A Guide to Medieval Swords

Over the centuries warfare has been a key aspect in the destruction and expansion of many civilizations.  So it is reasonable to say that weapons were a key tool in the making of many empires.  There are many variants of the common “weapons” we hear of today.  Such as the sword and the katana.  You may think them similar but there are in fact many differences in their usage and their very attributes.  So let us get into the report now, and keep in mind that many weapons also have a cultural significance, not just a power in war.

The sword over the centuries could possibly be considered the most significant and popular weapon in pre-modern warfare.  They are known throughout the world and are unmistakeable.  Whether they be curved, straight, double edged, or and variant of things.  Even today they are still valued in some cultures for their heritage and cultural history. here, lets start with a brief history of the first traces of the sword. Swords developed in stages throughout the centuries and it is very controversial as to whether the first swords were created during the bornze age or the iron age.  This is not because they don’t have replicas but it is actaully because some do not consider the “long daggers,” that were developed in the bronze age, long enough to be swords because many did not exceed the length of a mere 90in.(2.9ft). This is because this length was at the tensile strength of the bronze, causing it to bend if it was too long. China was one of the most successful civilizations with the  smithing of bronze.  Some of the earliest swords can be found there dating up to 2300 b.c. 

The sword of Goujain- 2500 years old

During the iron age the technology to bring about true swords became availible and this is where our story shall really begin.  During the iron ages civilizations started to branch off in seek of new lands to add to their fresh empires.  During the 13th century (beginning of the iron age), iron found its way to many now flourishing civilizations such as china, persia(iran), greek, italy, and all over the mediteranean.  During this iron age the civilizations split off in their forms of swords, western culture mostly stayed to the double edged straight sword however.  Persia and the arabic countries created swords that were curved, as did the chinese and Japanese empires.