iron sword
Prehistory and antiquity Bronze Age , c. 1600 BC The first weapons that can be described as "swords" date to around 3300 BC. They have been found in
Arslantepe, Turkey, are made from
arsenical bronze, and are about long. Some of them are inlaid with
silver. Construction of longer blades became possible during the 3rd millennium BC in the Middle East, first in
arsenic copper, then in tin-bronze. Blades longer than were rare and not practical until the late Bronze Age because the
Young's modulus (stiffness) of
bronze is relatively low, and consequently longer blades would bend easily. The development of the sword out of the dagger was gradual; the first weapons that can be classified as swords without any ambiguity are those found in
Minoan Crete, dated to about 1700 BC, reaching a total length of more than . These are the "type A" swords of the
Aegean Bronze Age. One of the most important, and longest-lasting, types of swords of the
European Bronze Age was the
Naue II type (named for
Julius Naue who first described them), also known as
Griffzungenschwert (). This type first appears in c. the 13th century BC in
Northern Italy (or a general
Urnfield background), and survives well into the Iron Age, with a life-span of about seven centuries. During its lifetime, metallurgy changed from bronze
to iron, but not its basic design. Naue II swords were exported from Europe to the Aegean, and as far afield as
Ugarit, beginning about 1200 BC, i.e. just a few decades before the final collapse of the palace cultures in the
Bronze Age collapse. Naue II swords could be as long as , but most specimens fall into the range.
Robert Drews linked the Naue Type II Swords, which spread from Southern Europe into the Mediterranean, with the
Bronze Age collapse. Naue II swords, along with Nordic full-hilted swords, were made with functionality and aesthetics in mind. The hilts of these swords were beautifully crafted and often contained false rivets in order to make the sword more visually appealing. Swords coming from northern Denmark and northern Germany usually contained three or more fake rivets in the hilt.
Sword production in China is attested from the Bronze Age
Shang dynasty. The technology for bronze swords reached its high point during the Warring States period and Qin dynasty. Amongst the Warring States period swords, some unique technologies were used, such as casting high tin edges over softer, lower tin cores, or the application of diamond shaped patterns on the blade (see
sword of Goujian). Also unique for Chinese bronzes is the consistent use of high tin bronze (17–21% tin) which is very hard and breaks if stressed too far, whereas other cultures preferred lower tin bronze (usually 10%), which bends if stressed too far. Although iron swords were made alongside bronze, it was not until the early
Han period that iron completely replaced bronze. Diverse specimens have been discovered in
Fatehgarh, where there are several varieties of hilt. Ancient swords are often found at burial sites. The sword was often placed on the right side of the corpse. Many times the sword was kept over the corpse. In many late
Iron Age graves, the sword and the
scabbard were bent at 180 degrees. It was known as killing the sword. Thus they might have considered swords as the most potent and powerful object.
Indian antiquity High-carbon steel for swords, which would later appear as
Damascus steel, was likely developed in India around the mid-1st millennium BC. The
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions swords of Indian iron and steel being exported from
ancient India to
ancient Greece. Blades from the
Indian subcontinent made of Damascus steel also found their way into
Persia. The late
Roman Empire introduced the longer
spatha (the term for its wielder,
spatharius, became a court rank in
Constantinople), and from this time, the term
longsword is applied to swords comparatively long for their respective periods. Swords from the Parthian and Sassanian Empires were quite long, the blades on some late Sassanian swords being just under a metre long. Swords were also used to administer various
physical punishments, such as non-surgical
amputation or
capital punishment by
decapitation. The use of a sword, an honourable weapon, was regarded in Europe since
Roman times as a privilege reserved for the
nobility and the upper classes.
Persian antiquity of Persia holding an acinaces in his lap In the first millennium BC, the
Persian armies used a sword that was originally of Scythian design called the
akinaka (
acinaces). However, the great conquests of the Persians made the sword more famous as a Persian weapon, to the extent that the true nature of the weapon has been lost somewhat as the name
akinaka has been used to refer to whichever form of sword the Persian army favoured at the time. It is widely believed that the original
akinaka was a double-edged sword. The design was not uniform and in fact identification is made more on the nature of the
scabbard than the weapon itself; the scabbard usually has a large, decorative mount allowing it to be suspended from a belt on the wearer's right side. Because of this, it is assumed that the sword was intended to be drawn with the blade pointing downwards ready for surprise stabbing attacks. In the 12th century, the
Seljuq dynasty had introduced the curved
shamshir to Persia, and this was in extensive use by the early 16th century.
