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

Arms and armor of the crusaders

Date: 19.02.2013

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 unimaginable that a motley gathering from all over Europe, apparently numbering no more than 20,000 people, would defeat the mighty Byzantine Empire. However, a lot has changed in the last decades of the XII century - Byzantium has weakened, and its Western competitors have strengthened. They still had to face strong resistance, but the state of the Byzantine army by 1202 made the conquest of Constantinople quite realistic. In the decades leading up to the Fourth Crusade, there were significant changes in weapons and defensive weapons. The most important was the widespread use of such weapons as the crossbow. Although crossbows were not a novelty, constant technical improvements have led to the fact that they became 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, proved to be the most effective in conducting sieges.

The spread of the crossbow led to changes in the defensive armament of European armies. Because crossbow bolts had enough momentum to remain deadly even after they bounced off armor, European gunsmiths began to reinforce and cover previously poorly protected areas of the body, including the face, with armor. The fighters, who had a lower social status, strengthened their protection with the help of large shields and wider chain mail hauberks. The Byzantines were surprised by the amount of armor worn by the crusaders, not only by the knights, but by other warriors, including most of the foot soldiers. Only in one area of ​​military technology were both sides about equal: in siege weapons. The mangonel with a fixed counterweight, or tre-bouchet, was widely used in most of Europe, as well as in the Byzantine Empire, from the middle of the 12th century, and possibly much earlier. During the sieges of Constantinople, Byzantine stone-throwing machines proved to be more effective, but most likely because they were mounted on towers.

Until many Venetians unexpectedly accepted 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 knightly code also played an important role. However, main feature This period was the process of professionalization of the army, and to the greatest extent it affected France. As a result, there were many highly trained (but at the same time notorious for their brutality) mercenaries in the service, mainly from Navarre, Flanders, Gennegau, Brabant and other parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Most of the crossbowmen appeared to be professionals. Many of the weapons used by the infantry were much easier to use and did not require serious training, and they were most effectively used by mercenary units in which a high discipline was maintained.

The military situation in Flanders was somewhat different. Rapid economic development, urbanization and attempts by the church to ban tournaments meant that the Flemish army had less and less opportunity to use their skills inside the country. Thus, the Crusades provided her with such an important alternative as the mercenaries from France, England and Germany. The situation resembled that which developed in neighboring Brabant, Namur and Liege, located on the lands of the Holy Roman Empire. The Brabantines, 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-populated Holy Roman Empire militarily resembled those territories that are now part of Belgium and the Netherlands.

In addition to the Venetian troops, the largest Italian contingent that took 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, inhabitants of the plains and mountaineers. The significance of the contribution of the Venetian army and navy to the Fourth Crusade cannot be overstated.

Venetian military art of the 13th century developed in the same way as their Genoese competitors, and was based on land and sea forces. Both maritime republics relied on their ability to use "wood and rope technology" effectively. In particular, this feature was the result of the fact that the 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. The galley rowers, like other sailors, were free people, not slaves. Work 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 native city.

After a disastrous defeat from the Suljuk Turks in the battle of Manzikert in 1071, Byzantium was able to quickly restore its military power under the emperors Komnenos (1081-1185) (moreover, having suffered another heavy defeat in the battle of Miriokefale in 1176 and again from the Seljuks). However, after the death of Emperor Manuel in 1180, the empire entered a period of protracted crisis. AT organizational the military system of the Comneni was more flexible than under their predecessors, but its main weaknesses were in 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. The 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 hardened in battles with the Dzhuks, Vlachs, Bulgars and Kipchaks. Shortly before this, she had managed to repulse the Norman invasion from the Kingdom of Sicily and Southern Italy, and she was clearly in a position to resist a much less powerful crusading army. Apparently the biggest problem Byzantine Empire there was a decline in the morale of its population, in connection with which the idea of ​​the Byzantine Greeks as warriors who lacked stamina was widely spread in Europe.

Nevertheless, the Byzantine army was still known for strict discipline among its officers and men, generous salaries, and an efficient system for distributing arms, 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 Angelo seems to have appointed people to the highest military positions based on political preferences, and not on the basis of the competence of the candidates. Structurally, the Byzantine army still consisted of local contingents recruited in the respective \ regions, as well as "national" \ formations of foreign \ mercenaries and elite palace or guard regiments. The cavalry was divided into heavily armed warriors intended 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 declined sharply. Most of the immigrants 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 that supported the current emperor were the commercial competitors of the Venetians. By the time of the Fourth Crusade leading role Turkic mercenaries played in the Byzantine army, their number included numerous immigrants from the semi-nomadic Turkic peoples of the Western steppes. Another contingent of Turkic mercenaries came from Anatolia, but the number of such troops, as researchers believe, was greatly reduced after the defeat of the Byzantines at Miriokefal in 1176.

