no other specialization. Their task was to, waving huge blades, destroy the enemy’s battle formation, overturn the first ranks of the enemy and pave the way for the rest of the army. Sometimes these swords were used in battles with cavalry - due to the size and weight of the blade, the weapon made it possible to very effectively chop the legs of horses and cut through the armor of heavy infantry.

Most often, the weight of military weapons ranged from 3 to 5 kg, and heavier examples were awarded or ceremonial. Sometimes weighted replicas of combat blades were used for training purposes.

Estoc

Estoc (French estoc) is a two-handed piercing weapon designed to pierce knightly armor. A long (up to 1.3 meters) tetrahedral blade usually had a stiffening rib. If previous swords were used as a means of countermeasures against cavalry, then the estok, on the contrary, was the weapon of the horseman. Riders wore it on the right side of the saddle so that in case of loss of the pike they would have an additional means of self-defense. In horse fighting, the sword was held with one hand, and the blow was delivered due to the speed and mass of the horse. In a foot skirmish, the warrior took it in both hands, compensating for the lack of mass with his own strength. Some examples of the 16th century have a complex guard, like a sword, but most often there was no need for it.

Now let's look at the largest combat two-handed sword.

Presumably this sword belonged to the rebel and pirate Pierre Gerlofs Donia known as "Big Pierre", who, according to legend, could cut off several heads at once, and he also bent coins using his sword. thumb, index and middle finger.

According to legend, this sword was brought to Friesland by the German Landsknechts; it was used as a banner (was not a battle one); captured by Pierre, this sword began to be used as a battle sword

Pier Gerlofs Donia (W. Frisian. Grutte Pier, approximately 1480, Kimsvärd - October 18, 1520, Sneek) - Frisian pirate and independence fighter. Descendant of the famous Frisian leader Haring Harinxma (Haring Harinxma, 1323–1404).
Son of Pier Gerlofs Donia and Frisian noblewoman Fokel Sybrants Bonga. He was married to Rintsje or Rintze Syrtsema, and had from her a son, Gerlof, and a daughter, Wobbel, born in 1510.

On January 29, 1515, his court was destroyed and burned by soldiers from the Black Band, landsknechts of the Saxon Duke George the Bearded, and Rintze was raped and killed. Hatred of his wife's murderers prompted Pierre to take part in the Gueldern War against the powerful Habsburgs, on the side of the Gueldern Duke Charles II (1492-1538) of the Egmont dynasty. He entered into an agreement with the Duchy of Geldern and became a pirate.

The ships of his flotilla "Arumer Zwarte Hoop" dominated the Zuiderzee, causing enormous damage to Dutch and Burgundian shipping. After the capture of 28 Dutch ships, Pierre Gerlofs Donia (Grutte Pier) solemnly declared himself “King of Frisia” and set a course for liberation and unification home country. However, after he noticed that the Duke of Geldern did not intend to support him in the war of independence, Pierre terminated the treaty of alliance and resigned in 1519. On October 18, 1520, he died in Grootsand, a suburb of the Frisian city of Sneek. Buried on the north side of the Great Sneek Church (built in the 15th century)

Here it is necessary to make a remark that the weight of 6.6 is abnormal for a combat two-handed sword. A significant number of them vary in weight around 3-4 kg.

sources

O Damask Durandal, my bright sword,
In whose hilt of the shrine I of old did I embed:
It contains Vasily’s blood, Peter’s tooth is imperishable,

Vlasa Denis, God's man,
A fragment of the robe of the Ever-Virgin Mary.
("Song of Roland")

A sword for the Middle Ages is clearly more than simple. For the Middle Ages, this was, first of all, a symbol. Moreover, in this capacity it is still used in military ceremonies in various armies on globe, and no other weapon even tries to challenge this role. Most likely, this will be the case in the future, because it’s not for nothing that the creator “ Star Wars“George Lucas made a beam sword into the weapon of the all-powerful Jedi and explained this by saying that he needed a weapon worthy of knights who would be honest, and their thoughts would be sublime, and who would fight for peace throughout the Galaxy. However, there is nothing surprising in the fact that he decided so. After all, the sword simultaneously symbolizes the cross, and the cross is nothing more than a symbol of the Christian faith.

Albrecht Dürer's 1521 drawing of Irish mercenaries in the Low Countries. One of the two two-handed swords shown here has a ring-shaped pommel, characteristic only of Irish swords.

