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Sheridan Doose





Joined: 23 Dec 2006

Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sat 23 Dec, 2006 11:00 pm    Post subject: Hey, just a newbie needing a little clarification         Reply with quote

Hey everyone, I'm a 16 year old kid, just joined the forum, though ive been surfing the site for a little while now for all my hammered steel needs. There's this one thing thats been bugging me for a long time, im not sure if i missed a topic or explanation anyware, or if its common knowledge for all weapon enthusiasts, but why is a bastard sword called a bastard sword? How did it get this name? Thanks to anyone that can help a newbie out!
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin


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PostPosted: Sat 23 Dec, 2006 11:19 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Forms of European Edged Weaponry

Sword Terminology

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Allen Andrews




Location: Maine USA
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Reading list: 5 books

Posts: 305

PostPosted: Sun 24 Dec, 2006 4:21 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

bas·tard (bstrd)
n.
1. A child born out of wedlock.
2. Something that is of irregular, inferior, or dubious origin.
3. Slang A person, especially one who is held to be mean or disagreeable.
adj.
1. Born of unwed parents; illegitimate.
2. Not genuine; spurious: a bastard style of architecture.
3. Resembling a known kind or species but not truly such.

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Jean-Carle Hudon




Location: Montreal,Canada
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
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Posts: 450

PostPosted: Sat 06 Jan, 2007 1:09 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sheridan,
in french, the term épée bâtarde, bastard sword in english, is used to designate the hand and a half sword, neither a true two hander nor a true one hander, hence its irregular name, it's a bastard, neither completely one nor completely the other.
Calizzano (le grand livre des armes blanches, editions de vecchi, paris 1989) leaves the reader with the impression that the term only entered the language after the advent of the two handed Espadon (or great sword, or claymore,or biddenhander,or zweihander, depending on the language reference you are using), and came about for the reason noted above, ie that this sword is neither one or the other ( neither a one hander nor a two hander).
Viollet-le Duc makes no specific mention of the term in his Encyclopédie Médiévale, and Edge & Paddock's "Arms&Armor of the Medieval Knight" also avoids the use of that term, preferring "sword of war" ( as opposed to arming sword or two handed sword).
I would use the term bastard sword not as a classification tool, but rather as descriptive of what is generally understood as a hand and a half sword.
Cheers, JCH

Bon coeur et bon bras
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Grayson C.




Location: NCF, Sarasota, FL
Joined: 25 Oct 2006

Spotlight topics: 1
Posts: 223

PostPosted: Sat 06 Jan, 2007 1:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hey there. I'm always very interested in this as well. I've used the term bastard sword quite a lot without knowing really what it means. I'd like to see the responses to this topic. Just so you know you're not alone in this Happy


By the way, I'm also 16. Its nice to see that our younger audience has interest in these sorts of things.
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Sheridan Doose





Joined: 23 Dec 2006

Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sat 06 Jan, 2007 2:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks for all the help everyone! This makes everything alot clearer and makes alot more sense compared to other explanations I've heard from not so valid sources. Thanks too for the confidence booster Grayson Big Grin !
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