Sword

Lore & Background

Historically, the sword developed in the Bronze Age, evolving from the dagger; the earliest specimens date to about 1600 BC. The later Iron Age sword remained fairly short and without a crossguard. The spatha, as it developed in the Late Roman army, became the predecessor of the European sword of the Middle Ages, at first adopted as the Migration Period sword, and only in the High Middle Ages, developed into the classical arming sword with crossguard. The word sword continues the Old English, sweord.

In Their Own Story

Tim stands before the stone wall, the Sword heavy in his hand. A shadowy figure lunges from the darkness, a mistake made seconds ago now replaying in reverse. He swings the blade, not to kill, but to pause the moment, to see if there is another way. The world rewinds, the enemy resets, and Tim tries again, hoping this time the outcome will be different.

Reader's Guide

The use of a sword is known as swordsmanship or, in a modern context, as fencing. In the early modern period, western sword design diverged into two forms, the thrusting swords and the sabres. Thrusting swords such as the rapier and eventually the smallsword were designed to impale their targets quickly and inflict deep stab wounds. Slashing swords such as the sabre and similar blades such as the cutlass were built more heavily and were more typically used in warfare.

Did You Know?

• The first weapons that can be described as 'swords' date to around 3300 BC, found in Arslantepe, Turkey, made from arsenical bronze.
• The sword developed from the knife or dagger during the Bronze Age (c. 3000 BC).
• Naue II swords, first appearing in the 13th century BC in Northern Italy, could be as long as 85 cm, but most fall into the 60–70 cm range.
• High-carbon steel for swords, later appearing as Damascus steel, was likely developed in India around the mid-1st millennium BC.