Slavic sword: types and description. Edged weapons of Ancient Russia. Medieval sword

Are weapons preserved in the marshes of the Neva? The answers to these questions are saturated with mysticism and are supported by the chronicles of that time.

Alexander Nevsky is one of the most magnificent figures in Ancient Rus, a talented commander, a strict ruler and a brave warrior, who received his nickname in the legendary battle with Sweden in 1240 on the Neva River.

The weapons and protective ammunition of the Grand Duke became Slavic relics, almost deified in the annals and lives.

How much did Alexander Nevsky's sword weigh? It is believed that Five pounds

The sword is the main weapon of the 13th century warrior. And to wield 82-kilogram (1 pood - a little more than 16 kg) melee weapons, to put it mildly, is problematic.

It is believed that the heaviest sword in the history of the world was the sword of Goliath (the king of Judea, a warrior of enormous stature) - its weight was 7.2 kg. In the engraving below, the legendary weapon is in the hand of David (the enemy of Goliath).

History reference: an ordinary sword weighed about one and a half kilograms. Swords for tournaments and other competitions - up to 3 kg... Ceremonial weapons, made of pure gold or silver and decorated with gems, could reach a mass in 5 KgHowever, it was not used on the battlefield due to its inconvenience and heavy weight.

Take a look at the picture below. She depicts the Grand Duke in full dress, respectively, and a sword of a larger volume - for the parade, to give greatness!

Where did the 5 poods come from? Apparently, historians of past centuries (and especially the Middle Ages) tended to embellish real events, exposing mediocre victories as great, ordinary rulers - wise, ugly princes - beautiful.

This is dictated by necessity: the enemies, having learned about the valor, courage and mighty strength of the prince, should have retreat under the onslaught of fear and such power... That is why there is such an opinion that the sword of Alexander Nevsky "weighed" not 1.5KG, and as much as 5 poods.

The sword of Alexander Nevsky is kept in Russia and protects its lands from the invasion of enemies, is it true?

Historians and archaeologists do not give an unambiguous answer about the possible location of the sword of Alexander Nevsky. The only thing that is known for sure is that the weapon was not found on any of the numerous expeditions.

Probably the same is the fact that Alexander Nevsky did not use a single sword, but changed them from battle to battle, since edged weapons become serrated and become unusable ...

The 13th century cannons are rare relics. Almost all of them are lost. The most famous sword that belonged to Prince Dovmont (reigned in Pskov from 1266 to 1299) is kept in the Pskov Museum:

Did Alexander Nevsky's sword have magical properties?

In the Battle of the Neva, Slavic troops were outnumbered, but many Swedes fled from the battlefield even before the battle began. Was it a tactical move or a fatal accident - it is not clear.

Russian soldiers stood facing the rising sun. Alexander Nevsky was on a dais and raised his sword up, calling the soldiers to battle - at that moment the rays of the sun hit the blade, making the steel glow and frightening the enemy.

According to the chronicles, after the Battle of the Nevsky, the sword was taken to the house of Elder Pelgusius, where other precious things were kept. Soon the house burned down, and the cellar was covered with earth and debris.

From this moment we begin a journey through the shaky world of speculation and conjecture:

1. In the 18th century, monks built a church near the Neva. During the construction, they found the sword of Alexander Nevsky broken in two.
2. The monks rightly decided that the fragments of the blade should protect the temple from harm, and therefore put them in the foundation of the building.
3. During the revolution of the 20th century, the church and accompanying documents were destroyed.
4. At the end of the 20th century, scientists discovered the diary of Andrei Ratnikov (this is a white officer), several pages of which were devoted to the legendary blade.

How much did Alexander Nevsky's sword weigh? One thing we can say for sure: not 5 pounds, most likely like an ordinary blade 1.5KG... It was a wonderful blade that brought victory to the warriors of Ancient Russia, which turned the course of history!

And yet I would like to know if there was powerful magic in it ...

When the conversation turns to warriors in Russia, the imagination immediately draws mighty epic heroes in chain mail and with swords in their hands. Damask swords were appreciated not only by Slavic knights, but also far beyond the borders of Russia. They were highly durable, could cut through silk shawls on the fly, and almost doubled without breaking.


Damask sword IX-X centuries.
Modern scientists divide Slavic swords of the 9th-11th centuries into several types, but basically the weapon differed in the shape of the handle and crosspiece. The blades were made almost the same: 90-100 cm long, 5-4 cm wide and the handle, and about 4 mm thick. Towards the end, the blades narrowed. Along the canvas on both sides there were valleys, which are mistakenly called "bloodletting". The dales served to lighten the weight of the sword, but over time they disappeared.

