Broadsword - chopping and piercing boarding melee weapons with a straight and long blade. The broadsword can have both double-sided, one-sided and one-and-a-half sharpening. The length of the broadsword blade is up to 85 cm.

The broadsword, like the rapier, is a further development of the medieval sword. Some swords of the late XV - early XVI centuries, for one reason or another, can be called broadswords, first of all, this concerns the presence of a developed guard, consisting of intertwined rings and bows, which later develop into a recognizable basket guard of Scottish and English broadswords and the Italian schiavona.


The very word broadsword came to us from Turkish, where the word pala is translated as a sword or dagger. IN different countries ah Europe, the weapon that we are used to identifying as a broadsword is called completely differently. In England it is a broadsword - a basket sword, in Italy it is a spada schiavona - a Slavic sword, and in the German countries in the period from the 16th to the 19th century, it had several names at once:

Between the 16th and 17th centuries. - reiterschwert - rider's sword;
In the XVIII - XIX centuries, depending on the type of troops in which it was used - kurassierdegen, dragonerdegen, kavalleriedegen - a cuirassier sword, a dragoon sword and just a cavalry sword;
Thus, we need to indicate which weapon we will consider as a broadsword, i.e. give it a definition.

A broadsword is a chopping-piercing long-bladed weapon with a wide two- or single-edged blade and a developed guard, most often in the form of a wicker basket. The blade of the broadsword is much broader and heavier than that of the rapier or later sword.


Like any sword, the broadsword is divided into two main parts - the blade and the hilt. The most interesting and complex in structure is the broadsword hilt, equipped with a basket guard. For all hilts of this type, it is possible to single out common details inherent in all of them: 1. Top; 2. Rear killon cross; 3. Cross; 4. Guard rings protruding below the cross (found only on early broadswords, Scottish broadswords and schiavon); 5. Front killon of the cross. The blade is conditionally divided into three parts: 6. Strong part of the blade; 7. The middle part of the blade. 8. The weak part of the blade and the tip.


Early forms of broadsword with a basket guard appeared in the 16th century. Unlike other guards of that period, the arches and rings developed here into a lattice basket, completely covering the hand. Already here it becomes clear that the shape of the guard has changed from a typical, round, rapier to a more flattened one. In the old Swedish inventories, this weapon is displayed as a "basket hilt in the form of a horse's muzzle"


Despite the basket guard, these early broadswords are very similar to other forms of the sword that existed at that time - they all have quite long parrying crossguards, and on some handles there is a characteristic division into two parts inherent in bastard swords.

Since the 17th century, broadswords with a basket guard can be divided into three different groups. One of them is general, and the other two are regional groups of the Venetian schiavona and the Scottish broadsword. The most famous representative general group are the Walloon broadsword (Wallon sword) and the dead sword (English mortuary sword), known on the continent as haudegen - haudegen (in some sources it is defined as a combat sword).


The Walloon broadsword was widely used in the countries of central and northern Europe, and probably became the main prototype for the further development of the combat statutory cavalry edged weapons. It can be easily distinguished from other broadswords with basket hilts by several characteristic features - the guard has a wide two-piece front shield (less often one-piece), connected to the pommel with side protective arms. The rear killon of the cross is bent down to the point, at the end it has an extension of a spherical shape. The front killon passes into the front protective bow, connected to the pommel, which in almost all Walloon broadswords has a spherical shape.


Most Haudegen blades have only one blade. There is absolutely no crosspiece on the hilt, and the basket is pronounced and equipped with a protective shield. These broadswords were especially common in England in the 17th century, during the civil war. Many basket guards bear decorations reminiscent of the beheading of King Charles I. For this reason, later, the name “deceased sword” was attached to the English Haudegen, which is still used in international terminology.


Apparently the most famous representative regional group, is a Scottish broadsword. It is also often, erroneously, called a claymore. Various options This weapon quickly spread throughout England and Ireland.

The history of the Scottish broadsword is inextricably linked with the military conflicts that took place in Scotland in the 18th century, between regular English troops and Scottish mountain clans.


