The Sword Compendium: European Swords




Well met traveler. Take a seat and grab a pint! For this is the article many of you have been waiting for! As many of you know, I have quite a love of history, particularly centered around warfare. Today we're going to be focusing solely on the different types swords. If you'd wish for an overview of Medieval Swords in general, read the first part of my first article. Today however, I am going to give you, the roleplayer, an historically accurate and informative reference guide to the various types of European swords, ranging from the Classical Age all the way until the 20th century. Now, I can prattle on about each sword and give an overly pedantic view of most of them, but I'm going to try and make the list as easy to understand as possible for you to have easy access to the information. First, I am going to give a few summaries to note, and then after that I will review the various swords. We'll be looking at their usages, if they're a one handed sword or a two handed, their styles of blade, their size, whether they are a main or secondary weapon, and what period the particular sword was used in.

Terminology


It is important to note that this movement of naming and categorizing different types of swords is a largely modern idea, beginning with the Victorian period in the 19th century. Yes, terms were used throughout history such as 'Longsword' and 'Rapier' for instance, however those were mostly used for specific contexts and pieces like sword treatises (and even then, it was sparse). Terms, if used, also meant different things for different languages and countries. A 'Two Handed Sword' in Italy (Spada a Due Mani) was referred as a 'Hand and A Half' sword or Longsword in England, while it was referred to as a Longsword (Langschwert) in Germany, and that is only if they even bothered to specify. Throughout the majority of history, a Sword was simply referred to as 'Sword'. If you hopped into a time machine, and went anywhere in history before the year 1820, you would almost certainly never hear a specific name of a sword. You'd simply hear someone call whatever blade it was, 'Sword.' This is probably due to the fact that not only is classification a recent thing due to Charles Darwin and his classification of the natural world, but also because certain swords were in style throughout certain periods. If everyone in 16th century Spain wore a rapier, or if everyone in 15th century Germany wielded a Longsword, they'd simply say they had 'swords.' Because they often did not know or care that there were different types of swords a hundred miles away, or a hundred years ago.

The Hilt and the Crossguard

Before we begin our look into individual categories of swords, we must talk about the importance of the various parts of the sword. We will look at the hilt and the crossguard, and their importance. Now, while hilts have more diminutive differences such as being oval or round, or even square, we'll look at them in a broader perspective. The hilt controls the weapon, and it dictates on whether or not you can wield the sword with one hand or two. This might seem like a slight difference, but it is a massive difference in battle. What's more, the hilt and the crossguard are also there for hand protection, which is of paramount importance. As the centuries went by, changes in warfare/combat styles, along with less armor being used by most swordsmen, and indeed also fashion, often led to more protective hilts for a swordsman's hand. Now why is this important? Simply put, without your sword hand, you are nearly defenseless. Disable your opponent's sword hand, and they are now very likely defenseless. Your sword hand is what controls your weapon. Without it, you have very little choices in how to defend yourself against another duelist/warrior/soldier. However, protective hilts come with a price. The more protective the hilt, often it is more constricting in your sword movements. Perhaps not a great deal, but enough for you to need to compensate with your sword style. A crucifix longsword can block sliding blades with its crossguard, but not a more nimble strike to the side. However it is more versatile in how you can wield it compared to a basket-hilt broadsword. Not only that, but more complex hilts (basket hilts in particular) are somewhat hard to slip your hand into quickly, and in some cases, whoever can grab their blade first is the one who survives no matter the length of their blade or the shape of their hilt.