Chinese antiquity Chinese iron swords made their first appearance in the later part of the
Western Zhou dynasty, but iron and steel swords were not widely used until the 3rd century BC
Han dynasty. The Chinese
dao (刀
pinyin dāo) is single-edged, sometimes translated as
sabre or
broadsword, and the
jian (劍 or 剑
pinyin jiàn) is double-edged. The
zhanmadao (literally "horse chopping sword") is an extremely long, anti-cavalry sword from the
Song dynasty era.
Middle Ages Europe Early and High Middle Ages showing 13th-century swords During the
Middle Ages, sword technology improved, and the sword became a very advanced weapon. The
spatha type remained popular throughout the
Migration period and well into the Middle Ages.
Vendel Age spathas were decorated with Germanic artwork (not unlike the Germanic
bracteates fashioned after Roman coins). The
Viking Age saw again a more standardized production, but the basic design remained indebted to the spatha. Around the 10th century, the use of properly quenched
hardened and
tempered steel started to become much more common than in previous periods. The
Frankish 'Ulfberht' blades (the name of the maker inlaid in the blade) were of particularly consistent high quality.
Charles the Bald tried to prohibit the export of these swords, as they were used by
Vikings in raids against the
Franks.
Wootz steel (which is also known as
Damascus steel) was a unique and highly prized steel developed on the Indian subcontinent as early as the 5th century BC. Its properties were unique due to the special smelting and reworking of the steel creating networks of iron carbides described as a globular
cementite in a matrix of
pearlite. The use of Damascus steel in swords became extremely popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was during the 14th century, with the growing use of more advanced armour, that the hand and a half sword, also known as a "
bastard sword", came into being. It had an extended grip that meant it could be used with either one or two hands. Though these swords did not provide a full two-hand grip they allowed their wielders to hold a
shield or parrying dagger in their off hand, or to use it as a two-handed sword for a more powerful blow. In the Middle Ages, the sword was often used as a symbol of the
word of God. The names given to many swords in
mythology,
literature, and
history reflected the high prestige of the weapon and the wealth of the owner.
Late Middle Ages From around 1300 to 1500, in concert with improved
armour, innovative sword designs evolved more and more rapidly. The main transition was the lengthening of the grip, allowing
two-handed use, and a longer blade. By 1400, this type of sword, at the time called
langes Schwert (longsword) or
spadone, was common, and a number of 15th- and 16th-century
Fechtbücher offering instructions on their use survive. Another variant was the specialized armour-piercing swords of the
estoc type. The
longsword became popular due to its extreme reach and its cutting and thrusting abilities. '' used against pikes in the
Battle of Kappel (15th century) The estoc became popular because of its ability to thrust into the gaps between plates of armour. The grip was sometimes wrapped in wire or coarse
animal hide to provide a better grip and to make it harder to knock a sword out of the user's hand. A number of
manuscripts covering longsword combat and techniques dating from the 13th–16th centuries exist in German, Italian, and English, providing extensive information on longsword combatives as used throughout this period. Many of these are now readily available online.
Zweihänder, literally translated, means two-hander. The
zweihänder possesses a long blade, as well as a huge guard for protection. It is estimated that some
zweihänder swords were over long, with the one ascribed to
Frisian warrior
Pier Gerlofs Donia being long. The gigantic blade length was perfectly designed for manipulating and pushing away enemy
polearms, which were major weapons around this time, in both Germany and Eastern Europe.
