8/14/2019 The Medieval Sword
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For purposes of this post, I will focus on the medieval sword of
Western Europe,namely England and France and Scandinavia, from the
10th to the 13th century.
The sword was an instrumental weapon for the knight during the
Middle Ages. Asmost combat was conducted up close hand-to-hand, you
did not go into battlewithout one. Since they were expensive
swordsmiths fabricated swords in the HighMiddle Ages entirely out
of steel or with steel edges and an iron core only themost wealthy
could afford such weapons, and the wealthy were the nobles, the
knights in society. Commoners, when the king raised the levies,
carried whateverthey could find into battle: spears, small axes,
knives, sickles, scythes.
One typical sword in use during this period was a type based on
Viking design.Ewart Oakeshott classified this sword as a Type X
design. Oakeshott developed hisclassification system based on
previous typology work done by Dr. Jan Peterson andDr. R.E.M
Wheeler in the early 20th century. In his book, The Sword in the
Age ofChivalry, Oakeshott describes the Type X as:
A broad, flat blade of medium length (average 31 ) with a fuller
running the entire length and fading out an inch or so from the
point, which is sometimesacute but more often rounded. This fuller
is generally very wide and shallow, butin some cases may be
narrower (about 1/3 of the blades width) and more clearly
defined; a short grip, of the same average length (3 3/4 ) as
the Viking swords. The tang is usually very flat and broad,
tapering sharply towards the pommel. Thecross is narrower and
longer than the more usual Viking kindthough the Vikingsused it,
calling it Gaddjhalt (spike-hilt) because of its spike-like
shape.Generally of square section, about 7 to 8 long, tapering
towards the tips. In rare cases curved. The pommel is commonly of
one of the Brazil-nut forms, but maybe of disk form.
This type of sword was well used throughout the Viking Age and
remained in useuntil the 13th century.
Since steel was scarce in the early Middle Ages, swordsmiths
made their swordsmostly of iron. Northmen, for example, made the
core of the sword by twisting iron
rods and then hammer welding them together. This process is
known as patternwelding. This gave the swords impressive
flexibility and resiliency. After theswordsmiths had created a
strong iron core, they then added strips of steel togive the blade
a sharp edge. The swords from the 10th to the early 12th
centurywere designed primary as cutting weapons. On both sides of
the blade, a fuller randown the center of the blade. While some
people think of the fuller as a bloodgroove, to channel the blood
off the blade, this idea is simply a myth. Theprimary purpose of
the fuller was to make the blade lighter, easier to wield, andmore
flexible, so that it would bend and not break under impact. In the
13thcentury, swords were very similar to the blades from the
previous three centuries,but they were made longer in order to
extend the reach for knights on horseback.
Another important feature of the sword was the pommel. The
pommel is a piece of
metal attached to the end of the handle, which was often
fashioned from wood thatwas bound with wire and then wrapped in
leather (the crossguard was usually madeof iron and could be
decorated with silver inlay, for example) . Pommels came inall
different shapes, but the most common forms were polygonal,
disk-shaped, orBrazil-nut. Pommels made the blade easier to wield,
as they served as acounterweight to help balance the blade. This
counterweight at the end of thesword also produced more force and
momentum for the swordsman when he drove hisblade down into his
target.
One other interesting note about the Type X classified sword:
many of these swordsbear an inscription denoting the maker of the
blade. The most common name found is
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ULFBERHT. This inscription first appears on swords in the Viking
age and continuesto be found on swords dating from the High Middle
Ages. Its possible the ULFBERHTconstitutes one of the earliest
forms of brand recognition.
Sources:
Oakeshott, Ewart. The Sword in the Age of Chivalry. Boydell
Press, 1994.
Newman, Paul B. Daily Life in the Middle Ages. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland & Company,Inc., 2001.
An Introduction to the Sword. Myarmoury.com.
Arms and Armour - Part 5 - Swords. Regia Anglorum.
Oakeshott Typology. Wikipedia.org.
Copyright 2008 Steven Till
http://steventill.com