Short Swords of the Greco Roman Era

There was a tendency for blades of the Roman and Greek worlds to be shorter than swords of the later periods. Why this is we don't necessarily know, though there could be a variety of factors. Good bronze or iron was not as readily available to them as it was in the late medieval era. There was less armor and a high reliance on shields, which would keep most blades one handed and relatively short. Also, most of the swords listed here were not primary weapons, and a sidearm needs to be small enough to wear easily while your hands are occupied elsewhere. Additionally, I will give you some clarity on Bronze weapons: Around the 1000 B.C., bronze weapons began to slowly give way to iron weapons as there was a major lack of tin at the time (tin being the main element besides copper to create bronze), and thus people began to use iron more, which led to increased experimentation of iron, which led to variations of the alloy such as steel. Now, why did Bronze not make a comeback as tin became more plentiful again? You see, bronze is not a soft metal. It's nearly as strong as some forms of iron, and is reputedly stronger than wrought iron. Bronze is also much more flexible. A lot of bronze Grecian swords were used just as much for their blunt trauma as their cutting power. Slamming a bronze sword against a shield would cause the sword to bend and then 'snap' back into place for a fraction of a second, and only repeated use in such a fashion would cause it to be bent out of shape. Iron is much more brittle and does not have that tendency to bend, which makes bronze weapons somewhat more versatile, and bronze also degrades much slower than iron, which is why we have many, many examples of bronze swords from the ancient era in museums. However, as smiths began to experiment with iron, they quickly discovered iron, once removed of its impurities and adding certain other elements, could outmatch bronze in certain pivotal ways, such as durability and stability, which is why iron weapons with an edge became more popular than bronze weapons as the centuries went on. So in summary, once iron became popular, it had an advantage against bronze in many ways. However, bronze is not a poor metal, and remained in use even into the medieval era in a limited capacity for arms and armor.

  • Gladius: Now, the first sword we're going to look at is actually an exception the above. The Gladius was a double edged cut and thrust sword, with tapering near the point to aid in thrusting. It was short compared to medieval swords, with 18-27 inch blades, however it was used as a primary weapon. Yes, Roman Legionaries has Pilum spears and Javelins, but those were for thinning their foe's ranks before they met their enemies on the field. Coupled with the large Scutum shield, the Gladius was an incredibly primary effective weapon. Protected by their large shield walls, they would give quick but strong thrusts to the enemy's midsection if they could help it. If not, it was still very easily used as a cutting weapon, or they would attempt to stab the enemy in the face or under the armpit.
  • Kopis: This Bronze/Iron age sword was a crooked, single bladed cut & thrust sword. If you've watched the 2007 film adaptation of the 300 comic, they used a similar design to this blade albeit with a straight back. Much like the Falcata used in Carthage, the Kopis was unusual with having a brace-like hilt. It was made slightly more specialized for cutting than the Xiphos that will be discussed below, and it was often favored by Greek cavalry rather than infantry. It was also a bit longer than the Xiphos in the blade length.
  • Xiphos: An Iron Age, cut & thrust leaf shaped blade used by the Greeks. It was a secondary weapon for when the spear was discarded in combat. Almost always used with a shield. Its blade was generally 20-23 inches in length, with a very simple hilt and crossguard. While leaf shaped Grecian blades can be dated back to the 2nd millennium BC, they're most popular around the 5th century BC and onward.
  • Celtic Sword: With a blade nearly identical to the Xiphos, the Celtic leaf blade was probably used in a similar fashion. Secondary weapon, used with shield, though it was possibly larger than the Xiphos in blade size. Accounts are sketchy from this one's knowledge and research. The crossguard was more concave in its design, however. There were straight bladed variants as well, as can be seen from the La Tene swords. [2]


Swords of the Dark Ages

To give you a better understanding of the swords and the terms I will use below, as well as providing some insight into a less explore part of European History, I'm going to give a brief overview of the Dark Ages as we know them today.
Now, onto what effects this had on blades. Because of the utter confusion, vast conflicts, movement of peoples, and power grabs of the era, there was not much time for the innovation of swords. Good iron was even harder to come by than earlier centuries, and good smiths were just as rare. The Spear and the Axe were far more popular readily available. However, swords were still prized and used when they could be acquired, almost always with a shield on hand as well. The blades were increasing in size somewhat from their predecessors, but they were still one handed blades, often used by more privileged or prosperous warriors who could afford the very expensive iron. It is paramount that the reader knows there are no fencing treatises of this time period, so single combat and techniques on blade uses in the Dark Ages are sheer speculation. However we can add certain clues together, such as the blade's design, as well as the various military strategies we know of such as the Saxon shield wall. The crossguards of these blades were notably short, and most scholars I know believe Germanic peoples such as the Vikings would use their shields as hand protection, striking with their sword while they would lift their shield to protect their sword arm/hand in unison. That is, when they were not using their shield in its primary defensive fashion at the man's center.