Doppelsöldners also used
katzbalgers, which means 'cat-gutter'. The ''katzbalger's
S-shaped guard and blade made it perfect for bringing in when the fighting became too close to use a zweihänder''. Civilian use of swords became increasingly common during the late Renaissance, with
duels being a preferred way to honourably settle disputes. The
side-sword was a type of war sword used by infantry during the
Renaissance of
Europe. This sword was a direct descendant of the
knightly sword. Quite popular between the 16th and 17th centuries, they were ideal for handling the mix of armoured and unarmoured opponents of that time. A new technique of placing one's finger on the
ricasso to improve the grip (a practice that would continue in the
rapier) led to the production of hilts with a guard for the finger. This sword design eventually led to the development of the civilian rapier, but it was not replaced by it, and the side-sword continued to be used during the rapier's lifetime. As it could be used for both cutting and thrusting, the term "cut and thrust sword" is sometimes used interchangeably with side-sword. As rapiers became more popular, attempts were made to hybridize the blade, sacrificing the effectiveness found in each unique weapon design. These are still considered side-swords and are sometimes labeled
sword rapier or
cutting rapier by modern collectors. Side-swords used in conjunction with
bucklers became so popular that it caused the term
swashbuckler to be coined. This word stems from the new fighting style of the side-sword and buckler which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler". Within the
Ottoman Empire, the use of a curved sabre called the
yatagan started in the mid-16th century. It would become the weapon of choice for many in
Turkey and the
Balkans. The sword in this time period was the most personal weapon, the most prestigious, and the most versatile for close combat, but it came to decline in military use as technology, such as the
crossbow and
firearms changed warfare. However, it maintained a key role in civilian
self-defence. File:Pala type of kilij.jpg|
Kilij File:Sabel, Shamsir (Persien) - Livrustkammaren - 13938.tif|
Shamshir Africa '' The
takoba is a type of broadsword originating in the western
Sahel, descended from various
Byzantine and
Islamic swords. It has a straight double-edged blade measuring about one meter in length, usually imported from Europe.
Abyssinian swords related to the Persian
shamshir are known as
shotel. The
Asante people adopted swords under the name of
akrafena. They are still used today in ceremonies, such as the
Odwira festival.
East Asia As steel technology improved, single-edged weapons became popular throughout Asia. Derived from the
Chinese jian or
dao, the
Korean
hwandudaedo are known from the early medieval
Three Kingdoms. Production of the
Japanese
tachi, a precursor to the
katana, is recorded from c. AD 900 (see
Japanese sword). s:
tachi (right),
wakizashi (top left), and
tsuba guards (bottom left) Japan was famous for the swords it forged in the early 13th century for the class of warrior-nobility known as the
Samurai. Western historians have said that Japanese
katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history. The types of swords used by the Samurai included the
ōdachi (extra long field sword),
tachi (long cavalry sword),
katana (long sword), and
wakizashi (shorter companion sword for
katana). Japanese swords that pre-date the rise of the samurai caste include the
tsurugi (straight double-edged blade) and
chokutō (straight one-edged blade). Japanese swordmaking reached the height of its development in the 15th and 16th centuries, when samurai increasingly found a need for a sword to use in closer quarters, leading to the creation of the modern
katana. High quality Japanese swords have been exported to neighboring Asian countries since before the 11th century. From the 15th century to the 16th century, more than 200,000 swords were exported, reaching a quantitative peak, but these were simple swords made exclusively for mass production, specialized for export and lending to conscripted farmers (
ashigaru).
South Asia The
khanda is a double-edge straight sword. It is often featured in religious iconography, theatre and art depicting the ancient
history of India. Some communities venerate the weapon as a symbol of
Shiva. It is a common weapon in the martial arts in the
Indian subcontinent. The
khanda often appears in
Hindu,
Buddhist and
Sikh scriptures and art. In
Sri Lanka, a unique wind furnace was used to produce the high-quality steel. This gave the blade a very hard cutting edge and beautiful patterns. For these reasons it became a very popular trading material. '' sword from India The
firangi (, derived from the Arabic term for a Western European, a "
Frank") was a sword type which used blades manufactured in Western Europe and imported by the
Portuguese, or made locally in imitation of European blades. Because of its length the
firangi is usually regarded as primarily a
cavalry weapon. The sword has been especially associated with the
Marathas, who were famed for their cavalry. However, the
firangi was also widely used by
Sikhs and
Rajputs. The
talwar () is a type of curved sword from India and other countries of the
Indian subcontinent, it was adopted by communities such as Rajputs, Sikhs and Marathas, who favored the sword as their main weapon. It became more widespread in the medieval era. The
urumi ( , lit. curling blade; ;
Hindi: ) is a "sword" with a flexible whip-like blade. File:Indian tulwar - talwar sword.jpg|
Talwar File:Pata-1-Archit-Patel.jpg|
Pata File:Mumtaz Mahal Museum, Red Fort - Firangi.jpg|
Firangi Southeast Asia In
Indonesia, the images of Indian style swords can be found in Hindu gods statues from ancient Java circa 8th to 10th century. However the native types of blade known as
kris,
parang,
klewang and
golok were more popular as weapons. These daggers are shorter than a sword but longer than a common dagger. from the
Philippines. The traditional design of the hilt is a notable depiction from
Philippine mythology. In the
Philippines, traditional large swords known as
kampilans and
panabas were used in combat by the natives. A notable wielder of the
kampilan was
Lapu-Lapu, the king of
Mactan and his warriors who defeated the Spaniards and killed Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan at the
Battle of Mactan on 27 April 1521. Traditional swords in the Philippines were immediately banned, but the training in
swordsmanship was later hidden from the occupying
Spaniards by practices in
dances. But because of the banning, Filipinos were forced to use swords that were disguised as farm tools.
