Sword two-handed fighting: history and photo

Despite its size, weight and sluggishness, the two-handed sword in the Middle Ages was widely used in battles. The blade usually had a length of more than 1 m. For such weapons, a handle more than 25 cm with a pommel and a massive elongated crosshair is characteristic. The total weight with the handle on the average was from 2.5 kg. Only such strong soldiers could beat such a weapon.

Two-Handed Swords in History

Large-sized blades appeared relatively late in the history of medieval wars. In the practice of battles an indispensable attribute of a warrior in one hand was a shield for defense, the second he could cut with a sword. With the advent of armor and the beginning of progress in metallurgical casting, long blades with a grip handle for both hands began to gain popularity.

Such weapons were an expensive pleasure. He could afford to pay well-paid mercenaries or bodyguards of the nobility. The owner of the two-handed sword should not only have the strength in his hands, but also be able to manage it. The peak of the skill of a knight or warrior in the security service was the thorough possession of such weapons. Masters of fencing honed the technique of possessing two-handed swords constantly and passed the experience to the elite class.

Appointment

Two-handed sword, whose weight - more than 3-4 kg, could be used in battle only by strong and tall warriors. They were put on the cutting edge at a certain moment. They could not remain in the rear guard permanently, because with a rapid convergence of sides and the crowding of the masses in hand-to-hand combat, there was not enough room for maneuver and swing.

To deal with chopping blows, such weapons must be perfectly balanced. Used in close combat, two-handed swords could be used to break holes in the enemy's defensive defense, or to repel the approach of tightly closed rows of dive-bombers and halberdiers. Long blades were used to steal their ropes and thus enable the light infantry to approach the ranks of the enemy.

In the battle in the open, the two-handed sword was used for chopping punches and for punching armor with a stab with a long lunge. The crosshair often served as an additional lateral point and was used in close combat for short strokes in the face and unprotected neck of the opponent.

Design Features

Sword - melee weapons with a double sharpening of the blade and a sharp end. Classic blade with a grip for two hands - espadon ("big sword") - is characterized by the presence of an unrefined area of the blade (ricasso) at the crosshair. This was done in order to be able to intercept the sword with the other hand to facilitate the swing. Often this site (up to a third of the length of the blade), in addition for convenience, was covered with leather and had an additional crosshair to protect the hand from blows. Two-handed swords were not equipped with scabbards. They were not needed, since the blade was worn on the shoulder, it was impossible to fasten it on the belt due to weight and dimensions.

Another, no less popular two-handed sword - the claymore, whose homeland is Scotland, did not have a pronounced ricasso. The warriors wielded such a weapon with a two-handed grip on the hilt. The crosshair (guard) was forged by the masters not straight, but at an angle to the blade.

Occasionally a sword with a wavy blade - the flamberg - did not differ significantly in characteristics. He chopped no better than ordinary straight blades, although the species was bright and memorable.

Sword-record holder

The largest combat two-handed sword, preserved to our time and available for viewing, is in the Netherlands museum. It was made in the 15th century by German masters. With a total length of 215 cm the giant weighs 6.6 kg. His oak hilt is covered with a single piece of goat skin. This two-handed sword (see photo below), according to legend, was captured from the German Landsknechts. They used it as a relic for ceremonies and did not use in battles. On the sword blade there is an Inri stigma.

According to the same legend, later it was captured by the rebels, and he got a pirate nicknamed Big Pierre. Thanks to his physique and strength, he used the sword for its intended purpose and, as claimed, could cut down several of them at once with a single blow.

Combat and ceremonial blades

The weight of a sword of 5-6 kg or more indicates, rather, its ritual purpose, than about the application for combat battles. Such weapons were used in parades, with dedications, presented as a gift for decorating walls in the chambers of the nobles. Simple in performance swords also could be used by instructors-fencers for working out of force of hands and technics of possession by a blade at preparation of soldiers.

The real combat two-handed sword rarely reached a weight of 3.5 kg with a total length of 1.8 m. The handle had to be up to 50 cm. It had to serve as a balancer to maximize the overall balance.

Ideal blades even with a solid weight in their hands lay not just a metal blank. With such weapons it was possible, with sufficient skills and constant practice, to easily cut heads at a decent distance. At the same time, the weight of the blade in its various positions was felt and felt almost equally.

Stored in collections and museums, real combat patterns of two-handed swords with a blade length of 1.2 m and a width of 50 mm weigh 2.5-3 kg. For comparison: one-handed samples reached up to 1.5 kg. Transitional blades with a handle and a half grip could weigh 1.7-2 kg.

National two-handed swords

People of Slavic origin under the sword understand a double-edged sword. In Japanese culture, a sword is a cutting blade with a curved profile and a one-sided sharpening, held by the handle with protection against a counter-impact.

The most famous sword in Japan is the katana. This weapon is intended for melee, has a handle (30 cm) for grasping with both hands and a blade up to 90 cm. In one of the temples there is a large two-handed sword no-tati with a length of 2.25 m with a handle of 50 cm. With such a blade you can cut a man in half With one stroke or stop galloping horse.

The Chinese sword of Dadao was distinguished by the greater width of the blade. It, like the Japanese blades, had a curved profile and one-sided sharpening. They carried a weapon in a scabbard behind their back on a garter. A massive Chinese sword, two-handed or one-handed, was widely used by soldiers in World War II. When there was not enough ammunition, with this weapon the red units went into a melee attack and often achieved success in close combat.

Two-handed sword: advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantages of using long and heavy swords are low maneuverability and the inability to fight with constant dynamics, since the weight of weapons significantly affects endurance. Grip with both hands excludes the possibility of using a shield to protect against counter impacts.

The two-handed sword is good in defense in that it can effectively cover more sectors. In the attack, you can inflict damage to the enemy from the maximum possible distance. The weight of the blade allows you to inflict a powerful chopping blow, which often can not be reflected.

The reason why the two-handed sword was not widespread was irrationality. Despite the apparent increase in the strength of the hitting blow (twice), a large mass of the blade and its size led to an increase in energy costs (four times) during the fight.