Of course, many Christians of the 21st century may feel uncomfortable with such a comparison, but a clear tendency towards war and violence is found not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament, where the following is literally said in the name of the absolute peacemaker Jesus: “Do not think that I came to bring peace to earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10, 34)

Sword XII - XIII centuries. Length 95.9 cm. Weight 1158 g. (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

Theologians may argue about what these words mean, but there is no escaping the word “sword” in this phrase. Moreover, already in the early Middle Ages, a military leader differed from a simple warrior in that he had a sword as a weapon, while they had axes and spears. When ordinary warriors began to wield swords in the middle and late Middle Ages, the sword turned into a symbol of Christian chivalry.

Pommel with the coat of arms of Pierre de Dreux, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond 1240 - 1250. Weight 226.8 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

The knight was trained to wield weapons from childhood. At the age of seven, he had to leave his parents' shelter and move to the court of some friendly lord-knight, to serve there as a page to his lady and in this capacity to undergo his training. While learning numerous servant skills, the page simultaneously learned to fight wooden swords. At the age of 13, he already became a squire and could take part in battles. After this, another six to seven years passed and the training was considered completed. Now the squire could become a knight or continue to serve as a “noble squire”. At the same time, the difference between the squire and the knight was very slight: he had the same armor as the knight, but the sword (since he was not solemnly girded with it!) was not worn on his belt, he attached it to the pommel of the saddle. In order for a squire to become a knight, he had to be initiated and girded with a sword. Only then could he wear it on his belt.

Spurs were also a symbol of chivalry. First they girded them with a sword, then they tied spurs to their feet. These are the spurs of a 15th century French knight. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

So it was precisely the presence of a sword, even if only at the saddle, that in the Middle Ages was a clear difference between a free person of noble origin and a commoner or, even worse, a serf.

No one fought in armor anymore, but they continued to be made according to tradition... for children and youth! Before us is the armor of the young Infante Louis, Prince of Asturias (1707 - 1724). (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Well, of course, it is no coincidence that the knight’s sword, if you look at it from the front, looked so much like a Christian cross. The arms of the crosspiece began to be bent downwards only in the 15th century. Before this, the arms of the crosspiece were exclusively straight, although there were no special functional reasons for this. It is not for nothing that in the Middle Ages the crosspiece of a sword was called a cross (while the Muslim saber corresponded to the curve of the crescent). That is, this weapon was deliberately equated with the Christian symbol of faith. Before the sword was presented to the candidate for knighthood, it was kept in the altar of the chapel, thus cleansing it of all evil, and the sword itself was handed over to the dedicatee by the priest.

Sword from 1400. Western Europe. Weight 1673 g. Length 102.24 cm. (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

Well, all commoners and serfs were usually prohibited from having swords and carrying them. True, this situation changed somewhat in the late Middle Ages, when free citizens of free cities, among other privileges, also acquired the right to bear arms. The sword has now also become a distinction of a free citizen. But if a knight learned to wield a sword from childhood, then... the city dweller did not always have the opportunity to do this, which ultimately led to the flourishing of the art of sword fencing.

16th century sword Italy. Weight 1332.4 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

Naturally, the status of the sword lay in a number of circumstances. So, those that have reached us historical documents they say that even a sword of average quality was equal to the cost of at least four cows. For an agrarian peasant society, such a price was equal to a fortune. Well, high-quality swords could cost more. That is, if we compare the sword with other types of weapons, for example, a battle axe, a battle flail or a halberd, then it was the most expensive among them. In addition, swords were often richly decorated, which made them even more valuable. For example, it is known that Charlemagne had both the hilt of his sword and his belt made of gold and silver. "Sometimes he carried a sword decorated precious stones, but this usually happened only on especially solemn occasions or when embassies of other nations appeared before him.”

But this is a completely unique Indian sword of the 18th century. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

However, the decoration of the sword in the early Middle Ages was never magnificent - since the sword was a functional thing, especially when compared with weapons of the Renaissance, overly overloaded with all kinds of decorations. Even the royal swords, although they had gilded hilts and their blades were engraved, were usually quite modest and generally practical, very well balanced weapons High Quality. That is, kings could really fight with these swords.