Handles of Slavic swords.

Swords were not given to all warriors. Not everyone could afford this type of weapon because of its high cost. In addition, the possession of a sword required certain professional skills. In Russia, blades of the 10th century weighed up to 1.5 kg.

Damascus steel drawing.

Damask swords, which were mentioned by epic storytellers, came to Russia from Damascus. Bulat is a special type of steel with a carbon content of more than 1% and its uneven distribution in the metal. The high strength of damask steel was truly amazing. Its blades could cut through iron and steel. And if you bend a product made of damask steel, then it did not even think to break. Everything would be fine, only the peculiarities of the Russian climate did not fit. During severe frosts, it was unusable.

Damask blades.

Slavic masters found a way out. They took rods of iron and damask steel, twisted them together and forged, then folded, cut lengthwise and forged again. And so many times. The resulting steel allowed swords to be thinned while maintaining strength. Such blades easily cut through chain mail and armor, usually made of lower grade metal.

Sheath of a Slavic damask sword.

Modern experts note that such technologies for making blades testify to the extraordinary skill of blacksmiths of the 9th-11th centuries. Therefore, one should not think that our ancestors could only make “simple iron objects”.

Handles with ornaments.

To determine how good a sword is, the customer first listened to the ringing that emanated from the blade after clicking fingers on it. The higher the sound, the better the damask was considered. Then you had to put the sword on your head and pull it to your ears by the ends. Good blades did not bend or break. In the end, those who want to acquire a blade, tried it for sharpness. Usually, a thick nail was cut with a sword or a strip of cloth was thrown onto the blade, while it was cut.
In subsequent centuries, the length and weight of the sword changed depending on the change in the weight of the armor. Then the sword was replaced by other weapons.

The sword is a murder weapon with a touch of romance. In the hands of fearless warriors, a silent witness to terrible battles and the change of eras. The sword personified courage, fearlessness, strength and nobility. Enemies feared his blade. With a sword, brave warriors were knighted and crowned persons were crowned.

One-and-a-half swords, or swords with a hand and a half handle, existed from the Renaissance (13th century) to the late Middle Ages (16th century). In the 17th century, swords were replaced by rapiers. But swords are not forgotten and the brilliance of the blade still excites the minds of writers and filmmakers.

Types of swords

Longsword - long sword

The handle of such swords is three palms. With both hands gripping the sword hilt, there were a few centimeters left for one more palm. This made complex fencing maneuvers and sword strikes possible.

The bastard or "bastard" sword is a classic example among bastard swords. The handle of the "bastards" was less than two, but more than one palm (about 15 cm). This sword is not a longsword: neither two nor one and a half - not for one hand and not for two, for which he received such an insulting nickname. The bastard was used as a weapon of self-defense, and was perfect for everyday wear.

I must say that they fought with this bastard sword without using a shield.

The appearance of the first copies of one-and-a-half swords dates back to the end of the 13th century. One-and-a-half swords were of different sizes and variations, but they were united by one name - swords of war. This blade was fashionable as an attribute to the saddle of a horse. One-and-a-half swords were always kept with them on trips and campaigns, in order to protect themselves from an unexpected enemy attack in case of anything.

With a fighting or heavy sword-sword in battles, they inflicted strong blows that did not give the right to life.

Bastard, had a narrow straight blade and was indispensable for thrusting blows. The most famous representative among the narrow bastard swords is the blade of the English warrior and the prince who participated in the war of the 14th century. After the death of the prince, the sword is placed over his grave, where it remains until the 17th century.

The English historian Ewart Oakeshott studied the ancient combat swords of France and classified them. He noted gradual changes in the characteristics of one-and-a-half swords, including the length of the blade.

In England at the beginning of the 14th century, a "big battle" bastard sword, which is not worn in the saddle, but on the belt.

Characteristics

The length of a one-and-a-half sword is from 110 to 140 cm, (weighing 1200 and up to 2500) Of these, about a meter of the sword is a part of the blade. The blades of one and a half swords were forged in various shapes and sizes, but they were all effective in delivering various crushing blows. There were the main characteristics of the blade, according to which they differed from each other.

In the Middle Ages, the blades of one and a half swords are thin and straight. Referring to Oakeshott's typology: gradually the blades stretch and thicken in cross section, but become thinner at the end of the swords. The handles are also modified.

The cross-section of the blade is divided into biconvex and diamond-shaped. In the latter version, the central vertical line of the blade provided hardness. And the features of forging swords add options to the section of the blade.

