Sword
The sword is a two-edged white weapon that basically consists of a straight blade that is sharp, sharp —or with both characteristics—, with a handle, and of a certain size or mark (mark : approximately from half a meter). According to the strict definition, sabers, katanas (Japanese sabers), etc. would not be swords.
They have their metal blade sharpened on one or both edges if it is a cutting edge, or blunt and with sharp and hard points if it is a puncture, or with both characteristics. The hilt was made of many different materials, especially if they were swords to "girdle" or "stop" aristocratic, but they used to use wood or horn covered —or not— with leather or cordage.
Being its very early appearance (4th millennium BC), its blade was initially made of copper (very weak), later of bronze, iron and finally tempered steel. The craftsmanship and handling of the sword remain constant throughout the centuries, but techniques vary between cultures and periods as a result of differences in blade design and purpose. The names given to many swords in mythology, literature, and history reflect the high prestige of the weapon (see list of swords).
According to European national security law, possessing a bladed weapon (swords) without a license for it can cost a fine of €3000 depending on the sharpness and length of the sword and also 2 to 7 years in prison. Curiously, you can no longer get that specific license but the law still stands.
Etymology
The word sword comes from the Latin spatha (which was also used to refer to the long straight Roman cavalry sword), and this, in turn from the Greek spathe. Etymologically the name remains today in French as épée, and in Italian as spada.
History
Bronze Age
Humans have made and used bladed weapons since the Bronze Age. The sword develops from the dagger when long-bladed construction becomes possible in the early 2nd millennium BC. C. Swords longer than 90 cm are rare during the Bronze Age, as their length exceeds the tensile capacity of bronze (an alloy of copper and tin). It was not until the development of stronger alloys, such as steel, that the longsword became practical for combat.
Bronze Age swords originate from copper workings in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as Mesopotamia. The sword began its European journey while in the Near East for a time only daggers were used; the sword will finally dethrone the dagger as the symbolic weapon of the warrior. The production of swords in China is documented from the Bronze Age, in the Shang Dynasty.
The hilt originally consisted simply of a handle, which protected the hand from slipping on the blade when pushing. In the fifteenth century B.C. C. tongue swords are known in Central and Nordic Europe: the blades have a narrow tongue that is inserted into the handle, giving rise to various forms in the sleeve system, which soon arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean: Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.. Nordic Bronze swords, from about 1400 B.C. C., show the characteristic spiral designs.
Swords known as the Naue II type, which spread from Southern Europe into the Mediterranean, have been linked by Robert Drew to the Late Bronze Age collapse.
It should be noted that metal has long been a prestigious element with which weapons, jewelry and ceremonial objects are made, to which only the ruling classes have access. Metalworking requires a full-time specialist, while everyday tools continue to be made at home, from wood or carved stone. Only the elite and the characters of a certain social power are in a position to possess these weapons and achieve conquests and personal defense. This social difference, strength and charisma, will end up turning these characters into defenders of a territory and a population, and the figure of the hero will begin to be outlined.
Iron Age
Iron swords become more common from the 13th century BCE. The Hittites, the Mycenaeans and the proto-Celtic culture of Hallstatt (8th century BC) are among the early users of iron swords. Iron had the advantage of being able to be produced en masse, due to the greater amount of raw material available. The earliest iron swords are not comparable to the later steel ones; brittle, though superior to bronze weapons, but their easy production and greater availability of raw material allowed for the first time the equipping of entire armies with metal weapons, though occasionally Bronze Age Egyptian armies were fully equipped with weaponry made of bronze. Blacksmiths eventually learned that by adding a certain amount of carbon (added during reduction in the form of charcoal) to iron, they could produce an improved alloy (now known as steel). In ancient times there were several different methods of making swords, among which the design by welding (pattern welding) is best known. The technique of design by welding consisted of joining different types of steel to improve the resistance and toughness of the material. At that time, forge-welded steel was found almost exclusively in the center grooves that were made in the blades to reduce mass and improve flexibility and balance. Intricate designs were developed, which were considered the mark of the master blacksmith.