Claymore 1610 – 1620 Length 136 cm. Weight 2068.5 g. (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

It happened that knights, and even more so kings, owned several swords at once. Thus, Charlemagne had special swords purely for representation and less decorated ones for everyday use. In the late Middle Ages, warriors often had one sword with a hilt in one hand and one long combat sword with one and a half hands. Already manuscripts of the 9th century note that Margrave Eberhard von Friol had as many as nine swords, and a certain Anglo-Saxon prince of the 11th century possessed as many as a dozen swords, which, according to his will, after his death were divided among all his sons.

In addition to the function social status the sword was also a sign of administrative power. For example, in the 13th-century collection of feudal law, The Saxon Mirror, there is an image in which the king receives the sword of temporal power from Jesus, while the pope is awarded the sword of spiritual power. Both at the knighting ceremony and at the coronation of a king or emperor, the sword, together with the crown and scepter, was considered exactly the same symbol of supreme power. For example, St. Mauritius - the imperial sword of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, the German kings girded the pope.

Cinquedeia 1500 Italy. Weight 907 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)

When the king left the church, his sword was carried out in front of him by a special sword-bearer, as a sign of his secular power and power, with the tip up. Therefore, the position of the royal swordsman throughout the Middle Ages was revered as one of the most honorable.

Already in the 14th century, city burgomasters and judges received special ceremonial swords, and they, too, were carried out in front of them as a sign of the high power of their owners. These were usually luxuriously decorated bastard swords or very large two-handed swords. One such sword has reached us - the “official sword” of the city of Dublin. Its gold-plated handle has a distinctive faceted pear-shaped head and long crosshairs. Moreover, this sword is known absolutely precisely: in 1396 it was made for the future king Henry IV. And, apparently, the king used it, since his blade has notches and other characteristic traces of combat use.

The "City Sword of the City of Dublin" symbolizes the administrative power of the city mayor.

And this is how this sword looks in all its glory. The scabbard, however, was made much later. (Dublin Museum, Ireland)

But there were also very special swords, called “swords of justice.” Naturally, this is not a combat weapon and, of course, not a status weapon. But the “sword of justice” was very important, since in the Middle Ages the usual decapitation was carried out with an ax, but this was the sword used to cut off the heads of members of the nobility. In addition to demonstrating social differences, there was also a very obvious practical reason: those executed by the sword experienced less suffering. But since the 16th century, in German cities, criminals from the burgher class also began to be beheaded with a sword more and more often. A special type of sword was also created specifically for executioner needs. It is believed that one of the first such swords was made in Germany in 1640. But most of surviving swords of justice date back to the 17th century, and in early XIX centuries they have already ceased to be used. Last fact The use of such a sword in Germany took place in 1893: then a female poisoner was beheaded with its help.

Executioner's sword from 1688. City Museum of Rotwal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

It is interesting (as interesting as this can be!) that execution with a sword requires the use of a completely different technique than execution with an ax. There, the condemned person should place his head and shoulders on the block - a scene very clearly shown in the wonderful Soviet film "Cain XVIII" (1963) - after which the executioner, with an ax with a wide blade, chopped from top to bottom, having previously tilted or cut long hair victims. But when the head was cut off with a sword, the condemned person had to kneel down, but the block was not required. The executioner took the sword with both hands, swung it widely and from the shoulder delivered a horizontal slashing blow, which immediately knocked the man’s head off his shoulders.

This is how you had to put your head on the block so that the executioner would chop it off with an ax. Still from the film "Cain XVIII".

For some reason, the “sword of justice” never took root in England, and people there were beheaded with an ordinary ax. But still there were executions, albeit a few, that were carried out with the sword, which was clear evidence of the significance of the event, the instrument, and the skill that was required for this. When, for example, the king Henry VIII in 1536 he decided to put his second wife Anne Boleyn to death, then... they cut off her head with a sword. An executioner was called from Saint-Omer near Calais especially for this purpose. It was he who beheaded Anne Boleyn with just one masterful blow.

How important a specialist was for ensuring the painlessness of the death of the executed person is clearly shown by an incident that took place in France in 1626: then an inexperienced volunteer acted as the executioner. So it took him as many as 29 (!) times to strike with his sword to cut off the head of the Comte de Chalet. On the contrary, in 1601, a professional executioner managed to behead two convicts with just one blow, tying them back to back.