One-and-a-half swords, whose blades had valleys, were very popular. A dol is a cavity extending from the cross along the blade. It is a delusion that the valleys were made like a bloodstream or for the easy removal of a sword from a wound. In fact, the lack of metal in the middle of the center of the blade made the swords lighter and more maneuverable. The valleys were wide - almost the entire width of the blade, up to more numerous and thinner ones. The length of the dollars also varied: the full length or by a third of the total length of the bastard sword.

The crosspiece was lengthened and had bows to protect the hand.

An important indicator of a well-forged bastard sword was its precise balance, distributed in the right place. One-and-a-half swords in Russia were balanced at a point above the hilt. The marriage of the sword was necessarily revealed during the battle. As soon as the blacksmiths made a mistake and shifted the center of gravity of the longsword upward, the sword, in the presence of a deadly blow, became uncomfortable. The sword vibrated as it struck an opponent's swords or armor. And this weapon did not help, but hindered the soldier. Good weapon was an extension of the hand of the war. Blacksmiths skillfully forged swords, correctly distributing certain zones. These zones are the knots of the blade, and when properly positioned, ensured a quality bastard sword.

Shield and bastard sword

Certain fighting systems and a variety of styles made sword fighting akin to an art rather than chaotic and barbaric. Various teachers taught bastard sword fighting techniques. And there was no more effective weapon in the hands of an experienced warrior. With this sword, no shield was needed.

And all thanks to the armor that took the blow on itself. Chain mail was worn before them, but it was not able to protect the war from the blow of cold weapons. Light plate armor and plate armor in massive quantities began to be forged by masters blacksmith craft... There is a misconception that the iron armor was very heavy and it was impossible to move in it. This is partly true, but only for tournament equipment, which weighed about 50 kg. Military armor weighed less than half, it was possible to actively move in them.

Not one blade of the bastard sword was used for attack, but also a guard as a hook, capable of knocking down the pommel.

Possessing the art of fencing, the soldier received the necessary base and could take on other types of weapons: a spear, a shaft, and so on.

Despite the apparent lightness of bastard swords, battles with him required strength, endurance and dexterity. The knights, for whom the war was everyday life, and swords were their faithful companions, did not spend a day without training and weapons. Regular exercises did not allow them to lose their warlike qualities and die during the battle, which went on without stopping, intensively.

Schools and techniques of the bastard sword

The most popular are German and Italian schools. The earliest manual of the German fencing school (1389) was translated, despite the difficulties.

In these manuals, swords are depicted with both hands held by the hilt. Most of the manual was occupied by a section with a one-handed sword, methods and advantages of one-handed sword holding were shown. It was portrayed as an integral part of the fight in armor, the technique of half a sword.

The lack of a shield gave rise to new fencing techniques. There were such instructions for fencing - "fencing books", with guides from famous masters of this craft. Excellent illustrations and a textbook, considered a classic, left us in the legacy not only a fighter, but also a wonderful artist and mathematician Albert Durer.

But fencing schools and military science are not the same thing. The knowledge from fencing books is applicable for knightly tournaments and for judicial fights. In war, a soldier had to be able to hold a line, a sword and defeat enemies facing opposite. But there are no treatises on this topic.

Ordinary townspeople also knew how to hold weapons and a bastard sword as well. In those days, without weapons - nowhere, but not everyone could afford a sword. The iron and bronze that went into a good blade were rare and expensive.

A special technique of fencing with a bastard sword was fencing without any protection in the form of armor and chain mail. The head and upper body were unprotected from the blow of the blade, except for ordinary clothing.

The increased protection of the soldiers contributed to the change in fencing techniques. And with swords they tried to inflict stabbing, not chopping blows. The technique of "half-sword" was used.

Special welcome

There were many different techniques. During the fight, they were used and, thanks to these techniques, many fighters survived.

But there is a trick surprising: taking half a sword. When a warrior with one or even two hands grabbed the sword blade, directing it at the enemy and trying to push it under the armor. The other hand rested on the hilt of the sword, giving the necessary strength and speed. How did the fighters not wound their hand on the edge of the sword? The fact is that swords were sharpened at the end of the blade. Therefore, the half-sword technique was a success. True, you can hold a sharpened sword blade in gloves, but, most importantly, hold it tightly, and in no case let the blade "walk" in your palm.

Later, in the 17th century, Italian fencing masters focused on the foil and abandoned the bastard sword. And in 1612 a German manual was published with the technique of fencing with a bastard sword. This was the final guide to combat techniques using such swords. However, in Italy, despite the increased popularity of the rapier, fencing continues on the spadone (bastard sword).