Over time, various methods were developed around the world. In the time of Classical Antiquity and the Parthian and Sasanian Empires of Iran, iron swords were common. The Greek xiphos and kopis and the Roman gladius are examples of the type, measuring approximately 60 to 70 cm. The late Roman Empire introduced the longer spatha (the word for its hilt, spatharius, became a court rank in Constantinople), and from then on the term long sword applies to the comparatively long swords of their respective eras. Chinese steel swords make their appearance from the third III century BC. C. in the Qin Dynasty: we find the Dao with only one edge, sometimes translated as saber or broad sword, and the double-edged Jian.
Middle Ages
The spatha type remains widespread during the period of migrations and even into the Middle Ages. The spathas of the Vendel era (Sweden, 550-793) were decorated with Germanic motifs (similar to those of the bracteates – flat gold coins, made after Roman coins). The Viking Age again sees more standardized production, but the basic design is still indebted to the spatha.
It was only from the 11th century that Norman swords began to develop the hawks or the cross. During the Crusades of the 12th century (or XIII) this cruciform type remains stable, with variations that only affect the shape of the pommel. These swords were designed as cutting weapons, although effective points became common to counter armor upgrades. Single-edged swords became popular in Asia. The Korean sword Hwandudaedo, derived from the Chinese Dao, was known in the early medieval Three Kingdoms. The Japanese Katana, whose production is documented around the year 900, also derives from the Dao.
Late Middle Ages and Renaissance
New sword designs - along with improved armor - developed at an increasingly rapid pace between 1300 and 1500, during the Renaissance. The main change was the lengthening of the grip, which allowed ambidextrous use, and a longer blade. This type of sword, called in its time Langes Schwert (German longsword) or Spadone, was common around 1400, and several Fechtbücher (fencing books) surviving from the 15th and 16th centuries offer instructions on its use. Another variant was the specialized armor-piercing sword, of the rapier type. The longsword was popularized for its reaching, slashing, and thrusting capabilities, while the rapier was popularized for its ability to reach the gaps between armor plates. The hilt was sometimes wrapped with wire or animal skin to provide greater support, while making it more difficult to disarm when struck by the hand.
In the 16th century, the long Doppelhänder (now called Zweihänder (both Germanic terms designate the use of two hands) ended the trend towards the increase in the size of swords (especially due to the decline in plate armor and the advent of firearms), and the early Age Moderna saw a return to lighter, one-handed weapons.
The sword was the most personal weapon of this period, the most prestigious, and the most versatile in close combat, but its military use began to decline as technology changed warfare. However, it maintained a leading role in civil self-defense.
Modern and Contemporary Age
The Rapier (rapier) is believed to have evolved from the Spanish espada rapier in the XVI. The Rapier (rapier) differs from older swords in that it is not a military weapon, but for civilian use. Both the Rapier (rapier) and the Italian Schiavona developed the basket-shaped cross to protect the hand. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the shorter Smallsword became an essential accessory in Europe and the New World, with most wealthy men and military officers carrying one. Both the Smallsword and the Rapier remained the most popular dueling swords well into the century XVIII.
When wearing swords went out of style, walking sticks took their place in the gentleman's wardrobe. Some models of staff (known as sword staffs) incorporated a hidden blade. La Canne, a French martial art, developed as a fighting technique with sticks and sticks-swords, until it became a sport.
Towards the end of its useful life, the sword served more as a self-defense weapon than for use in battle, and the military importance of swords declined during the Modern Age, becoming a symbol of power for officers. Even as a personal weapon, the sword began to lose its preeminence in the late 18th century early XIX, parallel to the development of personal and reliable firearms.