It is noteworthy that many Scottish broadswords have a red lining inside the guard. The blades of these broadswords are usually very wide, long and double-edged.


The Schiavona was even less geographically distributed than the Scottish broadsword, since it was found only in Venice. Initially, the word gli schiavoni referred to the swords that were armed with the Doge's guard, later they began to call all swords with a basket-hilt in the Venetian style.

Different instances of schiavone differ significantly from each other in terms of quality and complexity of finishing: some are very simple and functional, while others are decorated with excellent chasing and brass inlay.


IN late XVI In the 1st century, in all European armies, statutory weapons began to form, characteristic of each type of troops. The broadsword becomes a specific weapon of the heavy cavalry - the cuirassier and dragoons. By the beginning of the 19th century, the armies of different countries were armed with several types of broadswords - guards cuirassier broadswords, army cuirassier broadswords, dragoon broadswords, etc. All of them, as a rule, are heavy single-edged blades, with a well-defined point, designed for a powerful thrusting blow.


Such broadswords were made in mass quantities in all major European centers for the production of edged weapons. The appearance and characteristics were clearly regulated by the charter, so that it has come down to our days great amount examples of such weapons. In view of this, at the word broadsword, it is the cuirassier broadsword of the 19th century that floats before the eyes of many.

By the second half of the 19th century, in all cavalry units of most countries, the broadsword was replaced by the saber, perhaps with the exception of the Life Guards, where it has survived to this day.


As a mass model of armament, manufactured in a factory way, the broadsword established itself in Russia under Peter I, when creating dragoon regiments in the first quarter of the 18th century. Broadswords were made not only in Russia, in the city of Zlatoust, but also imported from abroad, mainly from the German city of Solingen. Since the 1730s, broadswords have become the weapons of cuirassier regiments. The dragoons were armed with broadswords until 1817, for some time they were armed with horse artillery.


By the middle of the 18th century, the Russian broadsword gradually becomes single-edged with a butt. The scabbards of Russian broadswords of that time were leather or wooden, covered with leather. Since 1810, the sheath of the broadsword becomes only metal, with the exception of the leather sheaths of the marine broadsword of the 1856 model.


In the 18th century, army and guards, soldier and officer, cuirassier, dragoon and carabinieri broadswords were distinguished in the Russian army; common to them was a wide, long and heavy blade, and they differed in the shape of the hilt and scabbard. The hilt was covered with various combinations of curved arms, lattices, guard guards, at its base there was a cup, flat or curved, sometimes from two oval plates. The heads on the handle were round, flattened or in the form of an eagle or lion's head. The scabbard was covered with leather, set into wide metal clips or bound with metal with figured slots and a comb at the end. In the 19th century, hilts were simplified and unified, and metal scabbards also became simpler.


The blades of Russian broadswords from the first decade of the 19th century were only single-edged. In the first third of the 19th century, various types of broadswords were unified: the dragoon model of 1806, the cuirassier model of 1810, and the cuirassier model of 1826 that replaced it. Broadswords were in service with cuirassiers until they were reorganized into dragoons in 1882, after which broadswords remained only in some military units as a parade weapon.






It is rather difficult to answer the question of when the broadsword was “born”. The weapon, by all indications resembling a broadsword, existed among the Turkic peoples as early as the 6th century, except that it did not have a hilt of a complex design, and by the 7th century it was replaced by a saber. The next time the broadsword appeared on the battlefields at the end of the 16th century in Britain.

The main difference between a broadsword and a sword is a more massive and wide blade. The broadsword differs from the classic sword in the presence of a complex closed hilt with a cup and protective arms, and also (for later models after the beginning of the 19th century) in one-sided sharpening of the blade. The difference from a saber is a straight blade with excellent thrusting characteristics. The broadsword combines the advantages of a saber and a sword, is suitable for both stabbing and cutting and cutting, often has a serious protection of the hand when fencing.

