The "terrible secret" of Russian swords and Oakeshott's typology in miniatures
The sword was weapons and for settling the scores of the nobility, whether two-handed or one-handed, he helped protect "honor and right." Not without reason, who entered the knightly brotherhood, was girded with a sword. A still from the film "Secrets of the Burgundian Court".
“And what were the swords in Russia? They say a lot about the Europeans, but they are silent about the Russians.
- It's a conspiracy! We, the authors, have sworn this secret not to reveal to anyone!
If we describe swords in terms of typology, then yes, boring, monotonous and uninteresting.
- Vyacheslav Olegovich! Subterfuge will not help !!! We are waiting, sir !!! "
(From the correspondence on the site)
"... I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
(Matthew 10: 38)
- It's a conspiracy! We, the authors, have sworn this secret not to reveal to anyone!
If we describe swords in terms of typology, then yes, boring, monotonous and uninteresting.
- Vyacheslav Olegovich! Subterfuge will not help !!! We are waiting, sir !!! "
(From the correspondence on the site)
"... I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
(Matthew 10: 38)
History weapons. I'll start with a small lyrical digression. Such writings as the very first, taken into the epigraph, about Russian swords were always surprising. It would seem that in the age of the Internet, this is generally impossible. Well, you, type in the search engine "Russian swords" or "articles and books about Russian melee weapons", or "dissertations on Russian melee weapons", or A. N. Kirpichnikov "Russian swords of the XI-XIII centuries", or A. N Kirpichnikov, AF Medvedev "Armament". And you will have so many things that you can not contradict to read. But - no, it is necessary to write obvious stupidity, just to write.
Personally, I am not interested in this topic and here's why.
At one time, back in the 70s of the last century, I read many works of authors of that time about ancient Russian weapons. Written in heavy, purely scientific language. I made my way through their jungle, and made a number of conclusions for myself, one of which is not to write on this topic. And to give links to these fundamental, "Soviet", extremely reliable research. Because ... Whoever needs it, he can do it. And those who are used to jumping on the tops do not need this: they will open and close.
By the way, I can say the same about myself. I am interested in interesting (funny pun - interested in interesting) topics that are little known to our reader, information on which does not require hard work. And so that there is a beautiful, visual visual series that pleasantly enlivens any dry text. There is no such thing - in front of you, dear, the Internet. And it contains dissertations, monographs, and articles in the journal "Soviet Archeology" - you go there!
This is nothing more than in a very generalized form (and we don’t need more in a popular essay!) A diagram of the typology of swords by Ewart Oakeshott, taken from the book by Thomas Laible “Sword. Great Illustrated Encyclopedia ". M .: Omega, 2011. S. 26. It is good because it allows you to very clearly imagine the evolution of European swords from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century.
The fact is that there is actually a lot of information on Russian swords.
Archaeologists have excavated 30 thousand kurgan complexes (!) And compiled a detailed card index of all the complexes in which armor and weapons of the 1300th – 120th centuries were discovered. And there are 40 burials and 7000 more settlements in it. Moreover, 500 domestic and some foreign museums have finds from them: in total, more than XNUMX items of weapons and military equipment of the XNUMXth - first half of the XNUMXth centuries, found during excavations in more than XNUMX settlements.
The weapons found on the territory of Russia are documented by at least 85–90%. In total, the same Kirpichnikov recorded artifacts and their fragments (now there are more): swords - 183, scramasaxes - 10, daggers - 5, sabers - 150, spearheads - 750, almost tips of sulits - 50, battle axes - 570 and about 1000 workers, maces (and six-fighters) - 100, 130 flails, thousands of arrowheads and about 50 crossbow bolts. And also parts of complex bows, quivers and other accessories for a bow or crossbow. Of the armor, 37 helmets, 112 chain mail, separate parts of 26 plate and scale armor (270 elements in total) are cataloged. And also bracers and knee pads. And 23 fragments from shields. Horse equipment: bit - 570, individual parts - 32 headbands (700 parts), horse mask, the remains of 31 saddles (130 parts), 430 stirrups, almost 590 spurs, 50 parts of whips.
