The sword is a Knife with simple or double edge made up of a right metal blade equipped if necessary with a gutter (longitudinal depression), with a handle and, in certain times, with a guard protecting the hand and a pommel.

The term of sword is polysemous:

  1. It can indicate the whole of the family of these descendants of the Roman Glaive. The English term is then sword
  2. It has since the 20th acquired century a new direction, the “sword of fencing”, one of the three weapons with the foil and the saber. The English term is then the same one as in French, sword . It is one of the many cases of recursive term, a term indicating at the same time an object and the family to which it belongs.

This article is interested in direction 1. It also approaches the second direction, but in a minor way. The shape of the sword determines its use:

  • of size : blow carried with the wire of the sword (the sharp edge);
  • of tuck : blow carried in the axis of the sword to transpierce its adversary.

History

Swords, i.e. weapons having a blade of at least thirty centimetres, are known as of the Bronze Age  : those are then divided into four types, of which oldest is that of the “swords with broad strip” (G.Gaucher and J. - P.Mohen) of old or average Bronze, towards -2000.

With the final Bronze Age, the “swords with tripartite strip” have the three clearly distinct parts of the handle (guard, Fusée and pommel): it is at the latest at this period and probably more still with the first age of iron than the weapon an aristocratic value acquires. Expensive, long and complex to work out, the sword indeed seems to be exclusively in the tombs of important characters.

Door and difficult to handle, the sword is affirmed at the beginning as a weapon of prestige and becomes during antiquity the weapon par excellence which the rider uses to strike “of size” the Fantassin. Nevertheless, Celtic, German and Romains also use it in the infantry, in various forms.

In the last quarter of the 4th century, the Celtic sword cladio , a length of blade of 60  cm becomes a paramount element of the standard equipment of the warrior. Until the Roman period, this sword knows a lengthening of its blade, while its point swells, which indicates an quasi-exclusive use of size.

The Roman legionaries employ the Glaive (Latin gladius ), which goes to the right-sided as before him the Gallic sword or Iberian. The sword of the Early empire (standard “Mainz”) is directly inspired by the Hispanic sword with a blade which can reach sixty centimetres. Thereafter, its point is shortened (standard “Pompéi”). The sword of the legionary is perhaps the weapon which contributes more to the Roman military superiority of the first centuries of the Christian era, in particular because of its capacity to being used of size and tuck.

In parallel, the Cavalry Roman, often made up of the Celtic or German auxiliary troops, employs a type of long sword (Latin spatha ). Under the Severe ones, the spatha becomes in its turn a weapon of infantry, with a long blade of 60 with 90  cm which widens gradually, which goes to the left side.

Undoubtedly because of the evoked features, the sword is a weapon whose manufacture is entrusted to specialists. Because of that, a model a long time is often and imitated before an innovation appears. Thus, the German ones had borrowed the long sword from the Celts. As from the 3rd century approximately, the spatha (the Roman long sword) is inspired itself by the Western Germanic weapons: she knows her hour of glory at the time of the Great invasions; it is the sword of the barbarians which triumphs over the sword equipping the troops, to some extent.

Exported in Scandinavia (in the Jutland), it is this one which seems to have been used as original model with the Western sword medieval, whose first type is that of the sword mérovingienne, with the triangular pommel provided with a ring. The long sword “  mérovingienne  ” is used in its turn as model to the Carolingian franque sword, best of its time so much so that its trade was interdict outside the empire. This one is sophisticated until the 9th century in Saxony, then copied by the Vikings. During the establishment of the duchy of Normandy, the sword Viking is improved until the 11th century (its weight decreases and the guard lengthens). At the 12th century the round pommel spreads and replaces the oval or lobed pommels Normandes swords. Models with the bent guard appear. The tuck (point) round tends to fray until the development at the beginning of XIVe of the sword of tuck: its heel is broad (until 10cm) and the very pointed tuck makes it possible to transpierce the armor between the punts which appear then. At the end of the 13th century the long swords (with two hands) such as the brand of frame appear which, as its name indicates it, is related to the saddle and is used by the dismounted knight. The bastard swords (known as with a hand and half) develop at the 15th century. Their moderate length and their weight as well as an excellent balancing (in particular thanks to the pommels out of bulb) allow the use of it horse and foot. The very long swords such as the swordfishes remain of use at the 15th century and until the beginning of XVIe (Zweihänder of Lansquenets).