Bastard in Russia

Western Europe provided big influence on some peoples of medieval Russia. The West influenced geography, culture, military science and weapons.

As a fact, in Belarus and Western Ukraine there are knightly castles of those times. A few years ago, on television, they reported on the discovery of a knightly weapon of the model in the Mogilev region Western Europedating back to the 16th century. There were few finds of one-and-a-half swords in Moscow and across Northern Russia. Since there, military affairs were aimed at battles with the Tatars, which means that instead of heavy infantry and swords, another weapon was needed - sabers.

But the western and southwestern lands of Rus are a knightly territory. Big variety weapons and one-and-a-half swords, Russian and European, were found there during excavations.

One and a half or two-handed

The types of swords differ from each other in their mass; different length of the hilt, blade. If a sword with a long blade and a hilt is easy to manipulate with one hand, then this is a representative of bastard swords. And if one hand is not enough to hold a bastard sword, then most likely it is a representative of two-handed swords. Approximately at the mark of the total length of 140 cm, the limit for the bastard sword comes. More than this length, it is difficult to hold a bastard sword with one hand.

Claymore (claymore, claymore, claymore, from the Gaulish claidheamh-mòr - "big sword") is a two-handed sword that has become widespread among the Scottish highlanders since the end of the XIV century. As the main weapon of the infantry, claymore was actively used in clashes between tribes or border battles with the British. Claymore is the smallest of all its brethren. This, however, does not mean that the weapon is small: the average length of the blade is 105-110 cm, and together with the handle the sword reached 150 cm. distinctive feature there was a characteristic bend of the arches of the cross - downward, towards the tip of the blade. This design made it possible to effectively grip and literally pull out any long weapon from the enemy's hands. In addition, the decoration of the bow's horns - punching in the form of a stylized four-leaf clover - became a distinctive sign by which everyone easily recognized the weapon. In terms of size and efficiency, claymore was arguably the best two-handed sword. It was not specialized, and therefore it was used quite effectively in any combat situation.

Zweichander

Zweichander (German Zweihänder or Bidenhänder / Bihänder, "two-handed sword") is a weapon of a special division of the Landsknechts, who are on double pay (doppelsoldner). If claymore is the most modest sword, then the Zweihander really was distinguished by its impressive size and in rare cases reached two meters in length, including the hilt. In addition, it was notable for a double guard, where special "boar fangs" separated the unsharpened part of the blade (ricasso) from the sharpened one.

Such a sword was a weapon of very narrow use. The technique of fighting was quite dangerous: the owner of the Zweichander acted in the forefront, pushing as a lever (or even completely chopping off) the shaft of the enemy pikes and spears. To possess this monster required not only remarkable strength and courage, but also considerable skill of a swordsman, so that the mercenaries did not receive double salaries for their beautiful eyes. The technique of fighting with two-handed swords bears little resemblance to the usual blade fencing: such a sword is much easier to compare with a reed. Of course, the Zweichander did not have a scabbard - it was worn on the shoulder like an oar or spear.

Flamberg

Flamberge ("flaming sword") is a natural evolution of the regular straight sword. The curvature of the blade made it possible to increase the lethality of the weapon, however, in the case of large swords, the blade came out too massive, fragile and still could not penetrate high-quality armor. In addition, the Western European school of fencing suggests using the sword mainly as piercing weaponand so the curved blades were not good for her. By the XIV-XVI centuries. / bm9icg \u003d\u003d\u003d\u003e Metallurgical advances made the cutting sword practically useless on the battlefield - it simply could not penetrate hardened steel armor with one or two blows, which played a critical role in massive battles. The gunsmiths began actively looking for a way out of this situation, until they finally came to the concept of a wave blade, which has a number of successive antiphase bends. Such swords were difficult to manufacture and were expensive, but the effectiveness of the sword was undeniable. Due to a significant reduction in the area of \u200b\u200bthe striking surface, upon contact with the target, the destructive effect was greatly enhanced. In addition, the blade acted on the principle of a saw, cutting through the affected surface. The wounds inflicted by the flamberg did not heal for a very long time. Some generals sentenced captured swordsmen to death solely for carrying such weapons. The Catholic Church also cursed such swords and branded them as inhumane weapons.

Espadon

Espadon (French espadon from Spanish espada - sword) is a classic type two-handed sword with a tetrahedral blade cross-section. Its length reached 1.8 meters, and the guard consisted of two massive arches. The center of gravity of the weapon was often shifted to the edge - this increased the penetrating power of the sword. In battle, such weapons were used by unique warriors who usually did not have any other specialization. Their task was to, swinging huge blades, destroy the enemy's battle formation, overturn the front ranks of the enemy and pave the way for the rest of the army. Sometimes these swords were used in battle with cavalry - due to the size and mass of the blade, the weapon made it possible to very effectively chop the legs of horses and cut through the armor of heavy infantry. Most often weight combat weapons ranged from 3 to 5 kg, and heavier specimens were award or ceremonial. Weighted warblade replicas were sometimes used for training purposes.

