Despite its size, weight and slowness, the two-handed sword in the Middle Ages was widely used in battles. The blade usually had a length of more than 1 m. Such a weapon is characterized by a hilt over 25 cm with a pommel and a massive elongated crosshair. The total weight with the handle averaged from 2.5 kg. Only strong warriors could cut such weapons.
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 protection, the second he could chop with a sword. With the advent of armor and the beginning of progress in metallurgical casting, long blades with a handle for gripping with two hands began to gain popularity.
Such weapons were an expensive pleasure. Well-paid mercenaries or bodyguards of the nobility could afford him. The owner of a two-handed sword should not only have power in his hands, but also be able to control it. The peak of the skill of a knight or warrior in the security service was the thorough possession of such weapons. Fencing masters honed the technique of using two-handed swords constantly and passed on the experience to the elite estate.
Appointment
A two-handed sword, whose weight is more than 3-4 kg, could be used in battle only by strong and tall warriors. They were put on the cutting edge at some point. They could not be constantly in the rearguard, because with the rapid convergence of the sides and the compaction of the mass of people in hand-to-hand combat, there was not enough free space for maneuver and swing.
To deliver chopping blows, such a weapon must be perfectly balanced. Two-handed swords could be used in melee to punch holes in the enemy’s defensive defense or to repel the attack of tightly closed ranks of dive and halberd. Long blades were used to cut their poles and thus enable the lightly armed infantry to draw close to the ranks of the enemy.
In a battle in an open area, a two-handed sword was used for cutting blows and for piercing armor with an injection using a long lunge. The crosshair often served as an additional lateral point and was used in close combat for short blows to the face and unprotected opponent’s neck.
Design features
The sword is a melee weapon with a mutual sharpening of the blade and a sharp end. The classic blade with a grip for two hands - espadone ("large epee") - is distinguished by the presence of an unsharpened portion 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 backswing. Often this area (up to a third of the length of the blade), in addition to convenience, was skin-tight and had an additional crosshair to protect the hand from shock. Two-handed swords were not equipped with a scabbard. They were not needed, since the blade was worn on the shoulder, it was impossible to fix it on the belt because of the weight and dimensions.
Another, no less popular two-handed sword - claymore, whose homeland is Scotland, did not have a pronounced ricasso. Warriors wielded such weapons with a two-handed grip on the hilt. The crosshair (guard) was not forged by the masters directly, but at an angle to the blade.
Occasionally, a sword with a wavy blade - flamberg - did not differ significantly in characteristics. He chopped no better than ordinary direct blades, although the appearance was bright and memorable.
Record sword
The largest combat two-handed sword, preserved to our time and available for viewing, is in the Dutch museum. It was supposedly made in the 15th century by German craftsmen. With a total length of 215 cm, the giant weighs 6.6 kg. Its oak hilt is covered with a single piece of leather from goat skin. This two-handed sword (see photo below), according to legend, was captured from German landsknechts. They used it as a relic for ceremonies and did not use it in battles. On the blade of the sword is the mark of Inri.
According to the same legend, he was later captured by rebels, and he went to a pirate nicknamed Big Pierre. Due to his physique and strength, he used the sword for its intended purpose and, it is claimed, could cut down several heads with one blow at once.
Combat and ceremonial blades
The weight of the sword 5-6 kg or more testifies, rather, to its ritual purpose than to the use for combat battles. Such weapons were used in parades, during initiations, were presented as a gift for decorating walls in the chambers of nobles. Swords that were simple to execute could also be used by fencer tutors to develop hand strength and blade mastery techniques in preparing warriors.
A real combat two-handed sword rarely reached a weight of 3.5 kg with a total length of up to 1.8 m. The handle had up to 50 cm. It was supposed to serve as a balancer in order to balance the overall design.
Ideal blades, even with a solid weight in their hands, were not just a metal blank. With such weapons it was possible with sufficient skills and constant practice to easily chop heads at a decent distance. At the same time, the weight of the blade in its various positions was felt and felt by the hand almost identically.
The real combat samples of two-handed swords stored in collections and museums with a blade length of 1.2 m and a width of 50 mm have a weight of 2.5-3 kg. For comparison: one-handed samples reached up to 1.5 kg. Transitional blades with a handle of one and a half grip could weigh 1.7-2 kg.
National Two-Handed Swords
Among peoples of Slavic origin, a sword is understood as a double-edged blade. In Japanese culture, a sword is a cutting blade with a curved profile and one-sided sharpening, held by a handle with protection against oncoming blows.
The most famous sword in Japan is considered a katana. This weapon is intended for close combat, has a hilt (30 cm) for grasping with both hands and a blade of up to 90 cm. A large two-handed no-tati sword 2.25 m long with a 50 cm hilt is stored in one of the temples. with one hit or stop the galloping horse.
The Chinese dadao sword was distinguished by a larger blade width. It, like the Japanese blades, had a curved profile and one-sided sharpening. They carried weapons in a sheath behind their backs on a garter. The massive Chinese sword, two-handed or one-handed, was widely used by soldiers in World War II. When there wasn’t enough ammunition, with this weapon the red units went to hand-to-hand 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 the weapon significantly affects endurance. Two-handed grip eliminates the possibility of using a shield to protect against oncoming blows.
A two-handed sword is good in defense in that it can overlap more sectors with great efficiency. In an attack, you can inflict damage to the enemy from the greatest possible distance. The weight of the blade allows you to deliver a powerful chopping blow, which is often impossible to repel.
The reason the two-handed sword was not widespread was irrationality. Despite the obvious increase in the force of the chopping impact (twice), a significant mass of the blade and its dimensions led to an increase in energy expenditure (four times) during the fight.