Swords remain in use, but increasingly limited to military official dignitaries and ceremonial uniforms. Despite this, many armies retained their heavy cavalry armies until after World War I. For example, the British Army formally adopted a new cavalry sword design in 1908, almost the last change in weaponry before the outbreak of war. The last British heavy cavalry units did not switch to armored vehicles until 1938. Swords and other weapons dedicated to melee were used occasionally by various countries during World War II, albeit as a secondary weapon by its gap in the face of contemporary weaponry.
Instruments of punishment
Genuine swords can be used to administer a variety of physical punishments: capital punishment by beheading or the amputation of limbs. In Scandinavia, where by tradition punishments were meted out with the sword, nobles were beheaded with a sword and commoners with an axe.
In Asia you can see a similar use to the sword. The shinai, a practice sword, is also used as a whipping instrument, very common in private extracurricular schools.
Morphology and terminology
Outros usos
Leaf
Three types of attacks can be made with the blade: pierce, cut, and tear. The blade can be double-edged or single-edged; the latter may have a false edge near the tip. When wielding the sword, the true edge or longer side is used for straight stabs or thrusts, while the false edge or shorter side is used for counterattacks. Some grips have the cutting edge on the long side, while more symmetrical grips allow the short side and long side to be interchanged simply by turning it.
The blade may have notches or grooves known as fullers or fullers, which give the blade lightness and allow it to be kept strong and rigid. The blade can taper more or less sharply towards the tip, used for puncturing. The part of the blade between the center of percussion (CoP) and the tip is known as the weak point of the blade. The section between the center of balance (CoB) and the hilt is known as the strong point of the blade. The section between the CoP and the CoB is the middle part of the sheet. The ricasso, also known as the ricasso or shoulder, is the small section of the blade immediately toward the guard that is completely blunt, and can be pressed with a finger. to increase toe control. Many swords do not have a recoil. On some long weapons, such as the German Zweihänder, a leather covering wraps around the shoulder blade, and a swordsman can extend his finger there to better wield the sword in close combat.
The recaso usually contains the mark of the swordsmith. On Japanese blades, this mark appears on the tang (part of the blade that extends into the hilt) under the handle. In the case of a rat-tail tang, the swordsmith welds a thin rod to the end of the blade toward the guard. This wand reaches to the hilt (late XX century and later constructions). This most commonly occurs on decorative replicas, or cheap ornate swords. Traditional swords do not use this method of construction, as the weld point can easily break.
In traditional crafting, the swordsmith forges the tang as part of the sword. The traditional spikes go through the hilt, giving it greater durability than the rat tail spike. Blacksmiths attach the tang to the end of the pommel, or sometimes weld the hilt to the tang and the end of the tang is screwed onto the pommel. This style is known as narrow shank or hidden shank.
Modern, less traditional replicas of swords sometimes have a screwed pommel, or a knob on the pommel holds the hilt and allows it to be dismantled. The full tang (more common in knives and machetes) is the same width as the blade and has the same thickness as the handle. In European or Asian swords sold today, many swords advertised as full tang are actually rattail tang.
Starting in the 18th century, the sword was created to cut, that is, the sharp part of the blade was it curved with a radius equal to the distance from the body of the swordsman who was going to use it. This allowed the blade to have a saw effect rather than a simple cut. In European swords, which are worn over the entire length of the arm, their radius of curvature was about one meter. Middle Eastern swords, when used with the arm bent, had a smaller radius.
Hilt
The hilt includes the entire part of the sword that allows the control and handling of the blade and consists of the handle, the pommel, and a simple or elaborate guard. Post-Viking age swords consisted solely of a crossguard (called a crosshead hilt).
The pommel, in addition to improving the balance of the sword and handle, could be used as a short-range attacking instrument. The pommel could also have tassels or sword knots.
The tang is the extension of the blade structure through the hilt.
The garrison, hand guard or guard, is the defense, also in other bladed weapons, that is placed to protect the hand.
A hawk is an iron that comes out of the garrison of the sword to defend both the hand and the rest of the body from the opponent's blows. Normally there are two, thus forming a cross.
