Medieval French Knight Sword, brass

The sword was generally the preferred weapon of medieval knights for combat. Its owners liked to personalize it - some even received names -, and it was considered both a weapon and a symbol - the blade and the hilt are cross-shaped.

The most common sword was the so-called bastard sword or 'hand and a half', straight and with a double edge, whose length oscillated between 100 and 120 cm, and weighed between 1,200 and 2,000 grams, which allowed agile handling in the field of battle. battle.

Other larger swords were the so-called longsword, upright, mandoble or broadsword, which could measure two meters or more and weigh up to four kilos. They were designed to be used with both hands and the forcefulness of their blows caused terrible damage, although their use and transport were complicated and made them unwieldy.

The Middle Ages is the historical period of Western civilization, between the 5th and 15th centuries. Conventionally, its beginning is in the year 476, with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and its end in 1492, with the discovery of America. The sword was the most personal weapon in this period, the most prestigious and the most versatile in hand-to-hand combat.

Medieval knights were very important characters during this time. His weapons practices included skills in handling the sword with both hands, the axe, the mace, the dagger and the spear. A knight was expected to be a castle guard and support for his liege lord in wars.