“Swords of justice”, as a rule, had two-handed hilts and simple and straight cross guards. They didn't need a point, so they don't have one. So the blade looks like a screwdriver. Typically, the blades of justice swords are very wide (from 6 to 7 centimeters), and their overall length is most consistent with a bastard sword. Such swords weigh from 1.7 to 2.3 kilograms and have a length of 900-1200 mm. That is, it is something between a bastard sword and an ordinary heavy two-handed sword.

And this is how they cut her off with a sword. Execution scene from 1572.

The blades often depicted symbols of justice and various kinds of instructive sayings such as: “Fear God and love justice, and an angel will be your servant.” One of the swords of justice by the Solingen master Johannes Beugel, made by him in 1576, has the following poetic inscription on the blade surfaces:

“If you live virtuously.
The sword of justice cannot cut off your head.”
"When I raise this sword,
That poor sinner eternal life Wish!"

It is an ancient item that is still revered today due to its power and military value. The sword was an integral part of the heavily armed European warrior. According to this knight's sword is rightfully considered a symbol of the Middle Ages and, in general, the Western military world of the past.

You can call it like two lives knight's sword. The first life was the most important and related directly to what the knights were born for - to bring good to the world. They carried out over the swords sacred rites: consecrated, liturgies served with them, best swords were under the altars in monasteries, and the swords themselves were given names. And if you needed to pray, you could stick it in the ground and get some kind of altar with a cross. For a knight, the sword was a symbol of courage, honor, and strength. And even the expression “breaking a sword” meant defeat.

The second life of the sword was not as idealistic as it was meant to bring destruction. And here it has competitors, functional qualities, performance, advantages and disadvantages. had competitors such types of weapons as the morning star and the coin. True, this applied to foot combat. The fact is that only certain swords (two-handed heavy swords) can cut through shields and chain mail. The shield and chain mail were enough to protect against sword strikes. The chain mail protected well from glancing blows, and the shield from sliding and piercing blows. It's a different matter when it comes to cavalry. Since the speed of mounted warriors does not allow multiple blows with a sword, a single blow was decisive. The force of a horseman's blow is greater than that of an infantryman, and a piercing blow with a sword could pierce any armor. This made the sword an indispensable weapon for the cavalry, even more so than the spear, which broke in the middle of the battle.

The ancestors of the knights were rich horsemen of the 6th century, who could make themselves a spatha (double-edged long sword) with a short crosshair and a cone-shaped pommel, and their swords were the ancestors knight's swords.

By the beginning of the era of chivalry (X-XIII centuries), the blade became lighter, shorter and narrower. Since the 12th century, the number of varieties of swords has increased incredibly. The functional purpose is also changing. The role of the piercing blow over the slashing one is increasing. So the sword gradually appeared. During the times of chivalry one could meet knight's sword in several versions.

1. Flamberge. These swords were two-handed with wavy blades and blades that widened towards the tip. Their advantage is that the expanded tip provided a much stronger cutting blow, although it upset the balance, the wavy blade is designed to reduce the affected surface and enhance the specific destructive effect, the wavy blade is able not to get stuck in the enemy’s armor and, when pulled out, acts like a saw - it dismembers. This shape gave the sword the properties of a saber.

2. . This includes knight swords 1050-1300 The main characteristics are a pointed blade and an elongated handle with a lightweight pommel. The shape of their blade and handle was very diverse. They are closely related to the knights of the 12th century. The first hilts of such swords had a leather braid, but over time, starting from the 14th century, the braid began to be made of wire, since plate gloves quickly rubbed the skin.

3. . This type of sword includes one-and-a-half-handed (very rare) and two-handed swords, which were used in Scotland by mercenaries XV-XVII. The claymore is a straight, wide and double-edged blade, a handle with a long handle and a pommel in the shape of a disk or ball. The difference is the ends of the cross bent in the direction of the blade, at the end of which there are clover petals. The weight of the sword reached 2.5 kg, but there were specimens weighing 3.5 kg.
Knight's swords it was allowed to be worn by the free military class. The sword was not only a military weapon, but also part of the life of an entire era, which became famous for its virtues.

Antique edged weapons leave no one indifferent. It always bears the imprint of remarkable beauty and even magic. It feels like you are stepping back into the legendary past, when these items were used very widely.

Certainly similar weapons Serves as an ideal accessory for decorating a room. Cabinet decorated with magnificent specimens ancient weapons will look more impressive and masculine.

