The medieval sword was the weapon of choice during the Middles Ages. Known also as the Medieval Era, this period covered the years between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, 476 to 1450 A.D. Battles were fought by knights wearing heavy armor and using swords and lances. It needs skill and strength to use a sword and during those times, not anybody can just wield one. It would take several years of training before a squire could become a knight; earn his place in battle and given his own sword, the first among many.

The fall of the Roman Empire saw the emergence of the medieval swords, which were more a derivative of the Viking swords rather than the Roman swords spatha. The Viking raiders were quick to set a trend with their swords and Viking helmets at that time. The swords were heavier, longer and more lethal than the Roman gladius or spatha. The medieval swords continued to evolve and the Middle Ages produced different medieval swords – Broadsword, Falchion, Longsword, Greatsword and the Scimitar.

The Broadsword is the earliest known sword depicting the medieval period. It is a two-edge sword weighing about 3 to 5 pounds, measuring 2 to 3 inches in width and 30 to 45 inches in length. Most medieval Knights who went on Crusades preferred the Medieval Falchion swords. Similar to the Scimitar’s curved blade used by the Saracens in the Holy Land, the Falchion came with a heavy single edge blade. The Longswords also known as the Hand and a Half swords or the Bastardswords are longer with length going from 44 to 55 inches. The longest of all medieval swords are the Greatswords. These were two-handed swords with 50 to 72 inches blade length plus 18 to 21 inches of handle. It was the heaviest medieval sword as well at 6 to 10 pounds.

The medieval sword has two main parts – the hilt and the blade. The hilt has three main components – pommel, grip and the crossbar or cross-guard. The pommel is a small round metal on the end of the hilt that provides a sort of counterbalance for the blade and helps increase maneuverability. The grip or handle is where swords are held. The cross-guard served two purposes – as a hand shield and for added balance. When it comes to the blade, it is straight and typically wider at the base. It is either single-edged or double-edged and featured a central groove or fuller that made the sword lighter and stronger. The strength of the sword depends on how it was forged. Strip welding is a technique used by the Vikings where metals are bundled, bended and hammered together several times to make it tougher and stronger.

As medieval Knights favored the use of the cutting swords of the Vikings rather than those of the Romans, they too preferred the Viking helmets instead of the Roman helmets. The helmets evolved with the medieval swords to make knights and warriors more impregnable to their opponents. The medieval swords were effective for cutting and slicing as well as thrusting and piercing. Understanding the sword was important to enable the Knights to use it effectively. They had to undergo extensive training involving strategic maneuvers and strokes to disengage enemies. It took most of their time to become experts. Training with the sword became a part of medieval life as it means life and death during those times.