Pod
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The scabbard is the protective cover in which the sword rests. Throughout the millennium, the scabbard has been crafted from a variety of materials, including leather, wood, and metals such as bronze and steel. The opening of the scabbard through which the blade is inserted is called the throat and is part of the entire mount of the scabbard itself, in which it has a hook or a ring that facilitates the entry of the sword.
In leather scabbards it is usually protected by a metal tip, on which the tip of the sword blade rests. The scabbard, whether metal or leather, provides extra protection through an extension called a wedge or shoe.
Single-edged swords and double-edged swords
As noted above, the terms longsword, greatsword, and the Gaelic Claymore all refer to a particular era, and each term designates a particular type of sword. A sword is strictly speaking a straight, double-edged blade designed to cut and tear. However, in general, the term is modified by various cultural influences. Single-edged swords, like Asian weapons, are designated by nearly all researchers by the word sword, because of the prestige they share with their European counterparts.
Europeans also frequently refer to their single-edged swords as swords, including sabers and foilers. The other terms (scimitar, greatsword, tranchete, chafalote, mortuary sword) are essentially referring to the same type of weapon, but the difference in names is due to their different uses at different times.
One-Handed Swords
- Bronze Age Swords, length 60 cm, single edge.
- Iron Age Swords, Xifos, Gladius and Jian, similar in shape to the swords of the Bronze Age.
- Spatha length from 80 to 90 cm.
- The classic weapon of medieval Europe, between 85 and 115 cm.
- The Swiss sword Baselard of the late medioevo, the Cinquedea Italian Renaissance and Katzbalger German essentially reintroduced the functionality of spatha, coinciding with the strong cultural movement of the emulation of the classic world.
- The cutting and tearing swords of the Renaissance, similar to the old swords but better balanced for a better cut.
- Light swords for mourning, such as dagger and small sword, still in force today.
- Japanese Short Sword or Wakizashi.
- La Ida of the Yoruba tribe of West Africa. Also used as a sword to two hands.
- The Arab Cimitar, similar to shamshir Persian.
- The Kalis or Kris of East India, with a double edge blade of 80 to 90 cm.
- The Ninjato, also Japanese, was straight, a little longer in the handle and a little shorter in the blade, making it slightly coarse but much more practical depending on the ability of the user; spies and at the same time professional feudal murderers of Japan known as Ninjas, used it more as a tool than as a weapon itself, because of their strict training in avoiding conflict and unnecessary combat.
Two-Handed Swords
- Long sword and bastard sword of the medievo and the Renaissance.
- The Katana of Japan, with a single-edged blade, strongly oriented towards the court.
- Doppelhänder or Zweihänder of the centuryXVI (in German double-handed sword or two hands).
- The Chinese sword anticaballería Zhanmadao of the Song Dynasty.
- Sword of the Scotland of the Highlands, Claymore (or Claidheamh mór-gáidhlig, great sword) in use until the centuryXVII.