  • Spatha: Contrary to how swords worked in the middle ages, where longer and heavier swords were more likely to be a primary weapon, the larger Spatha Sword replaced the Gladius as the Roman Legionary's sword in the late Roman Empire. However, the Spatha was a secondary weapon, the Romans now employing spears as their main armament. The Spatha was a cut and thrust sword, generally with a 26-28 inch blade that had a bit less girth than the Gladius, with its blade being slightly more curved at the tip. It had a similar, albeit longer hilt with a more concave crossguard. The general consensus is the Spatha set the standard for the other swords of the Dark Ages, as they all have similar designs.
  • Migration Era Sword: Also known as the Germanic War Sword, the Frankish Sword, the Saxon Sword, and the Merovingian Sword. This battle sword was a one handed, doubled edged cut & thrust sword, usually with a 28 inch blade. The blade was widest at its base, giving an almost imperceptible concave curve further down, growing a bit wider at its central ridge, almost an echo of earlier leaf shaped blades. However to the untrained eye, or far away, you would think the entire sword was completely uniform straight until the fuller ended. Some were as well, from what we can gather. As stressed above, we know little of the Dark Ages, at least compared to what we know of the medieval era. However we do have a few archaeological discoveries, most notably of which is the Sutton Hoo sword, of which I am now using as a basis for Merovingian blade. These swords had a fine edge, though it still was a bit more rounded at the tip than later swords. This sword was also notably a tad heavier than the Spatha. You would find these swords in the 5th to 7th centuries, during the time of Beowulf, essentially. There was a variation of this type of sword, called the 'Ring Sword,' a sword with the same blade with a golden 'ring' around the middle of the hilt. Even during a time when swords were considered weapons of the wealthy, the 'Ring Swords' were for the most distinguished people in Germanic culture. I believe the Sword Beowulf uses in the poem is a Ring Sword, though there is some debate over the Old English translation.
  • Norman/Viking Sword: Oftentimes synonymous with the Migration Era sword, and is still referred to as the Saxon sword. The Viking Sword was not used solely by the Vikings, but became popular during the 8th century, and continued on until the 11th century, used at the Battle of Hastings with the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror. The Viking Sword was fairly similar to the sword of the Migration Era. A one handed cut & thrust, doubled edged sword a basic crossguard. There were various hilts, but with mostly rudimentary differences. To us they would seem constricting to hold, as we have a tendency to hold hilts near the crossguard. However, holding it with your hand pressed to the butt of the hilt made it much easier to swing. The only true differences between the Norman sword and the Migration Era swords were as follows; The Viking swords were usually a tad longer and heavier, with a uniform straight blade, and a slightly pointier end.


Swords of the Medieval Era

In this section, I will be describing only two swords. Yes, there were more than two categories of swords in the medieval era, such as Falchions, as well as Hangers and Sabers in a limited sense. However, the majority of Medieval Swords were the different variations of the Arming Swords and the Longsword, described as accurately as possible for our time, in Ewart Oakeshott's Typology of Swords. As stated in my 'Terminology' section, the listing and categorization of Swords is a modern phenomenon, but as there were different countries, smiths, and styles of fighting in the Medeival Era, the double bladed cut & thrust swords between the years 1000 and 1500 had varied blades, hilts, and crossguards. It is important to remember that even during the Medieval Era, some men often did not know the difference between an Arming Sword and a Long Sword, as many scholars today find it hard to draw a line between them. Is a sword with a 30 inch blade with a two handed hilt an Arming Sword, or a Longsword? Or a shorter hilt on a longer blade? Modern scholars do as they can, just remember it is not always cut and dry. Below, I will give summaries of the two swords in depth as best as we know.

  • Arming Sword: Probably the most popular and common sword in European history. If you were on a medieval battlefield, and you had a sword, chances are it was this one. Archers wore them as sidearms in case they were dragged into a melee. Sappers would wear them at their sides to fight off unexpected attacks. It was the predominate sidearm of the era. Generally, it was used as a secondary weapon, however there were exceptions. Due to its versatile nature, many soldiers would be exceptional combatants with an Arming Sword if coupled with a shield (popularly used with a buckler in duels). Heavily armored Knights sometimes fancied using an Arming sword in one hand so they could use their free hand to grapple or tug the reins on a horse. Its popularity stretched throughout the 11th to 16th centuries, roughly 500 hundred years of constant use. Its design fluctuated and varied throughout the medieval era, but all Arming swords were double bladed, one handed cut & thrust swords meant to be worn on the hip as a side arm. While early examples shared many similarities with the Norman/Viking sword, the main difference between them was the Arming sword's more developed crossguard. It was the first sword featured in a fencing treatise, by the famous fencer Fiore Dei Liberi.
  • Longsword: Many swords throughout history are referred to as 'Longsword,' but I believe we all know what I mean when I use the term here. Synonymous with 'Hand and a Half Sword,' often called 'Bastard Sword' in modern terms, and in some cases is referred to as the 'Two Handed Sword.' It was used from the late 14th to the mid 16th century, though it was during the 15th century that it was particularly popular. As you can see, the Longsword was developed quite late in the Medieval Era. While I don't believe one should get too anal about this, media often portrays the Longsword used in conflicts like the (first, second, and third) Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, and this is simply not accurate. Not to say no blacksmith ever decided to put a larger blade on a long hilt before the year 1370, however there is no historical evidence to support one being used before then. It was the favored sword of Knights and heavy infantry, often used with half-swording techniques when fighting more armored opponents. The Longsword was a popular sword in early fencing treatises, and it was the blade that helped bridge the development of most future swords. It had varying hilts, but the cruciform hilt is what it's most famous for. It's blade was usually 3 feet or more, some reaching close to 4 feet. If you have heard of the often mentioned German/Italian Schools of Swordsmanship, the Longsword is what is often used.