Well, those interested can read about all this in the most detailed way in the following works:
Kirpichnikov A. N. "On the beginning of the production of swords in Russia" // Proceedings of the VI International Congress of Slavic Archeology. T.4., M., 1998.S. 246–251
Kirpichnikov A. N. "Old Russian weapons". Issue 1. Swords and sabers of the 1th – 36th centuries (SAI. Issue E1966–XNUMX), M.–L., XNUMX
Kirpichnikov A. N. The most ancient Russian signature sword // Soviet archeology, 1965, no. 3.
There are interesting dissertations, and not Soviet times, but today:
"History of research of the technology of production of weapons in Medieval Russia" - thesis and abstract of the HAC RF 07.00.10, Candidate of Historical Sciences Petrakov, Timur Valerievich, Moscow, 2016
"The development of weapons in Russia in the X - early XVI century: main trends and features" - thesis and abstract on the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation 07.00.02, Candidate of Historical Sciences Grubin, Ilya Valentinovich, Moscow, 2008.
So it is not necessary, flaunting your own ignorance, to write that "no one writes." You ... With the Internet you need work and you will be happy! Moreover, all this is in Russian. I can agree that working with foreign-language websites of museums, libraries and universities is much more difficult.
"Viking sword". Dating of the British Royal Arsenal 875-1030. Moreover, the sword is for children, and the surviving medieval European children's swords are very rare. This artifact, possibly the earliest known, was found in the Seine River near Rouen. It may have belonged to one of the descendants of the Vikings, perhaps one of the Normans who controlled the city in 911. At that time, boys of noble birth were encouraged to play with swords. Nine-year-old Henry VI received eight swords at once in 1430, "some more and less to teach the king to play at his tender age." But it wasn't just the game. Edward III was 14 when he fought the Scots in 1327, while Edward, the "Black Prince", "won his spurs" at the Battle of Crecy in 1346 at the age of 16. And it wasn't just boys: Joan of Arc fought and was wounded in Orleans in 1429 at the age of about 17. Children's weapons are difficult to identify with certainty, but the short blade and, most importantly, the hilt make this sword just such an item.
Swords in the mounds of the XI-XII centuries. found rarely. Kirpichnikov explains this by the fact that not a sword, but a spear and an ax were the main weapons of battle. In doing so, he refers to sources such as miniatures and chronicles. And to this it is impossible to add anything new. In total, seven swords were found in the burials, some were found by chance, and most of them were found during excavations of southern Russian cities that perished during the Mongol invasion (for example, only in Kiev, 8-9 swords were found). This means that this weapon belongs to the XIII century.
In addition, the finds show that swords of all types were known in Russia, which were used at that time in Western Europe, and swords with a disc-shaped pommel prevailed. The sword in the burial is also rare because of the Christian burial rite. Only pagans endow the dead with household items. As for the photographs of all these, then ... on them we can mainly see rusty scrap metal, which is not at all interesting to a layman.
Such is the "fundamental" entry turned out.
And now it makes sense to talk about the typology of Ewart Oakeshott and its reflection in medieval miniatures. The most interesting thing is that by profession he was not a historian, but an amateur and amateur. But he began to collect and study medieval swords and succeeded in this business. Became a specialist! He published many articles and three monographs, which became the foundation for all subsequent work in this area. But most importantly, he created a typology of swords, which is based on the features of the shape of the blade and its proportions, that is, on the ratio of the size of the blade and the handle. It is clear that it is quite complex scientifically. It has its own "formula", types, subtypes and families. But in general, it is quite simple: swords from 1050 to 1350 are for cutting, swords from 1350 to 1550 are for thrusting. The first are against chain mail. The second are against lat. At different times, the blades differed in their cross-section, and the handles - in the length and shape of the pommel. And… that's it!
Sword 1000-1200 Royal Arsenal. The blade is straight, double-edged, with a wide fuller on each edge, extending from the handle almost to the point. Crosshair made of square bars; the shank tapers to a heavy hive-shaped pommel. The sword is highly corroded and is obviously a dug item. Dimensions: length: 965 mm, blade length: 805 mm. Weight: 1275 g. For details see: E. Oakeshott, Archeology of Weapons, reprint 1st ed. 1960 [with additions, including tables], Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 1994, pp. 34.