Types of Swords
To extend the definition and history of the sword in its multiple variants, and each one with its particularities and cultures, see the following entries:
- alfanje
- bracamarte
- Claymore
- sword closet
- Cup sword
- sword basket
- Flamiger sword
- espadín
- Toreo stew
- medieval
- falcata
- flower
- Gladius
- Jian
- Khopesh
- controller
- Mercy (sword)
- Mount
- Ninjato
- sword bastard or hand and half sword
- Long sword
- sparse
- Ronfea
- Sica
- Schiavona: (Slave or Venice)
- Spatha
- verduguillo
Khopesh of the Bronze Age
Roman Gladius
Flamiger mandoble
German mid-s. XVI
Spoon
Floret
Replica of a claymore
Venetian Schiavona from the end of the s. XVII
Spatha
Ninjato
Jian of the Zhou dynasty (481-221 adC)
Bullfighter using the stew
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Types of sabers
Among the sabers (curved sword generally with a single edge) we can distinguish:
- Alphanje
- Cimitarra
- Dao
- Flissa
- Iaitō
- Katana
- Machete
- Poluwar
- Saif
- Shamsir
- Talwar
- Wakizashi
- Yatagán
- Ninjatō
Yatagán del s. XVIII
Wakizashi
Model with a katana
Flissa at the British Museum
Cimitarra del s. XIX
Machete
Shamsir
Chinese Dao
Indian Officer with a talwar (1850)
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Symbols
The sword can symbolize violence, combat, or military intervention. Jesus' statement: Those who live by the sword will die by the sword used this term in that sense. In Islam, the Arabic expression Jihad bis saif 'fight by the sword' means the 'holy' for islam. Another example of this metaphorical meaning comes from the old saying the pen is mightier than the sword, attributed to Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
The Sword of Damocles is a moral anecdote, where a sword suspended above a leader signifies the ever-present danger that accompanies this hierarchical level.
In the following cases, the sword means weapons in general, and was often considered a symbol, until later, in operational practice, it has been replaced by firearms.
- The swords represent a fight in the Latin naipes, which are included in covers or symbols of the Italian Tarot (were replaced by daggers on the decks of the French naipes and in the modern game of French Tarot cards or Tarock). In the divinatory tarot, the sword is offered as an interpretation of air representation, as well as intelligence. It can also represent the fire and the wild, the military class / nobility of society.
- The ceremonial use of swords comes from the time when only the lords carried swords, making it a symbol of rank or position, which most military officers back.
The sword as an emblem
- The swords are also used as an emblem or insignia (in the formal dress as uniforms, badges, various objects, even coats of arms), especially:
- As the symbol of power, as a State Sword, the Sword of Pity, Curtana and the Sword of Justice (all can be used as attributes, in England are five in total, during the coronation).
- Like the symbol of armed force or a corporation. That is why it was given the right to apply force as the arm of the law.
- As in the military and police badge or a unit (e.g. regiment) of such a Corporation. When these are numerous, many variations and combinations are used: two cross swords or a crown of laurels, crown, national or emblem of founder/patron, etc.
- Like a part of the military officer's uniform. In the United States, they are carried by the Army, Navy and Coast Guard officers. The maritime officers and NCOs also carry a sword. Only the chaplains in service are excluded from carrying it.
- It also appears on the Saudi Arabian flag.
- It can be an honorary award, as a decoration. He is known as the sword of honor.
Other meanings
- This symbol means or reflects in an existence of prestigious titles, uniting it with values such as: Religion Sword, Faith Sword, State Sword or War Sword.
- Cross swords have their particular symbol:
- In the Unicode miscellaneous symbol table as U+2694
- On a map: it represents a battle site.
- In genealogy or biography: the significance that a person was killed in combat.
- Japanese Daisho: a pair of swords, Katana and Wakizashi or Both symbolize the strength and honor of the Samurai.
- It is also quite common for swords to represent reason, for example, as the process of "cut by" the series of elements in a problem, in order to leave only those with proven relevance.
- Symbol of courage to fight for a just cause. The Lady of Justice's sword symbolizes the strict application of justice in a neutral way, which implies legal decisions.
- The term a double-edged sword can be used as an expression for something that can help or hinder simultaneously, as when in sword fight. A person can increase his lever action by putting his hand on the foil: he could win the competition, but he could also cause a wound.
- The sword offers a function, as a symbol of masculinity and which is also represented with the flower of Lis, since its shape is particularly identified with the erect position - as a phallic symbol of virility.
Famous Swords
Swords in history
- Sable from Granaderos to Caballo of General San Martín.
- Gou Jian's sword, a historic artifact from the time of the Springs and Otoños.
- Zulfiqar, Imam Ali's sword, the first Shiite caliph and fourth Sunni caliph (630 AD).
