Swords has always been an enduring part of the popular medieval and pop culture. It’s a symbol of power used over the centuries in ceremonies, coronations, and valuable item of trade. Over the years, swords have been unearthed bringing along incredible legendary tales. Though, a lot of knowledge that we carry today is not completely true. The below-mentioned list highlights the interesting myths that we think about swords.
Myth 1: Medieval sword makers were uneducated barbarians
It is very much evident from the perfunctory study of
Medieval sword that blade makers and cutlers were proficiently skilled artisans. They were educated and had an adequate understanding of arithmetic and proportion.
Myth 2: Rapiers are elusive in nature
Rapiers are enshrined as the well-known weapon of choice for European nobles. Most rapiers weigh around 2-3lb similar to surviving historic longswords. They feature narrow blades compared to other renaissance swords. Though they are much longer with approximately 42 inches in length. The reason many people think of rapiers as a light weapon since they confuse them with other thrust-centric swords such as 18th-century small swords.
Myth 3: Sword can cut through even at the slightest touch
Undeniably, swords are sharp but we often forget to understand what it takes to cut considering the body mechanics and effective technique. Cutting is continued even after the sword contacts the target since motion is important for a sword to slice through along with an effective grip. Certainly, primitive and revitalization fencing manuals demonstrate that this is being done to gain thrusting power.
Myth 4: Swords were used only by the noble class
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, swords were expensive presenting the symbol of nobility. Many ordinary soldiers used spears as the 9th-century Europe give the value of a sword equivalent to gold coin. In the late Middle Ages, swords were relatively cheap worth around 6 pence. Manuscript artworks often depict that cheap swords were massively used by common soldiers and many archers as their secondary weapons. Likewise, a
katana was the symbol of the samurai and was the legitimate privilege of the samurai class, though later sword ownership became common among the peasantry. However, it didn’t last long since a proclamation was issued to ban swords and prevent peasant uprisings.
Myth 5: Sword was strengthened in urine or blood
The steels melted in Medieval Europe typically required either clean water or oil for quenching. It was a common misconception since urine or blood wouldn’t allow a blade to temper efficiently.
Myth 6: Gunpowder made swords archaic
Gunpowder did put blade weapons out of command, but it took much longer than your assumption. In the initial gunpowder era, the imprecision and slowness of loading most weapons depict that the sword is a viable armament. In the mid-19th century, arms such as revolvers and rifles primarily made employing a sword into a combat weapon. For instance, in the year 1898, the Dutch soldiers have issued a short cutlass for jungle fighting. While in the 19th century, saber fence was a significant part of the physical activity for officers as presented by many manuals produced for military use.
Myth 7: Blood Groove
It is frequently assumed that blood groove on the sword releases pressure in the wound and allow the sword to come back. This term is a recent invention, while fuller is the right name for the groove on a sword blade. The purpose of the fuller has no association to the blood. Typically, fullers minimize weight and help in proper distribution of mass in a blade and make it even much stronger.
Final Thoughts:
The diverse assortment of fallacies and erroneous beliefs in historical fencing studies today is to some extent considerable. Perhaps, there are some myths that are more pervasive than others and we have mentioned them above. If you are familiar with any other popular myth, write to us in the comment section below. We would highly appreciate your input.
