12/8/2023 0 Comments Medieval swords typesA large number of Medieval examples of this type survive. The Cawood sword is an exceptionally well preserved type XII specimen, exemplifying a full-length taper and narrow fuller, which terminates 2/3 down the blade. Typical of the High Middle Ages, these swords begin to show greater tapering of the blade and a shortened fuller, features which improve thrusting capabilities while maintaining a good cut. Type XII Type XII, Sword of Saint Maurice, replica by Peter Johnsson, 2005 Subtype XIa presents a broader, shorter blade. Though it tapers to a point, it is generally too flexible for effective thrusting. The shape of type XI blades is more suitable for slashing from horseback. Slender, and it tapers to an acute point. In comparison, however, the blade is distinctively longer and more It presents similarly to Type X, with a short grip and a fuller that nearly runs the blade's entire length. In 1981 Oakeshott introduced Subtype Xa to include swords of similar blades that have narrower fullers, originally classified under type XI. The pommel usually takes either an oval Brazil-nut form or a disc shape. 10th century Norsemen referred to this type of sword as gaddhjalt (or "spike hilt"), referring to the strong taper of the tang rather than some visible characteristic of the pommel. The tang is usually very flat and broad, and it tapers sharply towards the pommel. In some rare cases, the cross is slightly curved. The cross-guard is about 18–20 centimetres (7.1–7.9 in) wide, is square in section, and it tapers towards the tips. The grip's length is consistent with earlier Viking swords, averaging about 9 centimetres (3.5 in). A very wide and shallow fuller runs down each side of the blade, fading just before the point (which is rounded). This type exhibits a broad, flat blade, 80 centimetres (2.6 ft) long on average. The blades of these swords are narrower and longer than the typical Viking sword, marking the transition to the knightly sword of the High Middle Ages. Oakeshott X describes swords that were common in the late Viking age and remained in use until the 13th century. Note the disk shape pommel and long fuller that extends near to the end of the blade. The bottom right shows fullers, grooves in the blade to reduce weight while maintaining strength. At the bottom, variants of the lenticular shape. At the top, variants of the diamond shape. This was inspired by his observation that many blades bearing inscriptions and crests had to be oriented this way to be read correctly. Oakeshott's sword descriptions orient them with the point as the bottom and the hilt at the top. Grip length can vary within a type (such as with #Type XIII). Type X swords typically have a fuller running nearly its entire length, Type XXII blades have very short fullers, and Type XV blades have none at all. A fuller is a groove that runs down the middle of a blade, designed to lighten the weapon. This varies from blades of constant taper, the edges of which are straight and narrow to a point, to blades devoid of taper, the edges of which are parallel and finish in a rounded point. Taper is the degree by which a blade's width narrows to its point. Oakeshott's 13 sword types are distinguished by several factors, the most important of which characterize its blade: cross section, length, fuller characteristics, and taper. He wrote that the weapons' dates of manufacture, use, and retirement have been greatly obscured by trade, warfare, and other various exchanges combined with the weapons' own longevity. Oakeshott slightly expanded the system with two transitional types, VIII and IX, and then he started work on his own typology.Īmong the many reasons for his typology, Oakeshott found date classification unreliable during his research. Wheeler to only seven types, labelled I through VII. The system is a continuation of Jan Petersen's typology of the Viking sword, which Petersen introduced in De Norske Vikingsverd ("The Norwegian Viking Swords") in 1919. The historian and illustrator Ewart Oakeshott introduced it in his 1960 treatise The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry. It categorises the swords of the European Middle Ages (roughly 11th to 16th centuries ) into 13 main types, labelled X through XXII. The Oakeshott typology is a way to define and catalogue the medieval sword based on physical form. Medieval sword classification system Oakeshott types
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