Sideswords & Backswords

As warfare and combat continued to develop, the quintessential medieval sword began an evolution that would split off into two different swords that don't quite get the limelight they deserve in popular culture. The Sidesword, and the Backsword. At some point during the late 15th century, the medieval sword gained a component on the hilt called a knuckle-bow, which is a small guard that covers the fingers. The sword also gained a finger ring, a small ring above the crossguard and atop the base of the sword blade where a swordsman would slip his pointer finger in to give him better control over the blade. Eventually, a second finger ring would be placed atop both sides of the blade's base, and this sword would become the 'Sidesword.' The history of its cousin, the 'Backsword' is even more inconspicuous, appearing with a more prominent cup or basket hilt in the 16th century. For some reason, be it culture or geography, Germanic peoples (Britain, Germany, Netherlands) favored the cut more often, and therefore enjoyed the more robust Backsword often, while Latin peoples (France, Italy, Spain) used the thrust a bit more, so the slightly thinner Sidesword was more popular in those regions.

  • SideSwords: The Sidesword was used in both war and civilian life, mostly in the 16th century. It was essentially a one handed medieval sword, with a knucklebow/swept hilt. The blade was usually slightly thinner and slightly longer than the Arming Sword. Some sources indicate the Sidesword evolved into the Rapier, as indeed it is sometimes referred to as the 'cut & thurst Rapier.' It remained popular until the middle of the 17th century.
  • Backswords: The Backsword was a single edged, cut & thrust weapon. Because the sword only had one edge (though near its tip it often had a 'false edge' on its back, meaning a very short edge like the back of many knives), that meant the blade was a bit heavier and more durable because the back of its blade was thicker steel as it had no edge. The Backsword was notably different from the Sidesword as, other than its single edge and slightly heavier blade, it had a more protective cup hilt, or basket hilt. This gave it much better hand protection, though very slightly made it less versatile in its maneuverability than a more free hilt. The Backsword was popular in Britain, praised by the famous fencer George Silver, who was notable for calling the Backsword a superior sword to the Rapier, citing the Rapier was too dangerous for both the opponent and wielder while the Backsword was far better at defense. Of course many fencers had many opinions, but the Backsword was notably an effective weapon. While it wasn't rare in its heyday as a civilian sidearm, the Backsword was far more popular in military conflicts. It was mostly used in the 16th and 17th centuries, but it even saw limited use up through the 19th century.


BroadSwords & SmallSwords

The quintessential 18th century swords. At the turn of the century, the Germanic peoples began to use throwbacks to the Medieval Sword while the Latin countries chose a more diminutive blade. While it depended on the man's preference, as they were both popular in duels, they were usually primary weapons, alone or with a pistol.

