Hello everyone,

I had a little question about arming swords. I wanted to know if arming swords were used during the crusades. Now, from what I understand an arming sword is a short sword carried as a secondary weapon usually used by an armored and/or mounted knight. Is this what an arming sword is or is there a different name for this? I was wondering if this type of short sword was used during the crusades or if the practice of carrying a secondary weapon (besides a dagger) came around later. Anyone have pics of original, reproduction, or artistic representations of early arming swords? Oh and one other question...how would an arming sword be classified.

So basically, what is an arming sword and were short swords used as a secondary weapon during the crusades?

-James

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arming_sword

"Arming sword" is a later term, used to describe non-longswords. The term is often used nowadays because it is shorter than "single-handed sword". If you carried a large sword, you might have a shorter backup sword - Renaissance landsknechts who carried zweihanders regularly are shown wearing a katzbalger as well.

The Crusades covered a long period, up to 1444 (Varna) and maybe later. Swords changed a lot during this time. Assuming you are interested in the earlier part of this period, longswords were not widely used in these times. Consequently, for Godfrey de Boullion, or Richard Lionheart, the idea of an "arming" sword would make little sense, since pretty much all swords were single-handed swords. It was not routine to carry more than one sword at that time, as far as I can remember.

In the later Crusades, longswords were widely used, so the idea of an arming sword came to be. These were not necessarily "short" swords - they might easily be as long as a "normal" sword of earlier times, but they were shorter than the longswords. And yes, they could be carried along with the bigger sword.

P.S. the Wikipedia article is inaccurate in one point - medieval men didn't always go carrying swords around in public. In Renaissance times this was very common, but this was a later development.

It seems they didn't carry swords most of the time. Everyone carried a dagger or knife, of course; and a man when travelling might well carry a sword. Looking at artwork, it seems to me that many scenes are notable for the absence of arms, except for soldiers, guards, etc. There were laws about this subject regulating the bearing of arms, although I cannot cite chapter and verse.

Some of the detailed texts I have read on medieval topics ("John of Gaunt", etc.) paid a little bit of attention to this issue.

Regarding England, Normandy, and regions of the Dane's influnece, from around 800 AD to early 1250 many "enfifed" knights were effectively the local police for their region of responsibilty. Bearing the sword publically was considered necessary identification of their authority. As other forms of government (early House of Commons, development of major city centers with full time militia, etc.) developed this practice deminished. I won't claim to know just how rapidly or broad spread the practice died out.

The "priveledge" of titled (nobility) knights being permitted to wear swords outside of tournament and military campaigns (including royalty such as John of Gaunt) was in fact threatened by proposed legislative restrictions for some city areas more than once between 1375 and 1400. The right of titled nobility knights to bear swords publically in most places in England continued at this time, although just a couple members of royal familes are the only known opponents against such restrictions on when and where knights could bear arms in England by 1400 AD.

The first 'definition' of an arming sword I came across was a sword (of varying length) that was suspended from your horse's saddle. Wearing of swords in public was far more common during the Renaissance, but those who had a horse (and who were also allowed to own at least one sword), he could attach its scabbard to the horse's saddle. If this is so, then it was likely done only by knights and other nobility rather than a commoner. :) -Ted

This sounds like the older interpretation of "Bastard sword", litterally "pack saddle sword".