Arming sword
| (knightly) sword | |
|---|---|
Replica of the Sword of Saint Maurice, one of the best-preserved 13th-century swords, kept in Turin. It has a heavy type XII blade, presumably intended for use from horseback, with "brazil-nut" (type A) pommel. (replica by Peter Johnsson, 2005).
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| Type | Sword |
| Service history | |
| In service | c. 1000–1500 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | avg. 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) |
| Length | avg. 90 cm (35 in) |
| Blade length | avg. 75 cm (30 in) |
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| Blade type | Double-edged, straight bladed |
| Hilt type | One-handed cruciform, with pommel |
The Arming sword (or Knightly sword in modern terminology) was the most widespread type of sword in the European High Middle Ages. It was a straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed cruciform hilt and a blade length of about 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 in). The type is frequently depicted in period artwork, and numerous examples have been preserved archaeologically.
The high medieval sword of the Romanesque period (10th to 13th centuries) develops gradually from the Carolingian sword (spatha) of the 9th century. In the Late Medieval period (14th and 15th centuries), late forms of these swords continued to be used, but often as a sidearm, especially of the type, now called "arming sword" and contrasting with the two-handed, heavier longsword. After the end of the medieval period, the arming sword develops into the early modern rapier.
The term "arming sword" (espées d'armes) is first used in the 15th century to refer to the single-handed type of sword after it had ceased to serve as the main weapon, and was on its way to being used as a side-sword. "Arming sword" in late medieval usage specifically refers to the when worn as a side-arm, but as a modern term it may also refer to any single-handed sword in a late medieval context. The terms "knight's sword" or "knightly sword" are modern retronyms to specify the sword of the high medieval period.
Period terminology for swords is somewhat fluid. Mostly, the common type of sword in any given period would simply be referred to as "sword" (English swerde, French espée, Latin gladius etc.). During the high medieval period, references to swords as "great sword" (grete swerd, grant espée) or "small" or "short sword" (espée courte, parvus ensis) does not necessarily indicate their morphology, but simply their relative size. Oakeshott (1964) notes that this changes in the late medieval period, beginning towards the end of the 13th century, when the "bastard sword" appeared as an early type of what would develop into the 15th-century longsword.
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