  • SmallSword: The Smallsword was a thrusting sword, though cutting with it was not impossible. Its blade was quite narrow, however not as thin as an epee or foil, with a blade usually about 29 inches long. It began to replace the Rapier as the popular dueling weapon within Latin countries in the late 17th century. Indeed, it was called 'Rapier' sometimes in the 18th and 19th centuries by Frenchmen. It did not replace the Rapier because it was more effective, however. The Rapier was a deadly dueling sword, and it had superior reach compared to the Smallsword. However, the Smallsword was still a dangerous dueling sword, quick and sharp. As the centuries progressed and firearms became more prominent, swords needed to adapt as well, becoming more portable. Swords were as as much of a fashion statement as they were a weapon in civilian life, and the Smallsword became the fashionable and swift dueling weapon.
  • Broadsword: Now, when we say Broadsword, most people don't imagine the actual historical Broadsword. They often imagine a broad bladed Arming Sword, or something close to a Falchion, and honestly I have no real qualms about this. However, the historical blade was actually not incredibly 'broad' per say. Its blade was about as thick and broad as a long Arming Sword, or even a Longsword. It was called 'Broadsword' so it could be differentiated from the other popular swords of the time, the Rapier and, in particular, the thin and short Smallsword. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get into the sword's statistics. The Broadsword was a basket-hilt cut & thrust sword, essentially a curious case of a hearty medieval blade in a basket hilt during the era of muskets and Rapiers. The Broadsword had a few variations of its design, the Mortuary Sword in England, the Schiavona in Italy, and of course the classic Scottish Broadsword. If you've ever seen the movie Rob Boy, Rob's weapon in the final fight is a Broadsword (for reference). The Broadsword stayed in popular use in Scotland even as the sword faded into the background in other areas of Europe.


Hangers, Cutlasses, Falchions, and Sabers

Let us take a look at weapons made to cut. These swords were usually primary weapons, though of course there were always exceptions. For instance, it would depend on the infantrymen's station of whether or not his Saber was his primary or secondary weapon, but the Cavalrymen used his Saber as a primary weapon regardless, while his gun was often used as a secondary protective measure.

  • Hanger: The Hanger was a secondary weapon; a shortsword with a lightly curved blade favored by infantrymen and sailors in the 17th century and into the Napoleonic Era. I'll get into Cutlasses in a minute, but during the Golden age of piracy, these were actually the swords that were used by pirates (along with Sideswords and Backswords). Not that I'll start to be a stickler for that, but long bladed Hangers were the favored swords for pirates in that era. The Hanger had only a 22 to 27 inch blade, with a simple bar over the fingers to protect them. It was essentially a nifty sidearm that helped out in a pinch. It also has the distinction of being one of the few swords with variations made for hunting.
  • Cutlass: A sword favored by Sailors, as we all know. What most don't know, however, was that the Cutlass was actually developed in the middle 18th century. To give some clarification, the Golden Age of Piracy, with Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Henry Every, lasted from 1680 to 1725, about 30 to 40 years before the development of the Cutlass. Not to say pirates never used it. It was popular among what pirates there were, as well as the naval powers of the time. The Cutlass was a single bladed, cut & thrust sword. Its blade was shorter than most think, yet quite robust, about as heavy as a Cavalry Saber despite its blade being 6 or so inches shorter. It was still longer than any short sword, its blade being around 28 to 30 inches. It was a perfect sword for extreme close quarters combat on ship to ship boarding actions. Long enough to have a reach advantage compared to the Hanger or a boarding Axe, yet short enough not to be a hindrance in below decks fighting. Its simple, brace cup hilt was also notable for being sheer steel. Wooden hilts would be a liability, as wood tends to expand and break apart when exposed to water. The steel hilt also added to the sword's weight and made the hilt an effective striking implement on its own. Fun fact: When the Cutlass was first introduced, it was often called 'Falchion.'
  • Falchion: The Falchion was a one handed, single edged cutting sword. Some designs could thrust, but most were unable or quite poor at it. It's quite a blatant weapon, however there are a few misconceptions I will address. Firstly, the Falchion was not an armor piercing weapon, nor a percussion weapon like the axe. Many people believe the Falchion was essentially a cleaver, and this is not the case. Yes, you were supposed to hack and cut with it, but its blade was not thick, but instead thinner than one would expect to keep the edge sharp. Therefore the Falchion was often used against unarmored or lesser armored enemies such as men in padded cloth or, at most, chainmail. The Falchion was also not a commoner's weapon, either. At least generally. Some soldiers or mercenaries would/could use it with a shield, but it was mostly a knightly weapon. With such a basic designed, yet intensely sharp weapon, an armored Knight on foot could literally hack through most other lesser armored opponents without needing to be too careful with tactics. The Falchion was popular throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, though as armor progress into full plate it began to lose usage.
  • Saber: I almost made Sabers an entire topic of their own, considering how widely popular the Saber became from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and the fact that despite its similar appearance to the above blades, there is no correlation or relation to them as this historian has found. Now, it was originally used by Russian and Polish Hussars as cavalry swords, before its usage began to spread throughout western Europe. The Saber (or Sabre depending where you are) is a cut & thrust sword with a slightly curved blade, with a simple knuckle-bow hilt to protect the fingers. It was generally longer in the blade than the previous three swords. While there were many variations of the sword, the infantry Saber was generally a bit lighter and more nimble than the Cavalry Saber, since the Infantryman would want to maneuver, while the Cavalryman would want to give as strong of a strike as he could on his pass. The two historical examples I know of had the infantry Saber's blade at 32 inches while the Cavalryman's Saber blade was 36 inches. While the blade had a slight curve to aid in the cut, it was still excellent at the thrust.


