Blade Notches. Swords of Europe from 410 to 1066 AD.
Merovingian sword, 6th century. Blade length 81,9 cm, width 5,9 cm, weight 510 g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
"And when the battle had lasted for some time, a man appeared on the field wearing a pulled-down hat and a blue cloak; he was blind in one eye, and he held a spear in his hand. This man advanced toward King Sigmund and swung his spear at him. And when King Sigmund struck with all his might, the sword collided with the spear and broke in two."
Saga of the Volsungs, chapter 11
Saga of the Volsungs, chapter 11
History weapons. In the previous articles in this series, we delved into the history of Rome. We became acquainted with its swords, its heyday, and its decline. Before we continue our story about swords from the "post-Roman" era, it should be noted that, having achieved its greatest economic growth in the first centuries of the new millennium, Roman civilization created achievements that, having disappeared with it, only returned to Europe in the 19th century. Water supply and sewerage systems, paved roads and state-owned factories, public libraries and theaters, multi-story apartment buildings, and concrete—these are just a small part of these achievements.
A very interesting sword from Murom with an iron blade and a bronze hilt. Gorodets culture. 1st millennium CE. State Historical Museum, Moscow
And it's imperative to note that the existence of such a vast empire, spanning three continents, would have been simply impossible without a powerful army, equipped with the most advanced technology and weaponry of its time, and mastering the most sophisticated combat tactics. It was they, the virtually undefeated Roman legions, centuries, and cohorts, who brought civilization and Roman order to the most remote corners of Africa, Europe, and Asia. And it was they—the legionaries and engineers of the Roman army—who paved roads, built cities, bridges, and aqueducts, many of which stand to this day.
But what then destroyed such a powerful empire, unparalleled in the world? Alas, like all great states that have vanished from the map, the Roman Empire destroyed itself. As long as the privileges of Roman citizenship were inextricably linked to the obligation to serve society, and responsibility was proportionate to one's position in the hierarchy, Rome was virtually invincible. But once the Romans sank into laziness and luxury, their ruling class lost initiative and valor, and citizenship became wages for mercenaries—that's when external enemies dealt with the once-invincible empire, and very quickly.
How did all this affect such an important weapon for warriors of that time as the sword? Most significantly! The Roman spatha sword became a model weapon to be emulated. However, the Great Migration, which began in Europe in the final centuries of the Roman Empire*, also influenced the armament of warriors throughout the post-Roman world.
The Sarmatians brought their long, slashing swords with them to Europe, and they were greatly appreciated by all horse-breeding and horse-riding peoples. The shorter spatha was more convenient, but required at least some training and the appropriate skills of warriors. The long, heavy sword, however, allowed for the dispatch of an enemy with a single, powerful blow, and for this reason, it appealed to many barbarian tribes migrating into Western Europe at that time.
There aren't many finds of spatha-type swords in the lands of the former Roman Empire, not to mention their poor preservation. Why? Because of Christian burial rites, which did not include any weapons in the grave. Incidentally, Frankish swords from the "lazy" Merovingian era** were still very similar to the Roman spatha, although they had become longer than their original counterparts.
At first, there were almost no differences between Germanic and Roman weaponry. But in the fourth and fifth centuries, examples of the Germanic spatha appeared, which later transformed into what we now call the "Viking sword." The Germanic spatha was approximately 90 cm long, of which the blade accounted for 75 cm, with a width of five to six cm. The crossguard and pommel formed two horizontal bars, with the crossguard itself being very short. Such a sword could only be held with one hand, firmly clasped between these bars.
An exceptionally iconic and famous sword from the Sutton Hoo burial. Original appearance. British Museum, London.
In Anglo-Saxon England, these very swords were found, primarily in rivers and in chieftains' graves. Almost all of them date to between 400 and 700 CE and have gilded hilts set with precious stones, a clear indication of their high status. However, according to Ewart Oshott, the true value of these swords lay in their blades, which were beautiful and apparently very durable, due to the technique of pattern welding, which became widespread during this period.
And here's the same one, but a replica made by Czech blacksmith Patrik Barta. Length: 89 cm, weight: 1020 grams.
These swords had a double-edged, flat blade with an equally flat tang. Early swords lacked a crossguard and consisted only of a pommel, hilt, and blade. Beginning in the Middle Saxon period, most swords acquired a fairly deep fuller on each side of the blade and along its entire length. Many had two, three, or even four fullers. Almost all blades were forge-welded, but the handles, especially the pommels, varied greatly, which was used to date and classify Saxon swords. It was also during this period that smiths' names or marks began to appear on blades for the first time.
In the sixth century, swords with a ring on the pommel appeared in England. One possible explanation for this design is that the two objects commonly used for swearing oaths at the time—a ring and a sword—were combined into one, making swearing on a sword more convenient. Another theory is that the ring was placed on the hilt as a memento, but there is no clear evidence for this.