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

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

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

Claymore

Claymore (claymore, claymore, claymore, from the Gallic claidheamh-mòr - "big sword") - two-handed sword, which is widely used among Scottish Highlanders since the end of the 14th century. Being the main weapon of the foot soldiers, the claymore was actively used in skirmishes between tribes or border battles with the British.

Claymore is the smallest among all its brethren. This, however, does not mean that the weapon is small: average length the blade is 105-110 cm, and together with the hilt the sword reached 150 cm. Its distinguishing feature was the characteristic bend of the arches of the cross - down, towards the tip of the blade. This design made it possible to effectively capture and literally pull any long weapon out of the hands of the enemy. In addition, the decoration of the horns of the bow - breaking through in the form 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 it was used quite effectively in any combat situation.

Zweihander

Zweihänder (German Zweihänder or Bidenhänder / Bihänder, “two-handed sword”) is a weapon of a special division of landsknechts, consisting of a double salary (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, he was notable for the double guard, where special " boar fangs» separated the unsharpened part of the blade (ricasso) from the sharpened one.

Such a sword was a weapon of very limited use. The fighting technique was quite dangerous: the owner of the zweihander acted in the forefront, pushing away (or even completely chopping) the shaft of enemy lances and spears. Owning this monster required not only remarkable strength and courage, but also considerable skill as a swordsman, so that mercenaries received double salaries not for beautiful eyes. Fighting technique two-handed swords bears little resemblance to the usual blade fencing: such a sword is much easier to compare with a reed. Of course, the zweihander did not have a scabbard - he was worn on the shoulder like an oar or a spear.

Flamberg

Flamberg ("flaming sword") is a natural evolution of the usual straight sword. The curvature of the blade made it possible to increase the striking ability of the weapon, however, in the case of large swords, the blade turned out to be too massive, fragile and still could not penetrate high-quality armor. In addition, the Western European fencing school suggests using the sword mainly as stabbing weapon, and therefore, curved blades were no good for her.

By the 14th-16th centuries, the achievements of metallurgy led to the fact that the chopping sword became practically useless on the battlefield - it simply could not pierce 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 up with the concept of a wave blade that has a series of successive anti-phase bends. Such swords were difficult to manufacture and were expensive, but the effectiveness of the sword was undeniable. Due to a significant reduction in the area of ​​the striking surface, upon contact with the target, the destructive effect was greatly enhanced. In addition, the blade acted like a saw, cutting through the affected surface.

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

Espadon

Espadon (French espadon from Spanish espada - sword) is a classic type of two-handed sword with a four-sided 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 power of the sword.

In battle, such weapons were used by unique warriors, who usually had no other specialization. Their task was to break up the enemy's battle formation, swinging huge blades, overturning the first ranks of the enemy and pave the way for the rest of the army. Sometimes these swords were used in the battle with the cavalry - due to the size and mass of the blade, the weapon made it possible to very effectively cut 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 specimens were award or ceremonial. Sometimes weighted replica warblades were used for training purposes.

estok

Estoc (fr. estoc) is a two-handed stabbing weapon designed to pierce knightly armor. A long (up to 1.3 meters) tetrahedral blade usually had a stiffener. If the previous swords were used as a means of countermeasures against the cavalry, then the estoc, on the contrary, was the weapon of the rider. Riders wore it on the right side of the saddle, so that in case of loss of a peak, they had an additional means of self-defense. In equestrian combat, the sword was held with one hand, and the blow was delivered due to the speed and mass of the horse. In a skirmish on foot, the warrior took it in two 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.

And 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, he also bends coins using his thumb, index and middle fingers.

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

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

On January 29, 1515, his court was destroyed and burned by soldiers from the Black Gang, landsknechts of the Saxon duke Georg the Bearded, and Rintze was raped and killed. Hatred for the murderers of his wife prompted Pierre to take part in the Geldern War against the powerful Habsburgs, on the side of the Duke of Geldern, Charles II (1492-1538) from the Egmont dynasty. He made a treaty with the Duchy of Guelders and became a pirate.