Objects such as, for example, medieval swords become of interest to many people as unique evidence of events that took place in ancient times.

Antique edged weapons

The weapons of medieval infantrymen are similar to a dagger. Its length is less than 60 cm, the wide blade has a sharp end with blades that diverge.

Mounted warriors were most often armed with daggers a rouelles. Antique weapons like these are getting harder and harder to find.

Most terrible weapon of that time there was a Danish battle ax. Its wide blade is semicircular in shape. The horsemen held it with both hands during the battle. The axes of the infantrymen were mounted on a long shaft and made it possible to perform piercing and slashing blows and pull them out of the saddle equally effectively. These axes were first called guizarmes, and then, in Flemish, godendaks. They served as the prototype of the halberd. In museums, these antique weapons attract many visitors.

The knights were also armed with wooden clubs filled with nails. The combat whips also had the appearance of a club with a movable head. A leash or chain was used to connect to the shaft. Such weapons of knights were not widely used, since inept handling could do more harm to the owner of the weapon than to his opponent.

Spears were usually made of very long lengths with an ash shaft ending in a pointed leaf-shaped iron. To strike, the spear was not yet held under the armpit, making it impossible to ensure an accurate strike. The shaft was held horizontally at leg level, extending about a quarter of its length forward, so that the enemy received a blow to the stomach. Such blows, when the battle of the knights was going on, were greatly amplified by the rapid movement of the rider and brought death, despite the chain mail. However, it was difficult to handle a spear of such length (it reached five meters). it was very difficult. To do this, remarkable strength and dexterity, long-term experience as a rider and practice in handling weapons were needed. When crossing, the spear was carried vertically, putting its tip into a leather shoe that hung near the stirrup on the right.

Among the weapons there was a Turkish bow, which had a double bend and threw arrows over long distances and with great force. The arrow hit the enemy two hundred steps away from the shooters. The bow was made of yew wood, its height reached one and a half meters. The tail part of the arrows was equipped with feathers or leather wings. The iron of the arrows had different configurations.

The crossbow was very widely used by infantrymen, since, despite the fact that preparing for a shot took more time compared to archery, the range and accuracy of the shot was greater. This feature allowed it to survive until the 16th century, when it was replaced by firearms.

Damascus steel

Since ancient times, the quality of a warrior's weapons has been considered very important. Metallurgists of antiquity sometimes managed, in addition to ordinary malleable iron, to obtain durable steel. Swords were mainly made from steel. Due to their rare properties, they personified wealth and strength.

Information about the production of flexible and durable steel is contacted by Damascus gunsmiths. The technology for its production is shrouded in an aura of mystery and amazing legends.

Wonderful weapons made from this steel came from forges located in the Syrian city of Damascus. They were built by Emperor Diocletian. Damascus steel was produced here, reviews of which went far beyond the borders of Syria. Knives and daggers made from this material were brought by knights from the Crusades as valuable trophies. They were kept in rich houses and passed from generation to generation, being a family heirloom. A Damascus steel sword has always been considered a rarity.

However, for centuries, craftsmen from Damascus strictly kept the secrets of making a unique metal.

The mystery of Damascus steel was fully revealed only in the 19th century. It turned out that the original ingot should contain alumina, carbon and silica. The hardening method was also special. Damascus craftsmen cooled hot steel forgings using a stream of cool air.

Samurai sword

The katana was released around the 15th century. Until she appeared, the samurai used the tati sword, which was much inferior in its properties to the katana.

The steel from which the sword was made was forged and tempered in a special way. When mortally wounded, the samurai sometimes handed over his sword to the enemy. After all, the samurai code says that weapons are destined to continue the path of the warrior and serve the new owner.

The katana sword was inherited according to the samurai will. This ritual continues to this day. Starting at the age of 5, the boy received permission to wear a sword made of wood. Later, as the warrior’s spirit gained strength, a sword was forged for him personally. As soon as a boy was born into the family of ancient Japanese aristocrats, a sword was immediately ordered for him from a blacksmith's workshop. At the moment when the boy turned into a man, his katana sword was already made.

It took a master up to a year to make one unit of such weapons. Sometimes it took ancient craftsmen 15 years to make one sword. True, the craftsmen were simultaneously making several swords. It is possible to forge a sword faster, but it will no longer be a katana.