A characteristic difference British broadswords had a "basket" type guard with big amount weaves, sometimes even trimmed from the inside with leather or red velvet. Schiavona appeared in Italy - a weapon with a double-edged blade about 90 cm long and 4 cm wide, which became the main weapon of the cuirassiers. Later, in general, all "basket swords", made in the Venetian style, began to be called schiavona - they were used in tandem with a shield. The origin of the Western European broadsword (then called the "Walloon sword") is due to the evolution of the heavy cavalry saddle sword, so it can be considered a relative of swords. A single-blade weapon had serious advantages in equestrian combat compared to a sword, due to its lower weight and, in general, the broadsword was simpler and cheaper to manufacture.

In Russia, the broadsword appeared only at the end of the 17th century during the reign of Peter I, where it was brought by subjects of other states who entered the officer service in the Russian army. Until the 19th century, the Russian army was armed with general army broadswords, for the guards, horse-artillery, officer and soldier, dragoon broadswords, cuirassiers and carabinieri. All these subspecies of the broadsword differed from each other in the shape of the hilt and scabbard, and the blade was unchanged everywhere. IN late XIX For centuries, the broadsword remains in service only as a parade weapon.

There is also a marine modification that took root in the middle of the 19th century both in the Russian fleet and among midshipmen - a naval broadsword, which was a favorite weapon of sailors who preferred an elegant and reliable weapon. The marine boarding broadsword differed from the classic land cavalry models in smaller sizes, had a leather (rather than metal) scabbard and could have a slight bend in the blade, and the guard of the older brother " cutting saber"was made in the form of a shell (such boarding broadswords were called "scallops" in the 16th-19th centuries).

In an ongoing competition? Yes? Than good! By the way, let me remind you that very soon the first issue will take place!
In today's article, we will talk about piercing and cutting melee weapons, entitled - sword, which left a significant and bright mark on the whole.
I’ll start right away with the fact that in some classifications the broadsword is classified as a dagger - this is not entirely correct. In fact, a bladed weapon called a broadsword is a bladed cold weapon of a chopping-piercing type of action, something between a sword and a saber.

How did the broadsword appear and spread?

The appearance of the broadsword dates back to the sixteenth century, when the Hungarian hussars began to use it as additional weapon to the saber. Here we see a similarity in use with, which was also considered an additional melee weapon. The broadsword at that time was attached to the saddle and had a slightly curved handle similar to a saber. In fact, the broadsword is much older. Starting from the eleventh century, similar straight one-sided sharpened swords were found in different corners Europe. And if we consider the cavalry units of the Khazars, then the broadsword was used even earlier. In general, the broadsword used in Western Europe, was the result of the development and improvement heavy saddle sword . And his first samples had the name - Walloon sword .

The end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth centuries is the time of the spread in Europe of regular units of heavy cavalry - cuirassiers, which got their name because of the metal breastplates - cuirass. It was these heavy cavalry units that fell in love with the broadsword more than the rest. Cuirassiers used sword up to the nineteenth century. Indeed, this edged weapon fully justified itself in the fight against knightly armor and other protective uniforms.
By the end of the sixteenth century in Scotland, and then throughout Great Britain, a type of broadsword began to spread, called - Scottish broadsword . Often this kind of broadsword is called claymore, But it's not right. This is a topic for a separate article, but I will only say what distinguished this type of broadsword. This is a wide blade, light weight and a very developed guard. In addition, Scottish broadswords were usually used in conjunction with small round shields.
Has spread broadsword and in the navy. True, one of its varieties was also used there, with a guard in the form of a shell and having the name scallop. The naval broadsword was mainly a boarding weapon with a wide and straight blade, with one-sided or one-and-a-half sharpening. The main difference was the use of leather scabbards instead of classic metal or wooden scabbards. As well as the length of the weapon up to eighty centimeters, with a blade width of up to four centimeters. Almost until the eighteenth century, broadsword blades were made double-edged, and only at the beginning of the nineteenth century did the broadsword take its final form, with a single-edged wide blade and a blunt butt.

The broadsword and its varieties are widely used not only in Western Europe, but also in the Caucasus, Central Asia, India and Russia. In each region, broadswords differed slightly, but mainly it concerned the material and shape of the blade. The main design features remained classic.