The ships of his flotilla "Arumer Zwarte Hoop" dominated the Zuiderzee, causing great damage to the Dutch and Burgundian shipping. After capturing 28 Dutch ships, Pierre Gerlofs Donia (Grutte Pier) solemnly declared himself "King of Frisia" and headed for the liberation and unification home country. However, after he noticed that the Duke of Guelders did not intend to support him in the war of independence, Pierre terminated the union treaty and resigned in 1519. On October 18, 1520, he died in Grootzand, a suburb of the Frisian town of Sneek. Buried on the north side of Sneek's Great 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 their weight varies in the region of 3-4 kg.

sources

O damask Durandal, my light sword,
In whose handle of the shrine of old I have made:
It contains Vasily's blood, Peter's imperishable tooth,

The hair of Denis, God's man,
Fragment of the robe of Mary the Ever-Virgin.
("The Song of Roland")

A sword for the Middle Ages is clearly more than a simple one. For the Middle Ages, it is, above all, a symbol. Moreover, in its capacity as such, it is still used in military ceremonial in various armies on the globe, and no other weapon even tries to challenge this role. Most likely, it will be so in the future, because it is not for nothing that the creator of " star wars» George Lucas made the beam sword the weapon of the almighty Jedi and explained this by saying that he needed a weapon worthy of knights who would be honest, and their thoughts would be lofty, 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 but 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 uneasy from such a comparison, but a clear propensity for war and violence is found to us not only in the Old, but also in the New Testament, where, on behalf of the absolute peacemaker Jesus, the following is literally said: “Do not think that that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34)

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

Theologians can argue about what these words mean, but there is no escape from the word "sword" in this phrase. Moreover, already in the early Middle Ages, a military leader differed from a simple warrior in that he possessed a sword as a weapon, while those had axes and spears. When ordinary warriors began to possess 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 of Art, New York)

The knight was trained to use weapons from childhood. At the age of seven, he had to leave his parental home and move to the court of some friendly senior knight, to serve there as a page to his lady and in such a capacity and undergo his training. Learning the many skills of a servant, the page simultaneously learned to fight on wooden swords. At the age of 13, he became a squire and could take part in battles. After that, another six or seven years passed and the training was considered completed. Now the squire could become a knight or serve further as a "noble squire". At the same time, the squire and the knight differed very slightly: 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 saddles to the pommel. In order for a squire to become a knight, he had to be consecrated and girded with a sword. Only then could he wear it on his belt.

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

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

Already no one fought in armor, but they continued to make them 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)

And, 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 at the crosspiece began to bend down only from the 15th century. And before that, the arms of the cross were exceptionally straight, although there were no special functional reasons for this. Not without reason in the Middle Ages the crosspiece of the sword was called the cross (whereas the Muslim saber corresponded to the curve of the crescent). That is, this weapon was consciously equated with the Christian creed. Before handing the sword to a candidate for knighthood, it was kept in the altar of the chapel, thus purifying from all evil, and the sword itself was handed over for delivery to the consecrated priest.

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

Well, it was customary for all commoners and serfs to have swords and were forbidden to wear them. True, this situation changed somewhat in the era of 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 the distinction of a free citizen. But if a knight learned to wield a sword from childhood, then ... a city dweller did not always have the opportunity to do this, which eventually led to the flourishing of the art of fencing with swords.

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

Naturally, the status of the sword was in a number of circumstances. So, who have come down to us historical documents they say that a sword, even 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 ax, a battle flail or a halberd, then it was the most expensive among them. In addition, swords were often richly decorated, which made their business even more expensive. So, for example, it is known that Charlemagne had both the hilt of his sword and the bandage to it were made of gold and silver. "Sometimes he carried a sword adorned with precious stones, but this usually happened only on especially solemn occasions or when embassies of other peoples appeared before him.

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

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

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

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

Except 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 worldly 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, along with the crown and scepter, was considered exactly the same symbol of supreme power. For example, Saint Mauritius - the imperial sword of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, the German kings were girded by the pope.

Cinquedea 1500 Italy. Weight 907 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

When the king left the church, his sword was carried in front of him by a special swordsman, 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.

As early as the 14th century, city burgomasters and judges received special ceremonial swords, and they, too, were brought before them as a sign of the high power of their owners. These were usually luxuriously finished bastard swords or very large two-handed swords. One such sword has come down to us - the "official sword" of the city of Dublin. Its gilded handle has a characteristic faceted pear-shaped head and a long crosshair. At the same time, this sword is known for sure: in 1396 it was made for the future King Henry IV. And, apparently, the king used it, since his blade has serrations and other characteristic traces of combat use.