Going to battle, the samurai removed all the decorations that were on it from the katana. But before meeting with his beloved, he decorated the sword in every possible way, so that the chosen one would fully appreciate the power of his family and masculine wealth.

Two-handed sword

If the hilt of a sword is designed to require a grip with only two hands, the sword in this case is called two-handed. The length of the knights reached 2 meters, and they wore it on the shoulder without any sheath. For example, Swiss infantrymen in the 16th century were armed with a two-handed sword. Warriors armed with two-handed swords were given a place in the front rows order of battle: they were given the task of cutting and knocking down the spears of enemy warriors, which were of great length. Two-handed swords did not last long as military weapons. Since the 17th century, they have played the ceremonial role of an honorary weapon next to the banner.

In the 14th century, Italian and Spanish cities began to use a sword that was not intended for knights. It was made for city residents and peasants. Compared to a regular sword, it had less weight and length.

Now, according to the classification existing in Europe, a two-handed sword should have a length of 150 cm. The width of its blade is 60 mm, the handle has a length of up to 300 mm. The weight of such a sword ranges from 3.5 to 5 kg.

The biggest swords

A special, very rare type of straight sword was the great two-handed sword. It could weigh up to 8 kilograms and be 2 meters long. In order to control such a weapon, a very special strength and unusual technique was required.

Curved Swords

If everyone fought for themselves, often falling out of the general formation, then later on the fields where the battle of knights took place, other battle tactics began to spread. Now protection in the ranks was required, and the role of warriors armed with two-handed swords began to be reduced to organizing separate centers of battle. Being actually suicide bombers, they fought in front of the line, attacking the spearheads with two-handed swords and opening the way for the pikemen.

At this time, the sword of knights, which had a “flaming” blade, became popular. It was invented long before and became widespread in the 16th century. Landsknechts used a two-handed sword with such a blade, called flamberge (from the French “flame”). The length of the flamberge blade reached 1.40 m. The 60 cm handle was wrapped in leather. The blade of the flamberges was curved. It was quite difficult to operate such a sword, since it is good to sharpen a blade that has a curved cutting edge, it was difficult. This required well-equipped workshops and experienced craftsmen.

But the blow of the flamberge’s sword made it possible to inflict deep cut wounds, which were difficult to treat given the state of medical knowledge. The curved two-handed sword caused wounds, often leading to gangrene, which meant that the enemy’s losses became greater.

Knights Templar

There are few organizations that are surrounded by such a shroud of secrecy and whose history is so controversial. The interest of writers and historians is attracted by the rich history of the order and the mysterious rituals performed by the Knights Templar. Particularly impressive is their ominous death at the stake, which was lit by the French Knights, dressed in white cloaks with a red cross on the chest, are described in a huge number of books. For some, they appear as stern-looking, impeccable and fearless warriors of Christ, for others they are two-faced and arrogant despots or arrogant moneylenders who have spread their tentacles throughout Europe. It even got to the point where they were accused of idolatry and desecration of shrines. Is it possible to separate truth from lies in this mass of completely contradictory information? Turning to the most ancient sources, let's try to figure out what this order is.

The order had a simple and strict charter, and the rules were similar to those of the Cistercian monks. According to these internal rules, knights must lead an ascetic, chaste life. They are required to cut their hair, but they cannot shave their beard. The beard made the Templars stand out from total mass, where most aristocratic men were shaven. In addition, knights had to wear a white cassock or cape, which later turned into a white cloak, which became their business card. The white cloak symbolically indicated that the knight had exchanged a dark life for service to God, full of light and purity.

Templar sword

The sword of the Knights Templar was considered the most noble among the types of weapons for members of the order. Of course, the results of its combat use largely depended on the skill of the owner. The weapon was well balanced. The mass was distributed along the entire length of the blade. The weight of the sword was 1.3-3 kg. The Templar sword of the knights was forged by hand, using hard and flexible steel as the starting material. An iron core was placed inside.

Russian sword

The sword is a double-edged melee weapon used in close combat.

Until approximately the 13th century, the edge of the sword was not sharpened, since it was used primarily for chopping blows. Chronicles describe the first stabbing blow only in 1255.