Now let's turn to miniatures from medieval manuscripts. And let's see what they can tell us?
Here is a miniature from the famous Stuttgart Psalter. On it are warriors with swords very similar to ... the swords of the Vikings, although we have typical Franks in front of us. And the thing is that, although such swords are called "by the people" "the swords of the Vikings," they appeared in the Frankish empire during the Carolingian era. It's just that these swords in Christian France of the VIII century disappeared from the funeral inventory, but the bulk of Frankish-made blades of this time was found in the pagan burials of the Viking age in Scandinavia. But in continental Europe, these are accidental finds mainly in river beds. E. Oakeshott classifies them as "type X", although their pommels, of course, could be different.
Miniature from the Stuttgard Psalter, dated to 801–850. Paris, France. State Library of Württemberg
Under Charlemagne, the price of such a sword (traditionally called "spata" or "long sword"), together with the scabbard, cost seven solidi (today about 1300 US dollars). That is, it was a relatively expensive weapon, although not as exclusive as in the days of the Merovingians. Charlemagne pointed out in his capitularies that as soon as a man could keep a war horse, then he should also have armor and a sword. That is, by the end of the XNUMXth century, the sword became a rider's weapon along with a spear.
"David kills Goliath." Here, the sword is clearly visible, and how the scabbard was arranged and how it was worn. Miniature from the Stuttgard Psalter, dated to 801–850. Paris, France. State Library of Württemberg
Many swords of the 90th century, belonging to the "type X", were issued with an inscription on the blade "Ulfbert". Typically, these swords are 77 cm long. The blade is about 1,3 cm long and weighs about XNUMX kg.
This picture is from the Lamentation of Jeremiah manuscript 1150–1200. Austria, also represented by the sword "type X". But he is already clearly a transitional form to later swords. And most importantly, note that the author of the miniature painted inscriptions on the blades. They were very popular at the time. Walters Museum of Art, Baltimore, Maryland Headquarters, USA
The iconic miniature "Killing of Babies" from the "Psalter of Ingeborg", 1195. North of France. Here is the "type Ha" sword. Condé Museum, located in the Chantilly castle in the commune of Chantilly (Oise department), 40 kilometers north of Paris
The "Ha" swords became longer, the valleys were narrower, and they were made from the 112th to the 1,4th century. Some swords are very long (you can see it in the miniature too!) And reach a length of XNUMX cm. Weight is about XNUMX kg. According to Oakeshott, it is a sword of the transition period from the Viking Age to the "knightly sword".
We now turn to the classics of images of the medieval war of the XIII century - "The Bible of the Crusader", it is the "Bible of Saint Louis" (or as they used to say: "Holy Father") or "The Bible of Matsievsky". Apparently, the author of the miniatures was a warrior himself, knew military affairs in detail and did his best. He even painted the wounds on the horses' sides, caused by spurs, and even then he painted all the weapons and armor in his miniatures and could not count. Moreover, there are very original copies. However, our main thing today is swords. And here they are in front of us in the illustrations from this manuscript ...
This miniature shows a "Type XI" sword. The sword's effectiveness is, of course, amazing. Chain mail is cut by them only in this way ... "The Bible of Matsievsky", 1224–1254. Paris, France. Pierpont Morgan Library
Oakeshott's XI blade is 85–95 cm long and has a distinct edge. It belongs mainly to the XNUMXth century. But ... "the main one." That is, if not "main", then they could be applied later.
This miniature (the leftmost figure) shows "type XIa". As you can see, it is somewhat lighter and shorter. Has narrower valleys. The blades themselves are shorter but wider. "The Bible of Matsievsky", 1224-1254 Paris, France. Pierpont Morgan Library
Sword 1250-1300 "Type XII", middle of the XIII century. The handle of this sword has a small disc-shaped copper alloy pommel. The crosshair, also of copper alloy, has cracked bell ends. Both the inner and outer edges of the ends of the cross are decorated with curls and reliefs. The short, double-edged blade ends in a sharp point. Sword length: 806 mm, blade length 658 mm. Weight 730 g. Royal arsenal. Leeds
Let us emphasize that all these swords are chopping. Departure from this destination would start with Type XII.
But we will tell about them and all that followed next time.
To be continued ...
Information