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

This is how the 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 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 with such a sword they chopped off the heads of representatives of the nobility. In addition to demonstrating social differences, there was also a very obvious practical reason: the one who was executed by the sword experienced less suffering. But from 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 the surviving swords of justice date back to the 17th century, and in early XIX century they have ceased to be used. Last fact The use of such a sword in Germany took place in 1893: then, with its help, a woman poisoner was beheaded.

1688 executioner's sword. City Museum of Rottval, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

It is interesting (how interesting can this be!) that execution with a sword requires the use of a completely different technique than execution with an ax. There, the convict should put his head and shoulders on the chopping block - a scene very clearly shown in the wonderful Soviet film "Cain XVIII" (1963) - after which the executioner chopped with an ax with a wide blade from top to bottom, having previously thrown back or cut off long hair victims. But when the head was chopped off with a sword, then the condemned had to kneel, but the chopping block was not required. The executioner took the sword with both hands, swung it wide and from the shoulder delivered a horizontally chopping blow, which at once demolished the head from the man's shoulders.

This is how it was necessary to put the head on the chopping block so that the executioner cut it off with an ax. Frame from the film "Cain XVIII".

In England, for some reason, the "sword of justice" did not take root, and there people were beheaded with an ordinary axe. But still, there were executions, albeit a few, that were carried out with a sword, which was clear evidence of the significance of both the event and the tool, and the skill that was required for this. When, for example, the king Henry VIII in 1536, he planned to put to death his second wife, Anne Boleyn, then ... they cut off her head with a sword. Especially for this, an executioner was called from Saint-Omer near Calais. It was he who decapitated Anne Boleyn with just one masterful blow.

How important a specialist was to ensure the painlessness of the death of the executed is clearly shown by the case that took place in France in 1626: then an inexperienced volunteer acted as an executioner. So it took him as many as 29 (!) times to hit with a sword to cut off the head of the Count de Chalet. And on the contrary, in 1601, already a professional executioner, with just one blow, managed to behead two convicts at once, tying them back to back.

"Swords of justice", as a rule, had two-handed handles and simple and straight arches of the cross. They did not need a point, so they do not have it. So the blade looks like a screwdriver. Usually the blades of the swords of justice 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, have a length of 900-1200 mm. That is, it is a cross between a bastard sword and an ordinary heavy two-handed sword.

And so it was cut off with a sword. The scene of the execution in 1572.

The blades often depicted symbols of justice and various instructive sayings such as: "Fear God and love the law, 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 planes of the blade:

“If you live virtuously.
The sword of justice will not cut your head."
"When I lift this sword,
That poor sinner eternal life wish!"

It is an ancient item that is still revered due to its power and military value. The sword was an integral part of the heavily armed European warrior. Regarding 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 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. Spent over swords sacred rites: consecrated, served liturgies with them, best swords were under altars in monasteries, and the swords themselves were given names. And if you need 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, strength. And even the expression "break the sword" meant defeat.

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

The progenitors 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 forefathers knightly swords.

By the beginning of the era of chivalry (X-XIII centuries), the blade became lighter, shorter and narrower. Since the XII century, the number of varieties of swords has increased incredibly. The functionality is also changing. The role of a stabbing blow over a chopping one is growing. So gradually the sword appeared. During the time of chivalry, one could meet knight's sword in several versions.

1. Flamberg. These swords were two-handed with wavy blades and widening blades towards the tip. Their advantage is that the extended tip provided a much stronger chopping blow, although it upset the balance, the wavy blade is designed to reduce the affected surface and increase 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 form gave the sword the properties of a saber.

2. . These include knight swords 1050-1300 The main characteristic is a pointed blade and an elongated handle with a lightweight pommel. The shape of their blade and hilt was the most diverse. They are closely related to the knights of the 12th century. The first handles of such swords had a leather sheath, but over time, starting from the 14th century, the sheath was made of wire, as plate gloves quickly rubbed the skin.

3. . This type of swords includes one-and-a-half-handed (very rare) and two-handed swords, which were used in Scotland by mercenaries XV-XVII. Claymore is a straight, wide and double-edged blade, a handle with a long shaft and a pommel in the form 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 are clover petals. The weight of the sword reached 2.5 kg, but there were instances of 3.5 kg each.
Knightly swords was allowed to be worn by the free military class. The sword was not only a military weapon, but also a 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. One gets the feeling that one finds oneself in the legendary past, when these items were used very widely.