Rapiers, Epees, and Foils

Truly, to those who know swords, pitting the Rapier with the Foil and Epee is an odd thing. The only thing the former has in common with the latter two is that they all predominately thrust, and have protective guards. However, it is also safe to say that the Foil and the Epee were derived from special dueling Rapiers from the 17th century, and so they go together in this compendium.

  • Rapier: Other than the arguably the Falchion, the Broadsword, or the Cutlass, the Rapier probably has the most misconceptions based on its use and design. The Rapier was a specialized dueling sword, and contrary to popular belief it was not a light sword. It was actually a bit heavy for single handed use, despite that being its design with its constricting hilt. Essentially, the Rapier's blade has the same amount of metal in it as the longsword, only melted down and stretched, making it thinner and longer. Oftentimes the blade was longer than 41 inches. Couple that with the added cup/knuckle-bow hilt weight, and it was sometimes heavier than the longsword. It was most popular in the latin countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was popular in civilian dueling, mercenary endeavors, or assassinations, it also had some use in the military as a war sword. A good reference of this would be the ending battle scene of Alatriste'. While it was a primary weapon, it was sometimes paired with a dueling dagger during street duels. While it was almost purely a sword for stabbing or thrusting, a skilled practitioner could do nasty cuts with the tip as well.
  • Epee: The Epee is a thin, one handed thrusting sword. It has a stiff, triangular cross-section blade, with a V-shaped fuller, with a somewhat large bell guard. It is a popular fencing sword of the modern era, developed in the 20th century, though it has echoes of the dueling rapier in its design.
  • Foil: Another popular modern sword for fencing, it is a thrusting sword with a cup hilt and what is called an 'italian grip.' The foil blade is flexible, and has a rectangular cross section at its base. It weighs under a pound, making it extremely light.


Two Handed Swords

While the Longsword was sometimes referred to as a 'Two Handed' Sword, when not called a 'Hand and a Half' Sword, this section is purely for swords too large to be used by anything but both hands. In modern media, we would call these swords 'Greatswords,' and while there are many stories of such weapons in archiac times such as Goliath's blade in Abrahamic lore, archaeology has not revealed Greatswords in any real capacity before the High Middle Ages as of yet. Most men, in a combat sense, wish for protection first and foremost. As such, early tactics as well as early armor did not permit a popularity of two handed weapons, as using both hands for holding a sword was an expensive endeavor that also left one without the protection of a shield.

  • Claymore: The Basket hilted Broadsword was sometimes called a Claymore as well, but here we refer to the two handed, great sword variant. The Scottish Claymore was a two handed, double edged cut & thrust sword. Its crossguard had an odd 'V' shape design. It had the distinction of being used for around 3 centuries, from sometimes around the year 1400 to being used at the 'Battle of Killiecrankie' in 1689. Its blade was somewhat longer than most two handed swords, being at least 41 inches long.
  • Zweihander: The Zweihander was a large, two handed sword. Despite its modern popularity, it was only popular for about half a century in its heyday. The first half of the 16th century saw the German Longsword develop into the Zweihander. It often had 'parrying hooks' or Parierhaken about a hand's span above the crossguard. Now, the way one used the sword was unlike how most would often think. The sword was often treated in use, and in fact worn, like a polearm (by the shoulder). The Zweihander was used by half-swording, keeping men at bay with its superior reach, and if you found yourself surrounded, it could then be used as a slashing/cutting weapon unlike most polearms. As many know, it was notably used by the successful Landsknechte mercenaries.
  • Flamberge: A variation of the Zweihander, the Flamberge had a large, wavy blade rather than a straight one. Not too much is known about the sword, though it is reported if one parried an enemy weapon with its blade, the enemy would receive unpleasant vibrations in their arms. The truth of this is not verified, from my research at least.



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