Even the big hand-and-a-half ‘war’ swords rarely weigh more than 4.5 lbs. As leading sword expert Ewart Oakeshott unequivocally stated: “Medieval Swords are neither unwieldably heavy nor all alike – the average weight of any one of normal size is between 2.5 lb. Indeed, the majority of specimens, from arming swords to two-handers to rapiers, weigh much less than three pounds.ĭespite frequent claims to the contrary, Medieval swords were indeed light, manageable, and on average weighed less than four pounds. For example, the lengthy catalog of swords from the famed Wallace Collection Museum in London readily lists dozens of fine specimens among which it is difficult to find any weighing in excess of 4 pounds. However, there are a few respected sources that do give some valuable statistics. Perhaps this vacuum of documented evidence is part of the very problem surrounding the issue. Remarkably, while one would think a crucial piece of information as the weight of swords would be of great interest to arms curators and arms historians, there is no major reference book that actually lists the weights of different types. There is only so many ways we can repeat how these weapons were not at all heavy or ungainly. “From ordinary hands-on experience we know full well that swords were not excessively heavy nor did they weigh 10 or 15 pounds and more. Among these, the lance rest, an object protruding from the proper right side of many breastplates, probably holds first place.” In other instances, certain technical details that escape an obvious explanation have become the focus of lurid and fantastically imaginative attempts to explain their original function. “Perhaps the most infamous example is the notion that “knights had to be hoisted into their saddles with a crane,” which is as absurd as it is persistent even among many historians. I have a children’s book that actually claims that a knight had to be helped onto his horse by two servants and a ladder. sword through his midsection to kill him), and thirdly, that in the late middle ages, the plate armor knights used specifically for jousting WERE heavier than normal so they could survive a straight shot to the chest from a lance. One reason for the confusion comes from the fact that ornamental swords and armor that remain to us often ARE heavier than ones used in battle, secondly, the sport of ‘fencing’ has greatly confused people as to what sword fighting really entailed (the purpose of fencing is to poke your opponent with the tip the purpose of sword fighting is to get your opponent on the ground and shove your 2 lb. Why would they be wielding 20 pound swords and wearing armor so heavy if they fell of their horse, they’d find themselves as helpless as upturned turtles? These people’s LIVES depended on their agility and ability to survive a fight. That medieval swords and armor were ‘heavy’ is one of the strangest misconceptions of medieval life.
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