Certainly similar weapons serves as an ideal accessory for decorating the room. Cabinet decorated with magnificent samples ancient weapons will look more imposing and masculine.

Items such as, for example, swords of the Middle Ages, become interesting to many people as unique evidence of events that took place in ancient times.

Antique edged weapons

The armament of medieval foot soldiers resembles a dagger. Its length is less than 60 cm, the wide blade has a sharp end with blades that diverge.

Daggers a rouelles were most often armed with mounted warriors. These antique weapons are getting harder and harder to find.

Most terrible weapon of that time was a Danish battle axe. Its wide blade is semicircular in shape. The cavalry during the battle held it with both hands. The axes of the infantrymen were planted on a long shaft and made it possible to equally effectively perform stabbing and chopping blows and pull them out of the saddle. These axes were first called guisarms, 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 stuffed with nails. The fighting scourges 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 the knights were not widely used, since inept handling could harm the owner of the weapon more than his opponent.

Spears were usually made of very large length with an ash shaft ending in a pointed leaf-shaped piece of iron. To strike, the spear was not yet held under the arm, making it impossible to provide an accurate blow. The pole was held at leg level horizontally, putting forward about a quarter of its length, so that the opponent received a blow in the stomach. Such blows, when the battle of the knights was going on, were repeatedly amplified by the quick movement of the rider, bringing death, despite the chain mail. However, to be controlled with a spear of such a length (it reached five meters). it was very difficult. To do this, remarkable strength and agility, long experience as a rider and practice in handling weapons were needed. During transitions, the spear was worn vertically, putting its tip into a leather shoe, which 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 paces away from the shooters. The bow was made of yew wood, its height reached one and a half meters. In the tail section, the arrows were equipped with feathers or leather wings. The iron arrows had a different configuration.

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

Damascus steel

Since ancient times, the quality of a warrior's weapons was considered very important. The metallurgists of antiquity sometimes managed, in addition to the usual malleable iron, to achieve strong steel. Mostly swords were made of steel. Due to their rare properties, they personified wealth and strength.

Information about the manufacture of flexible and durable steel is associated with Damascus gunsmiths. The technology of its production is covered with a halo 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 the emperor Diocletian. Damascus steel was produced here, reviews of which went far beyond 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 steel sword made of Damascus steel has always been considered a rarity.

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

The secret of Damascus steel was fully revealed only in the 19th century. It turned out that alumina, carbon, and silica must be present in the initial ingot. The hardening method was also special. Damascus craftsmen cooled hot forgings of steel with a stream of cool air.

Samurai sword

Katana saw the light around the 15th century. Until she appeared, the samurai used the tachi sword, which, in its properties, was much inferior 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 passed his sword to the enemy. After all, the samurai code says that the weapon is 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. From the age of 5, the boy received permission to carry a sword made of wood. Later, as the spirit of the warrior gained firmness, a sword was personally forged for him. As soon as a boy was born in the family of ancient Japanese aristocrats, a sword was immediately ordered for him in a blacksmith's workshop. At the moment when the boy turned into a man, his katana sword was already made.

The master, in order to make one unit of such a weapon, took up to a year. Sometimes it took 15 years for the masters of antiquity to make one sword. True, the craftsmen were simultaneously engaged in the manufacture of several swords. It is possible to forge a sword faster, but it will no longer be a katana.

Going to battle, the samurai removed from the katana all the decorations that were on it. But before a date with his beloved, he decorated the sword in every possible way so that the chosen one fully appreciated the power of his family and male solvency.

two-handed sword

If the hilt of the sword is designed so that only two hands are required, 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 scabbard. For example, Swiss infantrymen were armed with a two-handed sword in the 16th century. Warriors armed with two-handed swords were given a place in the forefront order of battle: they were tasked with cutting and knocking down the spears of the enemy warriors, which had a great length. As a combat weapon, two-handed swords did not last long. Starting from the 17th century, they performed 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 dwellers and peasants. Compared to an ordinary 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 is from 3.5 to 5 kg.

The biggest swords

A special, very rare variety of straight swords was the great two-handed sword. It could reach 8 kilograms in weight, and had a length of 2 meters. In order to handle such a weapon, a very special strength and unusual technique were required.