Sword hilts with rings. Trondheim Art Museum***
Around the ninth century, the availability of higher-quality ores made blade forging easier, so late Saxon blades lost their ornate designs. Many swords tapered from the hilt to the tip, rather than being parallel for most of their length as before. These swords, like their predecessors, were used primarily for cutting, but they could also be used for thrusting.
The hilt and pommel of one of the many Viking swords. Trondheim Art Museum
Viking swords are somewhat longer and heavier than Germanic swords. They also differ in the design of their hilts. Back in 1919, historian Jan Petersen, based on numerous finds, created a very good typology of Viking swords, identifying as many as 26 types of hilts. Subsequently, R. Wheeler, E. Oakeshott, and several other researchers further developed their typologies. The most important thing, however, is that the Vikings had two basic types of swords: single-edged, like a long kitchen knife, and double-edged. Knife-swords lack a fuller and are longer than double-edged swords, their contemporaries. However, it's clear why double-edged swords outperformed them: the blade could always be turned in the hand if one edge became dull!
Jan Petersen's Typology of Viking Swords
If we examine Western European swords by period, we can construct the following evolutionary sequence: swords of the 7th–8th centuries; swords from 750–900; swords from the late 8th–late 10th centuries; swords from 950–1050; and swords from the mid-10th–late 11th centuries, the very ones we see on the famous Bayeux Embroidery. Moreover, examining these swords, experts have determined that swords became better balanced starting around 900, meaning they became more suitable for both cutting and thrusting.
Viking sword with silver inlay. Reichsstadtmuseum Rothenburg, Germany
A close-up of its handle...
And here we return again to the topic of blade nicks... The idea that they can be found, as it turns out, is based on duels shown in movies! In real sword fights, swordsmen tried at all costs to avoid blade-to-blade strikes, as this could easily damage the sword.
Fighters parried blows either with their shield or with the flat, underside, and strongest side of the blade! This is constantly emphasized in all medieval fencing manuals. The sword was only used to parry blows when the shield was too damaged to protect its wielder. Even then, care was taken to expose only the flat side of one's sword to the opponent's sword, as direct contact between the edges could cause serious damage to the blades.
Viking sword hilt, 800–900 CE. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
A richly decorated Viking sword hilt. Historical Museum, Oslo
Viking sword with the inscription "Ulfberht." National Museum in Nuremberg
It's very easy to verify this, though it does cost a bit of money. Buy two straight razors and... do a little fencing with them, striking blades together. Interestingly, as a child, I did just that, fortunately for my grandfather, who had plenty of such razors. And very quickly, both my razors became completely useless! But back then, I didn't know much and continued to be amazed by what I saw in the movies, although the thought constantly swirled in my head: "How could this be?!" Incidentally, this is precisely why Japanese samurai never struck blades together, preferring to deflect blows with the side of their blades!
Viking sword. Valchow Museum, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Viking sword, 10th century. Found near New Orleans, France. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Viking sword, 9th–10th centuries. Found in Denmark. Reichsstadtmuseum Rothenburg, Germany
There's no doubt that the swords of those same Vikings were razor-sharp. There's a description, for example, of a duel between a certain Egil and Ljot. In this fight, Egil struck his opponent under the knee and... severed his leg. Ljot fell and died instantly! Exactly the same blow ended the life of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. An arrow in his eye didn't kill him, and if the chronicles are to be believed, Duke Guillaume (or William, or Wilhelm in our pre-revolutionary transcription) himself finished him off with his sword.
The Sword of Mammen. Jutland, Denmark. National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen
So, all the claims that swords without notches found in burials, including those in our country, are almost ritualistic in nature and are merely symbolic, status weapons, are worth little...
"The Sword of Langeide." Museum of Cultural History, Oslo
A close-up photograph of the pommel of the "Langeide Sword." Gold wire inlays form the central line of each symbol. The gold is framed by copper wire, which has now turned black. All the intervening surfaces were filled with silver wire inlays. A hand holding a cross is visible at the top. Museum of Cultural History, Oslo
* The Great Migration began in 375 with the invasion of the Huns, who defeated the Ostrogoths and set off a chain of mass tribal migrations. It is difficult to pinpoint a single end date, as it was a protracted process. The most common date given for the end of the Great Migration is 568—the year of the Lombard invasion of Italy. Sometimes the seventh century is cited as the end point, associated with the Slavic settlement of the Balkans.
** The Merovingian dynasty received two nicknames: "long-haired kings" and "lazy kings".
*** This museum houses one of Norway's richest collections of such artifacts: of the approximately three thousand swords found in the country, more than 700 come from Trondheim.
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