Bolos and
baliswords were used during the
revolutions against the colonialists not only because ammunition for guns was scarce, but also for concealability while walking in crowded streets and homes.
Bolos were also used by young boys who joined their parents in the revolution and by young girls and their mothers in defending the town while the men were on the battlefields. During the
Philippine–American War in events such as the
Battle of Balangiga, most of an American company was hacked to death or seriously injured by
bolo-wielding guerillas in
Balangiga, Samar. When the
Japanese took control of the country, several American special operations groups stationed in the Philippines were introduced to
Filipino martial arts and swordsmanship, leading to this style reaching America despite the fact that natives were reluctant to allow outsiders in on their fighting secrets.
Pre-Columbian Americas '' broadsword from
Mesoamerica The
macuahuitl is a wooden broadsword and club that was utilized by various
Mesoamerican civilizations, such as those of the
Aztecs,
Maya,
Olmecs,
Toltecs, and
Mixtecs.
Pacific Islands In the
Gilbert Islands, the native
Kiribati people have developed a type of broadsword made from shark teeth, which serves a similar function to the
leiomano used by the
Native Hawaiians.
Early modern history Military sword A single-edged type of
sidearm used by the
Hussites was popularized in 16th-century Germany under its Czech name
dusack, also known as
Säbel auf Teutsch gefasst ("sabre fitted in the German manner"). A closely related weapon is the
schnepf or
Swiss sabre used in
Early Modern Switzerland. The
cut-and-thrust mortuary sword was used after 1625 by
cavalry during the
English Civil War. This (usually) two-edged sword sported a half-basket hilt with a straight blade some 90–105 cm long. Later in the 17th century, the swords used by cavalry became predominantly
single-edged. The so-called
walloon sword (
épée wallone) was common in the
Thirty Years' War and
Baroque era. Its hilt was ambidextrous with shell-guards and
knuckle-bow that inspired 18th-century continental
hunting hangers. Following their campaign in the Netherlands in 1672, the French began producing this weapon as their first regulation sword. Weapons of this design were also issued to the
Swedish army from the time of
Gustavus Adolphus until as late as the 1850s.
Duelling sword The
rapier is believed to have evolved either from the Spanish
espada ropera or from the swords of the
Italian nobility somewhere in the later part of the 16th century. The rapier differed from most earlier swords in that it was not a military weapon but a primarily civilian sword. Both the rapier and the Italian
schiavona developed the crossguard into a
basket-shaped guard for hand protection. As the wearing of swords fell out of fashion,
canes took their place in a gentleman's wardrobe. This developed to the gentlemen in the Victorian era to use the
umbrella. Some examples of canes—those known as sword canes or
swordsticks—incorporate a concealed blade. The French
martial art la canne developed to fight with canes and swordsticks and has now evolved into a sport. The English martial art
singlestick is very similar. With the rise of the
pistol duel, the duelling sword fell out of fashion long before the practice of duelling itself. By about 1770, English duelists enthusiastically adopted the pistol, and sword duels dwindled. However, the custom of duelling with
epées persisted well into the 20th century in France. Such modern duels were not fought to the death; the duellists' aim was instead merely to draw blood from the opponent's sword arm.
