In the late Middle Ages, a bastard sword was one of the most common weapons. It was distinguished by practicality, and in the hands of a skilled fighter it became deadly for the enemy.
Term history
A medieval bastard sword was common in Europe in the XIII-XVI centuries. The main feature of this weapon was that it was held with two hands in battle, although balance and weight made it possible to take it with one hand in case of urgent need. Such a universal property made this sword extremely popular in the late Middle Ages.
The term itself appeared only in the 19th century, when weapons collectors created its new modern classification. In medieval sources, a simple name was used - a sword, or one and a half bastard sword. Also, this weapon was considered two-handed. This name has long been used not only in historical chronicles, but also in fiction.
Main characteristics
What was a bastard sword? Its length was 110-140 centimeters, and about a meter fell on the blade part. These swords were an intermediate type between one-handed and two-handed. The characteristics of the handle of such weapons could vary depending on the place and time of production. However, all varieties had common features. The handle had a specific recognizable division. It consisted of two elements.
The first is the cylindrical part of the guard, which was intended to protect hands from enemy attacks. For the warrior there was no more important part of the body. It was with the help of his hands that he used a bastard sword. To be wounded was to become vulnerable to the enemy. Garda appeared with the development of fencing in the late Middle Ages. Although the bastard sword was the first to receive it, today most of all this recognizable part of the weapon is associated with the swords that appeared in the following centuries. The second part was conical and located near the top.
Interesting was the evolution of the disk head of a bastard sword. In the XV century, the Gothic style became widespread . He brought a new design with upward and narrow shapes. On the other hand, such innovations appeared not only because of changes in aesthetics, but also because of urgent practical benefits. The corrugated and pear-shaped heads of the bastard swords were more convenient for the second hand, which squeezed this part of the weapon in battle.
Classification
Over the centuries of its existence, the bastard sword has acquired several subspecies. The most common was combat. He was also called heavy. Such a sword was longer and wider than its counterparts. It was used exclusively in battle and was best suited for deadly chopping strikes. The lite version is a bastard sword. This weapon is best suited for self-defense and everyday wear. These types of one-and-a-half swords were especially popular with knights and armor and made the basis of their ammunition.
Their first copies appeared at the end of the 13th century in France. Then the sizes of one and a half swords were not settled yet, they had many modifications, but all of them were known under the general name - swords of war, or fighting swords. These blades came into fashion as an attribute of a horse saddle. Attached in this way, they were convenient for hiking and traveling and often saved the lives of their owners in the event of a sudden attack by robbers.
Narrow Bastard Swords
One of the most remarkable types of bastard swords was a narrow-shaped bastard sword. His blade narrowed sharply, and the blade was almost straight. Such weapons were intended primarily for piercing strikes. The handle was comfortable to use with either one or two hands. Such a sword could literally “drill” the enemy.
The most famous blade of this type was the weapon of the Black Prince of England, Edward Plantagenet, who lived in the XIV century and was remembered for his participation in the Hundred Years War against France. His sword became one of the symbols of the battle of Crecy in 1346. These weapons hung for a long time over the grave of the prince in Canterbury Cathedral, until he was stolen in the XVII century, during the reign of Cromwell.
French and English varieties
French combat swords were studied in detail by the English historian Ewart Oakeshott. He compared many varieties of medieval edged weapons and compiled his own classification. He noted the trend of a gradual change in purpose that a bastard possessed. The length also varied, especially after the French modification became popular in other countries of Western Europe.
At the beginning of the XIV century, similar weapons appeared in England. There he was called the great battle sword. They did not carry him in the saddle, but they carried them on a belt in a sheath. The differences of all kinds of varieties also consisted in the shape of the edges of the blade. At the same time, the weight of the weapon never exceeded 2.5 kilograms.
Art of battle
It is noteworthy that one and a half swords of the 15th century, regardless of the place of their production, were used according to the canons of only two fencing schools - Italian and German. Secrets of possession of formidable weapons were passed from mouth to mouth, but some information was preserved in manuscripts. For example, in Italy, the teachings of the master Phillipo Vadis were popular.
More geniuses of the art of combat left Germany. Most of the books on this subject were written in it. Masters such as Hans Talhofer, Sigmund Ringekk, Aulus Kahl, have authored common manuals on how to use a bastard sword. For what it is needed and how to use it, ordinary citizens knew, even in the simplest ideas. At that time, everyone needed a weapon, because only with it one could feel calm in everyday life, when the attacks of robbers and other dashing people were the usual norm.
Center of gravity and balance
Although one and a half swords in Russia and generally in Europe were light enough to fight with their help, considerable athletic strength was required. Mostly these weapons were owned by knights, and for them, war was a profession. Such warriors trained to handle their weapons every day. Without regular classes, a person lost his fighting qualities, which almost always ended fatally for his life. Medieval battles meant the closest contact with the enemy that could possibly be. Fights always went at a fast pace and non-stop.
Therefore, an important characteristic was not even the weight of the weapon or its sharpness, but balance. Bastard swords in Russia had a center of gravity at a point just above the hilt. If the blade was forged incorrectly, then his marriage must have affected the battlefield. With the center of gravity too shifted up, the sword became uncomfortable, although its chopping blow continued to be deadly.
Weapon Defects
Good weapons should have been easy to control on the move. The high pace of the battle did not leave a chance for slowing soldiers. The speed and strength of the blow was necessarily influenced by weight at a certain distance from the hand that held the bastard sword. The name, which the knights often gave their weapons, could reflect its fighting qualities. If the blade was intended only for chopping blows, then the mass could be distributed along the length only evenly. If the blacksmith made a mistake in the manufacture, the weapon became practically useless in the battle against a properly armed enemy.
Bad swords vibrated in their hands when they hit another sword or shield. The tremor in the blade passed to the handle, which inevitably interfered with the owner. Therefore, a good weapon was always firmly in the hand. It necessarily had vibration-free zones, which were called nodes and were located in the right places from the point of view of physics.
Military development
By the beginning of the 14th century, significant changes had taken place in European military affairs, which affected both weapons and armor. Photos of one and a half swords of different centuries confirm this fact. If before that the main force on the battlefield were knights, now they began to suffer defeats from foot soldiers. Improved armor allowed the latter to use the reduced shield or completely abandon it. But the photos of one and a half swords show that just at the beginning of the XIV century they became much longer than their predecessors.
The new models appeared had a handle, which was much easier to control with one hand than with two. Therefore, often such bastard swords were used in tandem with a small shield or dagger. Such dual weapons made it possible to attack the enemy even more dangerous.
One and a half blade and plastic armor
With the advent of plastic armor, the “half sword” technique was specially developed against them. It consisted of the following. When fighting against the enemy in such equipment, the owner of the sword had to hit with a stabbing blow in the gap between the plates. To do this, the warrior with his left hand covered the middle of the blade and with it helped to direct the weapon to the target, while the right one, lying on the handle, gave the attack the strength necessary for success. Fairly free, but similar in principle to action, there will be a comparison with a game of billiards.
If the battle took just such a turn, then the sword must have had a sharpened edge. In this case, the rest of the blade remained dull. This allowed a gloved hand to perform the above techniques. Swords were made light in many ways in the likeness of armor. There is an established stereotype that it was almost impossible to move in them. To put it this way, people confuse tournament and combat armor. The first really weighed about 50 kilograms and fettered the owner, while the second weighed half as much. In them it was possible not only to run, but also to do gymnastic exercises, as well as somersault. Once in the manufacture of armor, the craftsmen tried to give them the greatest lightness and ease of use, then the same qualities were transferred to swords.