The Riddle of Steel
Last Updated on Monday, 05 October 2009 08:27 Written by Sean Monday, 05 October 2009 06:47
For as long as there has been civilization there has been war. With the advent of the Iron age, the most iconic weapon of all time truly came into its own. The sword was truly born. Although it has its ancestry in the weapons of the stone and bronze ages, the technology of iron and steel allowed the creation of a durable, long and sharp blade. My own interest in swords and swordplay has gone through a similar evolutionary process. This interest started when most great interests start, in childhood.
Conan the Barbarian started it all for me. Before I could read the tales of the Cimmerian adventurer, my parents let me watch the Arnold Scwarzenegger film. A young boy's love affair with swords was born. The ninja craze of the 80s only intensified this. Eventually I had swords hanging on the wall, and that eventually led to beginning to learn how to actually use them. As of late my interest has turned from the fantasy and ninja weapons of my youth to more historical weapons. In researching these, I've had to dig through many years of myths about the true nature of swords and how they were used.
A great deal of these myths have to do with European swords. These myths come from all sides. They have been born from the belief that the katana is the greatest sword ever invented. They have been spread by modern fencers. They have even been spread by historians. They are mainly due to ignorance of the true facts and the portrayal of swords in movies. Medieval swords are the greatest victim of these myths.
The common belief is that longswords of the olden days were heavy dull weapons. It is believed by some that they weighed up to 20 lbs and were mainly used to bash on another mans armor, like a club. This could not be more wrong. These were sharp, at least as sharp as an ax. They also weighed about the same as a katana. A typical longsword weighed around 3 lbs and was well balanced. These were designed by professionals. This was part of the arms race of the day. Much work was put into the development of stronger steel. This was a life or death weapon and if a 20lb club would have sufficed, they would have simply used them.
It is only recently that there has been a revitalized interest in reconstructing the old European martial arts. These arts had died out as warfare evolved. The move to guns and the demise of the sword as a practical weapon led to the death of the arts as no military worth its salt would teach them anymore. A great deal of research has gone into translating surviving manuals and recreating these arts as best as possible. At the very least it has shown that the longsword, once thought to be a heavy and ponderous weapon, is indeed a quick and agile tool of war. I'll end today's brief lesson with a short video presentation of some longsword fencing. No, it's not me in the backyard with a stick! These guys are better than I'll likely ever be.
More later this week!
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