System of suspension

The evolution of the weapon itself is indissociable of that of its system of suspension: the protohistoric Celts of the Tène had already known to work out a system of suspension resting on two chains: a bit runs (15  cm) and on a long bit (45 -- 50  cm).

At the beginning of the Early middle ages, the swords are carried to the left side by means of a double vertical trigger guard (kind of loop rigid). The exact origin of this last is incertaine : known of the Chinese, it is necessary to await to see it used in occident that the Sarmates and the Alains introduce it during the invasions " barbares" , one of cuttings of the Great invasions (IIIe-IVe century). Until the 11th century, the port of the sword in its sleeve in shoulder-belt or thanks to a simple belt is current. Later, whereas the use of the cavalry is spread, one will use Fourreau X attached with a double belt, thus conferring a better stability on horse. For the same reasons, at the 12th century, the port of the sword, initially vertical along the left leg, becomes oblique. It passes almost to horizontal to the 15th century when the long swords are spread, so that the point does not touch the ground when the man-at-arms is with foot. The swords of very large dimensions (brands, swordfishes) are carried attached to the saddle of the horse, and not in the back. The only swords commonly carried in the back were the claymores highlanders with XVIIe.

Techniques of forging mill

Another important aspect of the History of the sword is the developments in the technologies of forging mill: thus, to forge their blades, the Gallic ones practiced welding by mixing themselves various metals, probably with an aim of re-employment. With the Early middle ages, a characteristic of the long swords " mérovingiennes" is the composite structure of many blades . The technique, consisting in forging the “heart” of the blade, then to associate to him (“to pay”) two edges with the higher content of Azote was well studied: two narrow bands of metal, intended to be used like edges, are welded with a central damask metal band (compound of alternate bands of Soft iron and Fer high-carbon, possibly twisted before being hammered). The improvement of metals, either by welding in Occident, or by use of already ready ingots, in the East then in Occident, is also a major concern which report in particular the Scandinavian epopees.

Hydace, chronicler Galician of the 6th century, reports in its Olympiad 211 that " in the same way one day, at the time of the assembly of Goths, the part of iron or the point of the weapons which they held with the hand took a color green for the ones, pink or yellow, saffron or black for the others, losing thus temporarily its natural aspect of métal." One can see there a testimony of their structure in layers, which reflects the sun in various manners.

Anatomy

The sword is composed of four parts:

The blade

Of more than 30cm it often has with two edges which one calls also size or wire, the side of the blade is the dish. The first third starting from the point, finest, is the weak one, the last third, thickest, is the fort.

Guard

Protecting the hand it can be made up either of two quillons perpendicular to the body of the sword and giving the shape of a cross, or of a shell, generally in half-sphere, which wraps the hand, or of both. One can also have a capuce which is an arc of circle connecting the shell to the pommel.

The rocket

Composed of the handle, part which one holds, who is rolled up around the silk which is the prolongation of the blade to the pommel.

The pommel

End of the sword nearest to the fencer. It is before a whole allowing counterweight, by balancing the blade, less to tire the wrist but it can, on the occasion, to be used as mass of weapon.

See too

With the wire of the centuries and people, weapons which could be gathered under this generic term evolved/moved in various forms, becoming saber in the East, Cimeterre, Katana in the medieval Japan, etc However the sword was in theory a weapon reserved for the noble ones.

