A 'what do you call it' cleaver like sword. -- myArmoury.com

Alex Hoogstraten

Good day,

I'm interested in the following. In the Maciejowski Bible there are many depictions of cleaverlike swords. I really like the form of these weapons, but hadn't seem them any where else. That was until I was looking through the 'Romance de Alexander' illustrated roughly hundred years later. I kind off fell in love with this last one and ordered a replica. It is still a work in progress thou.

I know this doesn't make all that much of historical evidence for the existence of such swords or what ever they are. I was wondering if anyone had more information or the name what these weapons are called?

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Two depictions in maciejowski Bible

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The one from 'the 'Romance the Alexander'. This part was probably drawn around 1340.

I really would appreciate any information

Anders Backlund · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 2:43 am Post subject:

Hello, Alex.

Since this topic felt familiar I did a search, and you may want to read through this old thread: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=927

Alex Hoogstraten · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 3:00 am Post subject:

Thanx. This is a great help.

I've used the term Glaive always for a longer polearm. But could go on as one I suppose.
Warbrand is also quit catchy. Brand is also old dutch for sword/blade. So It could present it as a 'Strijdbrand' in dutch.

M. Eversberg II · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 6:45 am Post subject:

Most people I know generally call them "choppers" or Morgan blades (me and one other person).

M.

Alex Hoogstraten · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 8:21 am Post subject:

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

Wen Hu · Posted: Tue 05 Jan, 2010 8:32 pm Post subject:

I've just noticed this post and while I can't speak to what Kristians might have called them, the Chinese have a version of this weapon known as the Da Dao (or 'Big Knife' and sometimes horse chopper sword).

Alex Hoogstraten · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 12:47 am Post subject:

M. Eversberg II · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 6:42 am Post subject:

Thom R. · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 12:17 pm Post subject:

I would think most of these swords, even th eones without a point, could be reasonably called falchions although like a lot of sword verbage, we are not sure when exactly that term came to be used. in period I suspect there were probably lots of nicknames for them in various languages.

here is a link to the morgan library images

http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibOnl...nlineKings

Del Tin makes a reproduction of a chopper sword that seems to be based directly on an image in folio 3v

Dan Howard · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 12:52 pm Post subject:

Something like mach-ay-yowf-ski

Hisham Gaballa · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 12:58 pm Post subject:

What about Mah-chee-yov-ski?

That's how I've pronounced it for a few years.

P. Cha · Posted: Wed 06 Jan, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject:

I call them cleavers... :p .

I do like the idea of the morgan bible though...quite clever.

Dan Howard · Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 1:34 am Post subject:

Alex Hoogstraten · Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 1:54 am Post subject:

M. Eversberg II · Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject:

I always figured it was something like Mac-a-joe-ski. Alas, not all that important. Morgan bible.

Didn't Tinker create one of these a few years back?

M.