Curved swords

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

At this time, the sword of knights, which has a "flaming" blade, became popular. It was invented long before that and became widespread in the 16th century. Landsknechts used a two-handed sword with such a blade, called flamberg (from the French "flame"). The length of the flamberg blade reached 1.40 m. The 60 cm handle was wrapped in leather. The flamberg blade 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, was difficult. This required well-equipped workshops and experienced craftsmen.

But the blow of the flamberg sword made it possible to inflict deep wounds of the incised type, which were difficult to treat in that state of medical knowledge. The curved two-handed sword caused wounds, often leading to gangrene, which means 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, the mysterious rites 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 their chests, described in a huge number of books. For some, they appear to be stern-looking, impeccable and fearless warriors of Christ, for others they are duplicitous and arrogant despots or impudent usurers who have spread their tentacles all over Europe. It even got to the point that idolatry and desecration of shrines were attributed to them. Is it possible to separate the truth from the lies in this multitude 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 charged with cutting their hair, but they cannot shave their beards. The beard distinguished the Templars from total weight where most male aristocrats were shaved. In addition, the knights had to wear a white cassock or cape, which later turned into a white cloak, which became their calling card. The white cloak symbolically indicated that the knight had changed his gloomy life to the service of 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 about the 13th century, the point of the sword was not sharpened, since they were mainly used for chopping blows. Chronicles describe the first stabbing blow only in 1255.

In the graves of the ancients, they have been found since the 9th century, however, most likely, these weapons were known to our ancestors even earlier. It’s just that the tradition of finally identifying the sword and its owner is attributed to this era. At the same time, the deceased is provided with weapons so that in the other 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 idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcommitting it to the earth did not occur to anyone. Therefore, the finds of swords by archaeologists are considered a great success.

The first Slavic swords are divided by archaeologists into many types, differing in handle and cross. The wedges are very similar. They are up to 1 m long, up to 70 mm wide in the area of ​​the handle, gradually tapering towards the end. In the middle part of the blade was a fuller, which was sometimes erroneously called "bleeding". At first, the valley was made quite wide, but then it gradually became narrower, and in the end it completely disappeared.

The dol actually served to reduce the weight of the weapon. The flow of blood has nothing to do with it, since stabbing with a sword at that time was almost never used. The metal of the blade was subjected to a special dressing, 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 by which the Russian sword was made, which had a well-deserved authority in the countries where it was used? Among the melee weapons of high quality for close combat, damask steel is 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 of damask steel, had the ability to cut iron and even steel. At the same time, he was very flexible and did not break when he was bent into a ring. However, damask steel had a big drawback: it became brittle and broke under conditions low temperatures, therefore, it was practically not used in the Russian winter.

To get damask steel, Slavic blacksmiths folded or twisted steel and iron rods and forged them many times. As a result of repeated execution of this operation, strips of strong steel were obtained. It was she who made it possible to produce fairly thin swords without loss of 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 obtained by carburizing - heating using carbon, which impregnated the metal and increased its hardness. Such a sword easily cut through the armor of the enemy, since they were most often made of lower grade steel. They were also able to cut sword blades that were not so skillfully made.

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

There has been an uproar in science. It often turned out that the sword, which experts attributed to Scandinavian, was made in Russia. In order to distinguish a good damask sword, buyers first checked the weapon like this: from a small click on the blade, a clear and long sound is heard, and the higher it is and the cleaner this ringing, the higher the quality of the damask steel. Then the damask steel was subjected to a test of elasticity: whether a curvature would occur 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 dulling, and easily cut through the thin fabric that was thrown on the blade, it could be considered that the weapon passed the test. The best of swords were often adorned with jewels. They are now the target of numerous collectors and are literally worth their weight in gold.

In the course of the development of civilization, 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 XII-XIII centuries, as before, were more used for chopping blows, but now they have received the ability to stab.

Two-handed sword in Russia

At the same time, another type of sword appears: a two-handed one. Its mass reaches approximately 2 kg, and its length reaches 1.2 m. The technique of combat with a sword is significantly modified. It was carried 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 cost of the rest of the owner's property.

Most often, the prince's combatant could afford the luxury of having a sword, sometimes a wealthy militia. The sword was used in infantry and cavalry until the 16th century. However, in the cavalry, he was pretty much pressed by the saber, which is more convenient in the equestrian order. Despite this, the sword, unlike the saber, is a truly Russian weapon.

roman sword

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