Features of the design of the broadsword.

So anyway, what is a broadsword? The answer to this question can be found in . True, this definition turns out to be quite broad. Judge for yourself: « — contact blade cutting and stabbing weapon with a long straight single-edged blade". That is, the type of hilt is not taken into account at all. Although this is a very arbitrary definition, modern world it is this broad definition of broadsword that is used.
If we slightly refine the definition that we are offered to use State standard, we get something like this:

— this is a piercing-cutting edged weapon, combining the properties of a sword and a saber, having a wide single-edged blade (less often one and a half or double-edged sharpening), as well as a complex hilt.

Blade broadsword had a length of six hundred to nine hundred millimeters. The width of the blade varied depending on the type of broadsword, but in general it was at least four centimeters. home distinguishing feature broadsword is a "low" balance. This made it very convenient for delivering a powerful stabbing blow. True, in order to achieve a good chopping blow, the broadsword had an increased weight, which reached one and a half kilograms. The broadsword is distinguished from the sword, just by the developed hilt, the guard of which includes both protective bows and a bowl.
And yet, the broadsword was more perfect for stabbing than chopping. This is confirmed by many studies and opinions in this area.
Unfortunately, by the end of the nineteenth century, the broadsword became practically unnecessary. Development of the rifled firearms forced to give up plate armor, and at the same time from many varieties of stabbing edged weapons. The broadsword remained in use for some time as a ceremonial weapon, and checkers began to be used for close combat.

Broadsword in Russia

The broadsword reached Russia along with hired foreign officers, starting approximately from the end of the seventeenth century. The earliest Russian broadsword available today is broadsword of Prince Shuisky M.V., dating from 1647 and located in the Moscow State Historical Museum. Its hilt has a look characteristic of early Russian broadswords. It is inclined, adapted for cutting from a horse, with a crosspiece lowered to the blades. The blade is double-edged, also characteristic of the early broadsword. The total length is ninety-nine centimeters, and the length and width of the blade are eighty-six and 4.3 centimeters, respectively. This broadsword is trimmed with silver, and its scabbard is covered with velvet.

Mass distribution in Russia, the broadsword received at the time Peter the Great. First, they became the armament of the dragoon regiments, and then the cuirassiers. Dragoons used broadswords until 1817. At one time, horse artillery was even armed with them. Broadswords received the main distribution, of course, in heavy cavalry.
Only by the middle of the eighteenth century did the Russian broadsword acquire a single-edged blade and a butt, and the sheath began to be made only from metal, instead of wood. Under Catherine the Great, broadswords were engraved with her initials.

In the eighteenth century, the division of broadswords by types of troops and status also appeared. So were, for example, army, guards, soldier and officer, dragoon and other broadswords. All of them were different various types handles, bowls and shields of the guard. They also began to make various heads on the handle, for example, different forms or the head of an animal.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, all this great variety of colorful broadswords began to be unified and simplified, thereby reducing the number of their varieties in the troops. This gave its positive results, but, unfortunately, only one fate awaited the broadsword. So by 1881, broadswords remained only in service with the dragoons, and after that, they remained at all, only as ceremonial edged weapons.
That's all for me. Those who wish, do not forget to subscribe to, and also join

Those old times When edged weapons reigned supreme on the battlefields, human thought, in search of new ways to destroy its own kind, created a broadsword - something between a sword and a saber. His straight, sometimes double-edged blade struck the enemy so effectively that for many centuries it was in the arsenals of most European and Asian states.

Artifacts from ancient graves

The earliest examples of broadswords were found in the burials of the Proto-Bulgarians, a people of Turkic origin who inhabited the steppes of South-Eastern Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries. Despite such a distant era, he had all the same characteristics which has been preserved up to the present day.

It was with a straight double-edged blade that reached a meter in length, a hilt designed to protect the hand, and a slightly curved handle. It is known that the Khazars, Avars, Alans and a number of other representatives of ancient peoples used the same or very similar broadswords at that time.

