Robert P. Swart

The sword was a very important weapon during medieval times. The sword, however, was not the weapon of choice for all fighters. Usually a knight and a nobleman used a sword more often than the common man did. This was not due to the cost of the weapon itself but due to the level of skill necessary to use a sword effectively.

A knight began training at a very early age. A boy usually began his training at the age of 12. This and the other training necessary to be a knight could take six or more years. It was not possible for a common man to have this training available. Using a sword effectively took a combination of brains and brawn. A knight used the sword as his primary hand-to-hand combat weapon.

During the Crusades the sword was a primary close combat weapon. The sword’s blade was usually 25-30 inches in length and was also used in one hand as a cut-and-thrust weapon (Edge & Paddock 47). A one-handed sword, rather than a two-handed sword that could easily cause more damage, was preferred because it allowed the swordsman to also use a shield of some type to defend himself from archers and other swordsmen.

The sword was used to inflict damage upon on enemy in a specific manner. The job of a sword was to crack armor that was too thick for an arrow to pierce (Encarta, Fencing). Killing an enemy or forcing him to give up his sword were two obvious signs of defeat.

Works Cited

 Edge, David and John Miles Paddock. Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight. Avenal, NJ: Crescent Books, 1988.

"Fencing." Microsoft Encarta 97. CD -ROM. 1997 ed.