Late modern history Military sidearm Towards the end of its useful life, the sword served more as a weapon of
self-defence than for use on the battlefield, and the military importance of swords steadily decreased during the
Modern Age. Even as a personal sidearm, the sword began to lose its preeminence in the early 19th century, reflecting the development of reliable
handguns. However, swords were still normally carried in
combat by cavalrymen and by officers of other branches throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, both in colonial and European warfare. For example, during the
Aceh War the
Acehnese klewangs, a sword similar to the
machete, proved very effective in close quarters combat with Dutch troops, leading the
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army to adopt a heavy
cutlass, also called
klewang (very similar in appearance to the US Navy Model 1917 Cutlass) to counter it. Mobile troops armed with
carbines and klewangs succeeded in suppressing Aceh resistance where traditional infantry with
rifle and
bayonet had failed. From that time on until the 1950s the
Royal Dutch East Indies Army, Royal Dutch Army, Royal Dutch Navy and Dutch police used these cutlasses called Klewang. (far right) leads commandos during a training exercise, sword in hand, in
World War II. Swords continued in general peacetime use by cavalry of most armies during the years prior to World War I. The British Army formally adopted a completely new design of
cavalry sword in 1908, almost the last change in British Army weapons before the outbreak of the war. At the outbreak of World War I infantry officers in all combatant armies then involved (French, German, British, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Belgian and Serbian) still carried swords as part of their field equipment. On mobilization in August 1914 all serving British Army officers were required to have their swords sharpened as the only peacetime use of the weapon had been for saluting on parade. The high visibility and limited practical use of the sword however led to it being abandoned within weeks, although most cavalry continued to carry sabres throughout the war. While retained as a symbol of rank and status by at least senior officers of infantry, artillery and other branches, the sword was usually left with non-essential baggage when units reached the front line. It was not until the late 1920s and early 1930s that this historic weapon was finally discarded for all but ceremonial purposes by most remaining horse mounted regiments of Europe and the Americas. In China troops used the long anti-cavalry
miao dao well into the
Second Sino-Japanese War. The last units of British heavy cavalry switched to using
armoured vehicles as late as 1938. Swords and other dedicated melee weapons were used occasionally by many countries during
World War II, but typically as a secondary weapon as they were outclassed by coexisting
firearms. A notable exception was the Imperial Japanese Army where, for cultural reasons, all officers and warrant officers carried the
shin-gunto ("new military sword") into battle from 1934 until 1945.
Ceremonial use Swords are commonly worn as a
ceremonial item by officers in many military and naval services throughout the world. Occasions to wear swords include any event in dress uniforms where the rank-and-file carry arms:
parades, reviews,
courts-martial,
tattoos, and changes of command. They are also commonly worn for officers' weddings, and when wearing dress uniforms to church—although they are rarely actually worn in the church itself. In the British forces, swords are also worn for any appearance at
Court. In the
United States, some Navy and Marine officers are required to own a sword, which can be prescribed for any formal outdoor ceremonial occasion. They are also worn by Non-Commissioned Officers in some circumstances.
Civilian officials and police During the 19th and early 20th centuries certain categories of non-military officials wore swords as symbols of authority or status. Most commonly seen were those of various police forces (notably in Imperial Germany, France and other European states). Seldom effective as weapons these were eventually replaced by batons or hand guns. Until the 20th century light
epees were commonly worn as part of the ceremonial civil uniforms prescribed for
diplomats, government ministers and senior colonial administrators on formal occasions.
Religious In the
occult practices of
Wicca, a sword or knife often referred to as an
athame is used as a
magical tool.
Sword replicas The production of replicas of historical swords originates with 19th-century
historicism. Contemporary replicas can range from cheap factory produced look-alikes to exact recreations of individual artifacts, including an approximation of the historical production methods. Some kinds of swords are still commonly used today as weapons, often as a side arm for military infantry. The Japanese
katana,
wakizashi and
tantō are carried by some infantry and officers in Japan and other parts of Asia and the
kukri is the official melee weapon for
Nepal. Other swords in use today are the
sabre, the
scimitar, the
shortsword and the
machete. • In the case of a rat-tail
tang, the maker welds a thin rod to the end of the blade at the crossguard; this rod goes through the grip. • In traditional construction, Swordsmiths
peened such tangs over the end of the pommel, or occasionally welded the hilt furniture to the tang and threaded the end for screwing on a pommel. This style is often referred to as a "narrow" or "hidden" tang. Modern, less traditional, replicas often feature a threaded pommel or a pommel nut which holds the hilt together and allows dismantling. • In a "full" tang (most commonly used in knives and
machetes), the tang has about the same width as the blade, and is generally the same shape as the grip. ==Morphology==