Broadswords in the hands of Asian warriors

similar in design and appearance bladed weapons were widespread in the countries of Eastern and Central Asia. In the XIII-XIV century, they were armed with the Tatar-Mongolian hordes, who made their bloody raids and kept in obedience a significant part of ancient Rus'. Their broadswords had a one-sided sharpening, which created a certain advantage for the warrior in equestrian combat due to the lower weight of the weapon. In addition, they were easier to manufacture, and, accordingly, cheaper.

Weapons of the peoples of the Caucasus

They were also widely used in the Caucasus and in the countries of the Middle East. common feature broadswords made by oriental gunsmiths had poor hand protection. The hilt did not yet have a complex design, which would be typical for Western European samples of a later period, and consisted, as a rule, only of a cross with an arc.

Among the broadswords with which the peoples of the Caucasus armed themselves, the so-called franguli are known. They were common among the Khevsurs, an ethnic group that inhabited the Khevsur Aragvi river basin and the upper reaches of the Argun. Their hilts and scabbards were bound with brass or iron plates and richly decorated with patterns in the national style. Broadswords were also widely used in Georgia. Their peculiarity was the handles, similar in appearance to those that at a later time could be seen with cavalry checkers.

Broadswords made by Indian craftsmen

A very popular weapon was the broadsword in India. Here his design had its own characteristics, the main of which was the shape of the blade. With a length of about eighty centimeters and one-sided sharpening, it was forged with some expansion towards the end, which had an oval shape. In addition, its peculiar difference was a powerful and reliably protecting hand hilt, which consisted of two bowls connected by a steel strip. This design was called kunda.

In the period related to the late Middle Ages, another type of broadswords called firangi appeared in India. Its originality consisted in the blade, which had a one-and-a-half sharpening, that is, sharpened to half on the back side, and a basket hilt, which had a sharp spike, which also served to defeat the enemy.

The first samples of Western European broadswords

In Western Europe, this type of weapon appeared relatively late - in the 16th century, but was immediately appreciated and widely used. In the forties, the Hungarian hussars began to use a broadsword as an addition to the traditional saber in those days.

The weapon was attached near the saddle and was used mainly for stabbing, which was very convenient due to the long blade. At the same time, the design of the handle, somewhat curved and resembling a saber, made it possible to deliver powerful chopping blows.

At the end of the 16th century, a tangible impetus for the further spread of broadswords was the appearance in Western Europe of regular units of heavy cavalry - cuirassiers. An indispensable element of their protective weapons was a metal breastplate - a cuirass, which reliably protected from saber strikes, but was vulnerable to a heavy and long blade, which was equipped with a specially designed type of weapon that went down in history as a cuirassier broadsword.

New Scottish gunsmiths

Around the same period, Scotland made its contribution to the creation of edged weapons. It was created, and subsequently became popular throughout the UK, the so-called Scottish broadsword. If his wide double-edged blade as a whole looked like those that were equipped with swords, then the guard - the part of the hilt that protects the warrior's hand, was something new.

She had quite big sizes and outwardly resembled a basket with a significant number of branches. Its inner surface was trimmed with leather or red velvet. In addition, the hilt was decorated with horsehair tassels. The Scottish broadsword was usually used in conjunction with a small round shield. This combination made it possible to conduct both defensive and offensive battles.

Walloon swords

Researchers believe that the Western European broadsword is a weapon resulting from the transformation of a previously existing heavy cavalry sword, which was called a saddle sword, since it was usually attached to the saddle. In this regard, broadswords were first called Walloon swords, after the name of the region of Belgium where this type of weapon was produced. Their characteristic feature was somewhat asymmetric hilts, which reliably protected the warrior's hand thanks to a bowl equipped with numerous arches and a transverse cross.

New times - new trends

In the XVII century, in the armies of most European states, a process of unification of weapons took place. At first, single regiments and squadrons were brought to a single standard, and then entire types of cavalry. Since that time, the broadsword, a weapon that was previously used by all cavalry without exception, became part of the arsenal of only dragoon and cuirassier units.