They have been discovered in the graves of ancient people since the 9th century, however, most likely, these weapons were known to our ancestors even earlier. It’s just that the tradition of definitively identifying the sword and its owner dates back to this era. At the same time, the deceased is provided with weapons so that in another world it continues to protect the owner. In the early stages of the development of blacksmithing, when the cold forging method was widespread, which was not very effective, the sword was considered a huge treasure, so the thought of burying it never occurred to anyone. Therefore, discoveries of swords by archaeologists are considered a great success.

The first Slavic swords are divided by archaeologists into many types, differing in hilt and crosspiece. Their blades are very similar. They are up to 1 m long, up to 70 mm wide at the handle, gradually tapering towards the end. In the middle part of the blade there was a fuller, which was sometimes mistakenly called a “bloodletter.” At first the doll was made quite wide, but then it gradually became narrower, and in the end it completely disappeared.

The dole actually served to reduce the weight of the weapon. The flow of blood has nothing to do with it, since stabbing blows with a sword were almost never used at that time. The metal of the blade was subjected to special processing, which ensured its high strength. The Russian sword weighed approximately 1.5 kg. Not all warriors possessed swords. It was a very expensive weapon in that era, since the work of making a good sword was long and difficult. In addition, it required enormous physical strength and dexterity from its owner.

What was the technology used to make the Russian sword, which had well-deserved authority in the countries where it was used? Among high-quality melee weapons for close combat, damask steel is especially worth noting. This special type of steel contains carbon in an amount of more than 1%, and its distribution in the metal is uneven. The sword, which was made from damask steel, had the ability to cut iron and even steel. At the same time, it was very flexible and did not break when it was bent into a ring. However, damask steel had a big drawback: it became fragile and broke in conditions low temperatures, therefore it was practically not used in the Russian winter.

To obtain damask steel, Slavic blacksmiths folded or twisted rods of steel and iron and forged them many times. As a result of repeated execution of this operation, strips of strong steel were obtained. It was this that made it possible to make fairly thin swords without losing strength. Often strips of damask steel were the basis of the blade, and blades made of steel with a high carbon content were welded along the edge. Such steel was produced by carburization - heating using carbon, which impregnated the metal and increased its hardness. Such a sword easily cut through the enemy’s armor, since it was most often made of lower-grade steel. They were also capable of cutting the blades of swords that were not so skillfully made.

Any specialist knows that welding iron and steel, which have different melting points, is a process that requires great skill from the master blacksmith. At the same time, archaeological data confirms that in the 9th century our Slavic ancestors possessed this skill.

There was an uproar in science. It often turned out that the sword, which experts classified as Scandinavian, was made in Rus'. In order to distinguish a good damask sword, buyers first checked the weapon like this: a small click on the blade produces a clear and long sound, and the higher it is and the purer the sound, the higher the quality of the damask steel. Then the damask steel was tested for elasticity: would it warp if the blade was applied to the head and bent down to the ears. If, after passing the first two tests, the blade easily coped with a thick nail, cutting it without becoming dull, and easily cut through thin fabric that was thrown onto the blade, it could be considered that the weapon passed the test. The best swords were often decorated with jewelry. They are now the target of numerous collectors and are literally worth their weight in gold.

As civilization develops, swords, like other weapons, undergo significant changes. At first they become shorter and lighter. Now you can often find them 80 cm long and weighing up to 1 kg. Swords of the 12th-13th centuries, as before, were more used for slashing, but now they also gained the ability to stab.

Two-handed sword in Rus'

At the same time, another type of sword appeared: two-handed. Its weight reaches approximately 2 kg, and its length reaches 1.2 m. The technique of fighting with a sword is significantly modified. It was worn in a wooden sheath covered with leather. The scabbard had two sides - the tip and the mouth. The scabbard was often decorated as richly as the sword. There were cases when the price of a weapon was much higher than the value of the rest of the owner’s property.

Most often, a prince’s warrior could afford the luxury of having a sword, sometimes a wealthy militiaman. The sword was used in infantry and cavalry until the 16th century. However, in the cavalry it was pretty much replaced by the saber, which is more convenient on horseback. Despite this, the sword is, unlike the saber, a truly Russian weapon.

Romanesque sword

This family includes swords from the Middle Ages up to 1300 and later. They were characterized by a pointed blade and a longer handle. The shape of the handle and blade can be very diverse. These swords appeared with the emergence of the knightly class. A wooden handle is placed on the shank and can be wrapped with leather cord or wire. The latter is preferable, since metal gloves tear the leather braid.