Bastard sword: types, sizes, photo

In the late Middle Ages, the one and a half sword was one of the most common weapons. He was practical, but in the hands of a skilful fighter he became deadly to the enemy.

History of the term

Medieval one-and-a-half sword was spread in Europe in the 13th-16th centuries. The main feature of this weapon was that in combat it was held with two hands, although the balance and weight made it possible to take it with one hand when there was an urgent need. This universal property made this sword extremely popular in the late Middle Ages.

The term itself appeared only in the XIX century, when the collectors of weapons created its new modern classification. In medieval sources a simple name was used - a sword, or a bastard sword-bastard. 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 the one and a half sword? Its length was 110-140 centimeters, with about a meter accounted for the blade part. These swords were an intermediate kind between one-handed and two-handed. 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 the hands from the blows of the enemy. For the warrior, there was no more important part of the body. It was with the help of his hands that he used a one-and-a-half sword. Getting wounded meant becoming vulnerable to the enemy. Garda appeared with the development of fencing in the late Middle Ages. Although the first to receive a one-and-a-half sword, today this most recognizable part of the weapon is most associated with swords that appeared in the following centuries. The second part was conical and was located near the top.

The evolution of the disc head of the sesquilter was interesting. In the 15th century, the Gothic style became widespread . He brought a new design with aspiring up and narrow forms. On the other hand, such innovations appeared not only because of changes in aesthetics, but because of the practical practical benefit. The corrugated and pear-shaped heads of bastard swords were more convenient for the second hand, which in combat squeezed this part of the weapon.

Classification

For several centuries of its existence, the one and a half sword acquired several subspecies. The most common was the fighting. He was also called heavy. This sword was longer and wider than its counterparts. It was used exclusively in combat and was best suited for the deadly chopping blows. The light version is a sword bastard. This weapon is best suited for self-defense and everyday wearing. These kinds of sesquilter swords were especially popular among knights and patrons and formed the basis of their ammunition.

Their first specimens appeared at the end of the thirteenth century in France. Then, the size of the sesquilter swords was not yet established, they had many modifications, but they were all known under the general name - swords of war, or battle swords. These blades have become fashionable as an attribute of the horse's saddle. Attached in this way, they were convenient in hikes and travels and often saved lives for their owners in the event of a sudden attack by the robbers.

Narrow swords and bastards

One of the most notable kinds of sesquicter swords was a narrow-shaped sword-bastard. His blade was severely narrowed, and the blade was almost straight. Such weapons were intended primarily for stabbing blows. The handle was convenient for use with one or both 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 remembered participating in the Hundred Years War against France. His sword was one of the symbols of the Battle of Crecy in 1346. This weapon was hanging over the grave of the prince for a long time at the Canterbury Cathedral, until it was stolen in the 17th century, during the reign of Cromwell.

French and English varieties

French combat swords were studied in detail by the English historian Evart Oakeshott. He compared many varieties of medieval knives and made up his own classification. He noted the tendency of a gradual change in appointment, which had a one and a half sword. 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 a great fighting sword. He was not carried at the saddle, but was worn on a belt in a sheath. The differences of various varieties were also in the form of the edges of the blade. At the same time, the weight of the weapon never exceeded 2.5 kilograms.

The art of combat

It is noteworthy that fifteen-sided swords of the 15th century, regardless of their place of production, were used according to the canons of just two schools of fencing - Italian and German. The secrets of possession of a formidable weapon were passed from mouth to mouth, but some information was preserved in the manuscripts. For example, in Italy the teaching of the master Phillipo Vadis was popular.

More geniuses in the art of combat left Germany. It was written most of the books on this subject. Such masters as Hans Talhofer, Sigmund Ringack, Aulus Kahl, became the authors of the widely distributed manuals on how to use a one and a half sword. For what it is needed and how to use it, even ordinary citizens knew, even in the simplest representations. At that time, weapons were necessary for everyone, because only with him one could feel calm in everyday life, when attacks of robbers and other dashing people were the usual norm.

Center of gravity and balance

Although the one and a half swords in Russia and in general in Europe were light enough to fight with their help, a lot of athletic power was required. Mostly these weapons were owned by knights, and for them war was a profession. Such warriors were trained to handle their weapons every day. Without regular studies, a person lost his fighting qualities, which almost always ended fatal for his life. Medieval battles meant the closest contact with the enemy, as it could be. The fights always went at a fast pace and without stopping.

Therefore, an important characteristic was not even the weight of the weapon or its sharpness, but the balance. One-and-a-half 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. At the center of gravity, too much upward, the sword became uncomfortable, although its chopping blow continued to be deadly.

Weapon defects

Good weapons should have been easily controlled in motion. The high pace of the battle did not leave a chance for the lagging soldiers. The speed and force of impact necessarily influenced the weight at a certain distance from the hand, which held a one and a half sword. The name that the knights often gave their weapons, could reflect and its fighting qualities. If the blade was intended only for chopping blows, then the mass could be distributed along the length only evenly. In the event that the smith made a mistake in the manufacture, the weapon became practically useless in battle against the correctly armed enemy.

Bad swords were vibrating in their hands when they hit another sword or shield. The trembling in the blade was transmitted to the hilt, which inevitably prevented the owner. Therefore, good weapons always lay firmly in his hand. It was necessarily free from vibration zones, which were called nodes and located in the right places from the point of view of physics.

The development of military affairs

By the beginning of the fourteenth century, significant changes had taken place in European military affairs, which affected both weapons and armor. A photo of one and a half swords of different centuries confirm this fact. If before that the main force on the battlefield were the knights, now they began to suffer defeats from foot soldiers. Improved armor allowed the latter to use a reduced shield or completely abandon it. But the photo of one and a half swords shows that at the beginning of the 14th century they became much longer than their predecessors.

Appeared new models had a handle, which was much easier to manage with one hand than two. Therefore, often such swords-bastards were used in pairs with a small shield or dagger. This dual armament made it possible to attack the enemy even more dangerously.

Polutororny blade and plastic armor

With the advent of plastic armor specifically against them, the technique of "half of the sword" was developed. It was concluded in the following. Fighting against the enemy in such equipment, the owner of the sword had to please with a thrusting strike into the gap between the plates. For this, the warrior with his left hand covered the middle of the blade and helped guide the weapon to the target, while the right hand, lying on the handle, gave the attack the force necessary for success. Fair enough, but similar in principle to the action, there will be a comparison with the game of billiards.

If the battle took just such a turn, then the sword must necessarily have a sharpened point. The rest of the blade remained blunted. This allowed the gloved hand to carry out the above described techniques. Swords became light in many ways in the likeness of armor. There is an established stereotype that it was almost impossible to move in them. Saying this, people confuse tournament and combat armor. The first really weighed about 50 kilograms and fettered the owner, while the latter weighed half as much. They could not only run, but also do gymnastic exercises, as well as somersault. Once in the manufacture of armor the masters tried to give them the greatest ease and simplicity in operation, then the same qualities were transferred to swords.