By the middle of the 18th century, the design of the blade had changed. The double-edged blade was replaced by a blade, sharpened only on one side and having a blunt butt. Only its shape and dimensions remained the same, at which it remained a fairly powerful and heavy weapon.

Weapons of boarding parties

For three centuries, from the 16th to the 19th century, the broadsword was used not only on land, but also at sea. It was an integral part of the armament of the boarding teams - those dashing cutthroats who, having dragged the side of the enemy ship with steel hooks, rushed into hand-to-hand combat. The boarding broadsword differed from its land counterpart, first of all, in that its guard was made in the form of a shell.

There were other differences as well. Its one-sided blade, which had a length of up to eighty centimeters and a width of about four centimeters, was devoid of fullers - longitudinal channels designed to reduce weight and give additional strength. In this regard, the marine broadsword was akin to the infantry, which had the same blade design feature.

Broadswords in the Russian army

In Russia, the broadsword appeared at the end of the 17th century. This was due to the large influx of military service foreign officers, who, as a rule, brought firearms and edged weapons with them. The photo that concludes the article presents several broadswords of that period, made in Moscow, but made according to foreign models. As you can see, they are characterized by a beveled handle, convenient for delivering chopping blows from a horse, as well as a cross, straight or having ends lowered to the blade.

In the first quarter of the 18th century, under Peter I, the Russian army was created everywhere as one of the most effective types of heavy cavalry. The main component of their armament was a broadsword - a weapon most suitable for this type of troops. The demand for it increased sharply, since, in addition to the dragoon units, horse-grenadier and carabinieri regiments were armed with it.

Production and import of broadswords

Since that time, they began to produce it by the factory method, while introducing a certain unification, but, in addition, a significant number of broadswords were delivered from abroad. In Western Europe, the main center of their production was the German city of Solingen, where by that time there were a number of enterprises specializing in the production of edged weapons.

Broadswords produced in Russia had a number of hallmarks. For example, items produced during the reign of Empress Catherine II were decorated with an engraving depicting a crown and its monogram - “E II”. The scabbard was leather or made of wood and covered with leather. This tradition continued until 1810, when, by order of Alexander I, they began to be made of metal. The only exception was the boarding broadsword, whose scabbard was still made of leather.

Broadsword as an independent species bladed weapons became most widespread in the first half of the 19th century. At that time, several of its varieties were in service with the Russian and most European armies. Among them, researchers stand out: guards cuirassier broadsword, army cuirassier, dragoon and, finally, infantry broadsword. Each of these species has its own characteristic features. Their common feature was the design of the blade, which became single-edged from the beginning of the 19th century.

A weapon that has become a museum piece

Today, broadswords can only be seen in the hands of warriors carrying an honor guard with a banner navy Russia. Scientific and technological progress has forced them out of modern arsenals. The same fate befell almost all edged weapons. The photos presented in this article are a kind of retrospective to a long-gone world, where cavalry lava attacked, raising dust, and formidable blades shot up to the sky glittered in the sun.

Broadswords, rapiers are a logical continuation of the development of medieval swords. In general, individual swords of the XV-XVI centuries, according to some characteristic features can be considered as broadswords. This is especially true for the presence of developed guards, which include interlaced rings and temples. In the future, this will develop into a basket guard, which has an English or Scottish broadsword, an Italian schiavona, an atyl - an Indian broadsword.

The term broadsword itself comes from the Turkish word pala, which can be translated as a sword or dagger. In European states, broadswords received a wide variety of names. So, the British had broadsword - basket swords, the Italians had spada schiavona - Slavic swords, and the Germans in different periods of the 16th-19th centuries had several names at the same time:

  • In the XVI-XVII centuries - reiterschwert - these were the swords of horsemen;
  • In the XVIII-XIX centuries, based on the appointment military units, in which they were used - kurassierdegen, dragonerdegen, kavalleriedegen - cuirassier swords, dragoon swords, as well as cavalry swords.

So, broadswords are a kind of chopping-piercing long-bladed weapons. They have wide double or single-edged blades and developed guards, usually in the form of wicker baskets. Broadsword blades are much wider and heavier than those of rapiers or later swords.

