So It looks like i might be coming into money soon and i wanted to build a visual library of scottish weapon designs i want reproduced. i'm looking to find as many scottish weapons as possible. Now, they can be of foreign basis but i prefer things that were Gaelicized for instance One scottish weapon, the turcael claymore, is based off of turkish kilij but was mounted to a scottish basket. I would prefer the Turcael over the kilij because even though the kilij was used in scotland i would rather have the native variant reproduced.

I will list as many as i can find with a example for others who may also want a historically accurate scottish variant of some weapon and a resource for other uses. I'd also request that if someone finds a weapon they link to a article or website showing that it is scottish.

The list will be broken into 4 divisions Knives and Daggers, Single handed, Two handed, and Shields.

Saving this for list

well, later period's never been my thing - too much glorification of a sectarian civil war that still causes violence here.

but there's some interesting stuff earlier...

Yew spanned, antler-roller-lock crossbows. Used by the picts in the 7-9th centuries, some of the oldest representations of the weapon in western europe. dont think anyone's made a replica of them.

Likewise, there's some rather interesting possibilities that one of the pattern-welded swords in the National Museum that's generally considered "viking" is in fact pictish in style. I'm not entirely convinced myself - I suspect its more likely that its of Norwegian origin and that they were then used by picts, rather than being of local manufacture. but I'd love to see it recreated regardless.

Later Medieval period, you get Halflangs. (They're taking the Halflangs to Isengard, to Isengard?) I've been lucky enough to take measurements and data from about half the surviving examples now. some very interesting details like hollow pommels no-one's ever properly replicated AFIK. Distinctive crosses on smaller versions are likely indicative of a northumbrian or lowlands origin, given that the Islands were something of a cultural backwater, then as now.

What might be intriguing is to look at the very late useage of dane-axes and spear by the Lords of the Isles into the 15th C. Both those weapons are discussed in Claude Blair's paper in Dr David Caldwell's "Scottish weapons and fortifications".

later, there's
16th C border Reivers, Latchet Trossbows. Tod's made them, and they're unspeakably gorgeous.

Dudgeon Daggers. the intermediate stage between bollock dagger, and dirk. I was doing studies of several of those not long ago, so I've included a photo. Remarkably detailed knives.

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Dudgeon Dagger ( image courtesy of National Museum of Scotland.) [ Download ]

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some of the NMS' halflangs, ( image courtesy of National Museum of Scotland.).
Not taken to Isengard. [ Download ]

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possibly pictish sword from Gorton. (May very well be Norwegian in origin, though) [ Download ]

thanks for helping get this started.

Can anyone verify the veracity of this weird lance pointed targe illustration. [ Linked Image ]

There is a targe in one of the museums in Scotland - cannot remember which - that has a spike similar to the one in the illustration you provided. The cover of the targe is heavily decorated with tacks or nails with a subtle pattern. Whether this spike was original to the shield or not - a lot of antique targes were separated from their spikes a long time ago - is certainly debatable but there definitely is one extant today with that kind of spike. I have a photo of this targe but it is too large to attach and since I am using it in an article on targes, with the permission of the photographer, I would prefer not to tamper with the size of the image.

There is also, in the user's photo galleries on this site, a photo of John Roy Stuart's targe which has a similar, though more slender spike. The gallery is Thomas McDonald's and he is the source of the photo I have.

What about polearms? all i know are the lochaber, schilltron, claymore, and jedburgh ax.

I've heard of brogits and scottish halberd but have never seen proof of one.

daggers:

dirks in various forms, according to the perio

dudgeon dagger

parrying dagger with basket hilt

gralloch knife

skean dhu


single handed swords:

swords with drooping quillons ahe wheel or five lobed pommel

basket hilts in various forms according to the perio



two handed swords:

claymores, in classic and clam shell form

lowland two hander


polearms:

lochaber axe

jeddart staff

there is also a 18th century form of halberd that is purelyscottish

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/brogit

Quote:

Brogit, Broggit, a. [Brog n.] Furnished with a spike or sharp point. 1429 Acts II. 18/2. The ȝeman that is nane archere … sal haif … a gude ax or ellis a brogit staff; 1473 Acta Aud. 25/1. ij hand ax, a brogit staff, ij swordis; 1477 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 408. Thre hand axis, a brogit staf; 1500–1 Acta Conc. II. 477. Ane Dense ax, a broggit staff with a spere; 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 334/1. A respit … for the spulȝe of ane brogit staf fra him; Peblis to Play 123. He stert till ane broggit stauf;

Quote:

Brog, n. [Of obscure origin.] A spike. 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 352. Giffin for ii pailȝoune broggis that wer tynit; 1508 Ib. IV. 122. For tua broggis of steil for batal axes;

Probably similar to the English brough, a palisade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brough

Does anyone have any photos of dirks with guards?

Another famous halflang.

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I believe Armour Class makes a replica of the Halflang sword. It's still on their website, I think. KoA was selling them some time ago, but have apparently dropped it from their lines. Pretty good looking replica, with the 'spatulate' guard and high peen-block pommel. :D I came within an inch of buying one, and now wish I would have. :( One of the better looking Scottish-designed swords I've seen. ;) .........McM