Types

complete listing: Swords with a hand:
  • cladio: Celtic sword out of iron of Tène, blade of 80 with 90  cm, point broad and sharp parallel
  • Sword-tails: short sword of the former Greeks;
  • Sword: short blade sword and symmetrical guard of the legionary Romans or later of the dignitaries with 19th;
  • Spatha : Roman long sword of the great invasions (example);
  • : “sword of war”, which one usually imagines when one thinks of a sword (it is the long sword in the roleplays);
  • : “spada of Italian lato”, it is a sword developed to fight against punts and to use a Ricasso while continuing to use the weapon with only one hand (example);
  • Dirk : (example)
  • Katzbalger: ( étripe cat in German) a short sword used by the Lansquenet S;
  • Rapière : long sword and fine used in Europe starting from the end 14th;
  • sword of court: a shorter version of the precedent, prolonging the tendency of a less and less utility weapon;
  • Jian : light Chinese sword used in particular for the practice of the Tai-Chi.
  • Braquemard : broad and short sword
  • Colichemarde
  • Reitschwert (example)
  • Katana, Japanese saber of right hand (or two hands)
  • Wakizashi, Japanese saber of left hand
  • Tanto, short variation of the wakizashi
  • Tachi, long variation of the katana
  • O-katana, length katana
  • Fauchon (arms), right saber, similar to the slat
Swords with two hands:
  • sword bastard (or sword with a hand and half), usable with one or two hands
  • claymore long sword of the Highlands of Scotland
  • swordfish ( zweihänder in English and German), a designed late sword for the rough force and the effect of shock
    • Flamberge, a version with undulated blade, which adds an psychological impact, reduced the performance and supposedly induced of the vibrations in the opposing weapon
  • ōdachi, long Japanese saber
  • Nodachi, long Japanese saber
  • Zhanmadao, Chinese sword extremely long

  • Tuck (not classified) (example)

Famous swords

Many a swords has a name celebrates, that they at the beginning histories, became of the legendary weapons in the medieval epopees, or although they are entirely imaginary weapons which pertaining to the fantastic works written after the 19th century:

“Historical” swords or weapons of medieval epopees

Swords of works of fiction of the 19th-20th centuries

  • Andúril : sword of Aragorn, character of the Lord of the Rings
  • Dart: sword of Bilbon in Bilbo the hobbit of J.R.R. Tolkien, it was given to its nephew Frodon Sacquet in the Lord of the Rings . It with the characteristic to shine when orcs are in the vicinity.
  • Daywalker: sword of the vampire Blade in films of same the name.
  • Intended: sword indestructible and disputed in the film Tiger and dragon .
  • Frostmourn (Deuillegivre): cursed sword of Arthas, prince of the deposed kingdom of Lordaeron in the world of Azeroth drawn from the Video game Warcraft III.
  • Glamdring : sword of the magus Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings .
  • Grayswandir : sword of the prince of Amber Corwin, character of Roger Zelazny.
  • Sword marked of the héron: sword manufactured using the Single Capacity in the Wheel of Time. They have the characteristic to be practically indestructibles. They are generally the property of large epeists. The young hero, Rand, will inherit his adoptive father.
  • Herugrim : sword of the king Théoden, king of Rohan in the Lord of the Rings .
  • Master Sword (Sword of Legend or Excalibur): legendary sword and off arms principal with the Link hero in the series of video games The Legend Zelda .
  • Narsil : sword of Elendil in the Lord of the Rings , it was broken in the combat against Sauron then reforged to become Andúril.
  • Stormbringer : sword of Elric Nécromancien, character of Michael Moorcock, and her binocular Mournblade
  • Vorpale: sword evoked in the poem Jabberwocky of Lewis Carroll. The term became common in the Roleplay Donjons & Dragons.
  • Zar' rock: sword of Morzan the Perjury took again (after having killed it) by Brom the Dragonnier given to Eragon and flown and by right of the heritage by Murtagh in the trilogy of the Heritage .

Cloak and dagger films

See complete article: Cloak and dagger film

The sword (rapière or sword of court) is the weapon characteristic of the characters, and in particular of the heroes, films belonging to the kind “cloak and dagger films”. These films generally end in a duel with the sword.

The cloak and dagger film is characterized by combat of swords, a hero and a history of love.

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