Broadsword design

Like all swords, broadswords have two main parts - the blade and the hilt. The most curious and structurally complex are broadsword hilts, equipped with basket guards. All hilts of these types stand out from the universal details inherent in all of them.

They consist of:

  • pommel;
  • Rear killon crosspieces;
  • Crosspieces;
  • Guard rings protruding below the crosses (they have only early weapons, such as the Scottish broadsword and schiavona);
  • Front killon crosspieces.

Blades were conditionally divided into three parts:

  • Strong parts of the blades;
  • The middle parts of the blades;
  • Weak parts of blades and points.

Broadswords with basket guards

Early broadsword configurations with basket guards arose in the 16th century. Unlike other guards of that time, the arcs with rings turned into lattice baskets that completely covered the hands. There are changes in the forms of guards from typical, round, rapier ones to more flattened ones. Old Swedish inventories defined these weapons as "basket hilts in the form of horse muzzles."

Despite the basket guards, these varieties of early broadswords are very similar to other forms of swords. In those days, they all had rather long parrying arches of the crosses. Some hilts had characteristic divisions into two parts, similar to bastard swords.

Since the 17th century, broadswords with basket guards have been divided into three different categories. One category can be called general, and the other two are regional, which includes: the Venetian schiavon and the Scottish broadsword. by the most well-known representatives the general category are Walloon broadswords (Walloon swords) and mortuary swords (from the English mortuary swords), known on the mainland as haudegen - haudegens (according to some sources they were defined as combat swords).

Walloon broadsword

Walloon broadswords received great popularity in the central and northern European states. Apparently, they became the main prototypes for the subsequent formation of combat statutory cavalry blades. They are easily distinguished from broadswords with basket hilts, and have characteristic features:

  • The guards have wide two-piece front shields connected to the pommel with the help of side protective arms;
  • The rear killons of the crosses are bent down to the points, at the ends they have extensions of spherical shapes;
  • The front killons pass into the front protective arms connected to the pommel, which in almost all Walloon broadswords have spherical shapes.

Deceased Sword

Most Haudegen blades have only one blade. There are no crosses on the hilts, and the baskets are pronounced and equipped with protective shields. This weapon was mainly distributed in England in the 17th century when it was Civil War. Many basket guards were decorated with pictures of the beheading of King Charles I. That is why the English Howdegens later became known as "deceased swords".

Scottish broadsword

Apparently the most famous regional representative is the Scottish broadsword. It is often mistakenly referred to as a claymore. The most diverse versions of it quickly spread throughout Britain.

The spread of the Scottish broadsword is associated with military clashes that often took place in Scotland in the 18th century. Regular English troops and Scottish highland clans fought.

It is striking that most Scottish broadswords have red linings inside the guards, and the blade, as a rule, is very wide, long with a double-edged blade.

Schiavona

Schiavons were less regionally distributed than Scottish broadswords. They met only in Venice. At first, the term gli schiavoni was used to refer to the swords of the Doge's guards. Later, Venetian-style basket-hilted swords were called that.

There are significant differences in quality and finish between different examples of schiavon. So, some are extremely simple and functional, while the rest had excellent chasing and brass inlay.

Broadswords of statutory forms

By the end of the 17th century, all European armies began to arm themselves with authorized weapons, characteristic of different types of troops. The broadsword becomes the signature weapon of heavy cavalrymen such as cuirassiers and dragoons. By the 19th century, the armies of some states were armed with several models of broadswords. In addition to guards cuirassier broadswords, army cuirassier broadswords, dragoon and other broadswords, an officer's broadsword also appeared. All of them basically had heavy single-edged blades with well-defined points, designed for powerful thrusting.

Cuirassier broadsword

The manufacture of such broadswords was mass-produced by all major European centers. All parameters were strictly regulated by the charters, so a considerable number of these weapons have come down to us. As a result of this, with the word "broadsword" many imagine the actual cuirassier weapon XIX centuries.

By the end of the 19th century, broadswords were replaced by sabers in the cavalry of most states. The only exception was the Life Guards, in which these weapons have survived to this day.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.