Estok

Estok (fr. Estoc) is a two-handed piercing weapon designed to pierce knightly armor. A long (up to 1.3 meters) tetrahedral blade usually had a stiffening rib. If the previous swords were used as a means of countermeasures against cavalry, then the estok, on the contrary, was the weapon of the rider. Riders wore it on the right side of the saddle in order to have an additional means of self-defense in the event of a loss of the peak. In equestrian combat, the sword was held with one hand, and the blow was delivered due to the speed and mass of the horse. In a skirmish on foot, the warrior took him in two hands, compensating for the lack of mass with his own strength. Some examples of the 16th century have a complex guard, like a sword, but most often there was no need for it.

If you have read Russian epics, you should have noticed that the sword of a Russian hero was never raised for bravado, for the sake of gaining wealth or the throne. The sword was worn only in difficult times or as part of a ceremonial costume - as a symbol of status.

The sword in Russia, and probably everywhere else, was held in high esteem. You can read the meaning of the sword in Ancient Russia in Oleg Agaev.

A straight, long, heavy blade slightly tapering to the point. The hilt and guard sticking out of the scabbard have always been decorated, even on the simplest swords. The blade was sometimes also decorated with drawings or magic signs. A longitudinal groove ran along the blade - a dol, which facilitated the blade of the sword and increased its maneuverability.

So why was the Slavic sword exactly like this? Let's try to figure it out.

Imagine an early one pre-Christian Russia... The land was spacious and abundant; It was difficult to die of hunger in a country where rivers are rich in fish, and forests are rich in game, honey and vegetable fruits, it was difficult even in lean years. Such conditions were combined with a low population density: first, a fairly large distance from each other settlements; secondly, the lack of overcrowding in the settlements themselves. Under such conditions, culture was formed for a long time in a relatively high security from external raids and with an extremely low frequency of internal conflict situations due to the lack of competition for the use of natural resources... Wars were rare, but the princely squads were well armed and equipped. Martial art was taught from childhood. It was in such an environment that the technologies for the production of swords blades, which are one of the highest-quality categories of products of urban blacksmiths-gunsmiths of Kievan Rus, matured.

In addition, the X century was a period of cruel civil war in the Nordic countries, as a result of which many Vikings fled from their homeland and were hired in the squads of Russian princes. So the Russian armourers of those times always had material for comparison and imitation. This is probably why the swords of the ancient Slavs and Vikings are so similar.

In 1900, near the village of Krasnyanka in the former Kupyansk district of the Kharkov province (the territory of the present Voroshilovgrad region), a sword was found, dated by the historian A.N. Kirpichnikov to the end of the 10th century. The sword is kept in the Kharkov Historical Museum (inv. No. KS 116−42).
It was this sword that was among the samples of ancient Russian weapons that were subjected to metallographic analysis to clarify the manufacturing technology of the blades of ancient Russian swords in 1948.

Here's what this analysis found out.
The technological scheme of the sword from Krasnyanka in almost all details coincides with the description of the swords of the Rus, cited by the Khorezmian Biruni in the mineralogical treatise of 1046, where it is indicated: their fragility. " The famous scientist BA Kolchin defines the concept of "shapurkan" as a hard steel-style, and "naromkhan" - as soft and ductile iron.

Thus, the results of metallographic studies allow us to assert that the sword from Krasnyanka was forged by ancient Russian armourers-professionals who were perfectly familiar with the technical requirements for swords and who owned the most rational methods for their time for making their blades.

It may also be noted that the proportion of thrusting to cutting in the design of the sword changed in response to changes in weaponry, but even earlier parallel-edged swords tended to have a piercing, albeit rounded, point.
And the sword does not need a particularly sharp tip. Chain armor of those times was well cut with a chopping blow. That stabbing, that chopping is not a repulsed blow heavy sword will do its job anyway ...

In Ancient Russia, along with expensive high-quality swords, cheap short iron swords were also made, which probably served as weapons for ordinary foot soldiers. And yet the sword was never "a simple piece of iron", it always carried something magical, witchcraft. Maybe that's why he left such a noticeable mark in folklore. Well, who will remember the common expression with a saber, sword or dagger?

But the words of Alexander Nevsky: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword" Russian people will always remember.