- Honjo Masamune, sword of the Shogunato Tokugawa, a Japanese feudal military dictatorship established in 1603.
- Enjoyed sword of Offering, sword of King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland (1820-1830).
- The Seven-bifurcation sword Wa received from Baekje.
- The Snake Sword, which was managed by the great king Ashoka (Indian Emperor who led the Maurya Empire in the Indian subcontinent, between 273 BC and 232 BC).
- Sword of Boabdil, sword of the last Moor king in Spain.
- Joyosa, sword of Charlemagne.
- Prince Hamet Karamali gave a mammal sword to Presley O'Bannon, an officer in the U.S. Navy Infantry, during his participation in the First Barbara War.
- Lobera: sword of King Ferdinand III the Holy
- The Sword of Peru. Made in Lima in 1825 and given by the Municipality of this commune to Simón Bolívar in 1825, as a gift for the battles waged in Junín and Ayacucho, which consolidated the independence of the country and of America. It is the historical memory of the most remarkable wars of Independence in South America, for its high value as artistic and historical jewel. The totality of its pod is made of 18 carat solid gold, in which ornaments of precious stones as well as elegant and varied drawings, among them the Escudo de Armas of Peru, the bust of the Genio de la Libertad and two truncated pyramids, among others.
- La Espada Tizona Española is a swordsman rope with a cup or cazoleta garrison that was popularized in Spain of the centuryXVI. Following the emergence of these swords the techniques of struggle are refined. The Spanish thirds are supplied with this type of sword. Over time it is replaced in Europe by the French spine that is lighter and therefore faster.
Swords in myths, legends and literature
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- Excalibur: sword of King Arthur of Camelot.
- The Master Sword: The most powerful sword in the series of video games The Legend of Zelda.
- The sword of Atil the Hun: which he claimed was the sword of Mars, the Roman god of war.
- Callandor: The Wheel of Time sword, is a masculine sa'angreal that can destroy entire cities in an eye open and close, also known as The sword that is not the sword or The sword that cannot be touched.
- Caladbolg: sword of Fergus Mac Róich.
- Chandrahas (lunar light): the sword of King Ravana in Ramayana, the classical epic of India.
- Claiomh Solais: sword of Nuada Airgeadlamh, legendary king of Ireland.
- Fragarach: Sword of Celtic Mythology capable of cutting anything, carried by Manannán mac Lir, Lugh and his son Cúchulainn.
- Colada, sword than the Singing from my Cid attributes to Rodrigo Díaz of fiction.
- Crocea Mors: Julius Caesar's sword.
- Curtana: The sword of Ogier the Danish, a legendary Danish hero.
- Arondight: Lancelot's sword.
- Balmung (Nothum): Sigfried sword.
- Gram, Balmung or Nothung: sword of Sigurd or Sigfried, hero of the Song of the Nibelungos.
- Hauteclere: (Halteclere or Hauteclaire high and clear) It was the sword of Oliveros, a French hero represented in the Song of Rolando.
- Durandarte or Durandal, the sword of Roldán, paladin of Charlemagne.
- Hrunting: Beowulf sword
- Kusanagi-no-tsurugi: Susanoo's sword, Japanese sea god and storms, who takes her out of one of Yamata-no-Orochi's tails.
- Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar: sword of King Solomon
- Tizona, sword than fiction of Song attributes to the Cid.
- Tyrfing: a cursed sword that causes eventual death to its carrier and its relatives.
- Zulfiqar: sword of the prophet Muhammad and of the magnet Ali ibn Abu Talib (the cousin of the prophet and son-in-law).
- Murasame and Muramasa: two swords of a great swordsman of Japan from the Sengoku period (Japanese measure).
- Vilardella: sword of the Catalan Counts Wifredo el Velloso - Martín el Humano.
- Fragarach: sword of Manannan mac Lir and Lugh Lamfada.
- Counter-current, Percy Jackson's sword, Rick Riordan's youth book saga.