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{{Short description|Long bladed weapon}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Espadon-Morges.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|Swiss [[longsword]], 15th or 16th century]]

A '''sword''' is an [[edged and bladed weapons|edged, bladed weapon]] intended for manual cutting or thrusting.  Its blade, longer than a [[knife]] or [[dagger]], is attached to a [[hilt]] and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip. A slashing sword is more likely to be curved and to have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing. The precise definition of a sword varies by historical epoch and geographic region.

Historically, the sword developed in the [[Bronze Age]], evolving from the dagger; the [[Bronze Age sword|earliest specimens]] date to about 1600 BC. The later [[Iron Age sword]] remained fairly short and without a crossguard. The [[spatha]], as it developed in the [[Late Roman army]], became the predecessor of the European sword of the Middle Ages, at first adopted as the [[Migration Period sword]], and only in the [[High Middle Ages]], developed into the classical [[Knightly sword|arming sword]] with crossguard. The word ''[[:wikt:sword|sword]]'' continues the [[Old English language|Old English]], ''[[wikt:sweord|sweord]]''.<ref>Cognate to [[Old High German]] ''swert'', [[Old Norse]] ''sverð'', from a [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] root ''[[wiktionary:Appendix:Proto-Indo-European/swer-|*swer-]]'' "to wound, to cut". Before about 1500, the spelling ''swerd(e)'' was much more common than ''sword(e)''. The irregular loss of /w/ in English pronunciation also dates to about 1500, and is found in a small number of other words, such as ''answer'' (cf. ''swear''), ''conquer'' (cf. ''query''). Charles Barber, Joan Beal, Philip Shaw, ''The English Language'', Canto Classics, 2nd revised edition, Cambridge University Press, 2012, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_dZKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 p. 206] ({{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313230757/https://books.google.com/books?id=_dZKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA206|date=13 March 2017}}).<!-- Presented as a "sound law", '/sw/ > /s/ before back vowel' in [[Phonological history of English]], but no source is cited, it's a question if you want to postulate a "sound law" to explain a grand total of two words. --> Latin had ''[[wiktionary:ensis|ensis]]'', ''[[gladius]]'' and ''[[spatha]]''; as the term for the sword used by the Late Roman army, ''spatha'' became the source of the words for "sword" in [[Romance languages]], such as Italian ''spada'', Iberian ''espada'' and French ''[[epée]]''. Both ''gladius'' and ''spatha'' are loanwords in Latin; ''ensis'' was the generic term for "sword" in [[Classical Latin]], and was again widely used in Renaissance Latin, while Middle Latin mostly used ''gladius'' as the generic term.</ref>

The use of a sword is known as [[swordsmanship]] or, in a modern context, as [[fencing]]. In the [[early modern period]], western sword design diverged into two forms, the thrusting swords and the sabres.

Thrusting swords such as the [[rapier]] and eventually the [[Small sword|smallsword]] were designed to impale their targets quickly and inflict deep stab wounds. Their long and straight yet light and well balanced design made them highly maneuverable and deadly in a duel but fairly ineffective when used in a slashing or chopping motion. A well aimed lunge and thrust could end a fight in seconds with just the sword's point, leading to the development of a fighting style which closely resembles modern fencing.

Slashing swords such as the [[sabre]] and similar blades such as the [[cutlass]] were built more heavily and were more typically used in warfare. Built for slashing and chopping at multiple enemies, often from horseback, the sabre's long curved blade and slightly forward weight balance gave it a deadly character all its own on the battlefield. Most sabres also had sharp points and double-edged blades, making them capable of piercing soldier after soldier in a cavalry charge. Sabres continued to see battlefield use until the early 20th century. The US Navy M1917 Cutlass used in [[World War I]] was kept in their armory well into [[World War II]] and many Marines were issued a variant called the M1941 Cutlass as a makeshift jungle [[machete]] during the [[Pacific War]].<ref>Clements, J., &amp; Hertz, B. (n.d.). The Myth of Thrusting versus Cutting Swords. https://www.thearma.org/essays/thrusting_vs_cutting.html</ref><ref>Wagner, R. (n.d.). Focus on the M1917/M1941 Cutlass. Angelfire. https://www.angelfire.com/wa/swordcollector/cutlass.html</ref>

Non-European weapons classified as swords include single-edged weapons such as the Middle Eastern [[scimitar]], the Chinese ''[[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]]'' and the related Japanese ''[[katana]]''. The Chinese ''jiàn'' {{lang|zh|剑}} is an example of a non-European '''double-edged sword''', like the European models derived from the double-edged [[Iron Age sword]].

==History==
[[File:Western Han Iron Sword.jpg|thumb|[[Western Han]] iron sword]]
{{See also|Chronology of bladed weapons}}

===Prehistory and antiquity===

====Bronze Age====
{{Main|Bronze Age sword}}
[[File:Apa Schwerter.jpg|thumb|Apa-type swords, 17th-century BC]]
[[File:Nebra Schwerter.jpg|thumb|The swords found together with the [[Nebra sky disk]], c. 1600 BC]]

The first weapons that can be described as "swords" date to around 3300 BC. They have been found in [[Arslantepe]], Turkey, are made from [[arsenical bronze]], and are about {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.<ref>Frangipane, M. et.al. (2010). "The collapse of the 4th millennium centralised system at Arslantepe and the far-reaching changes in 3rd millennium societies". ''ORIGINI XXXIV'', 2012: 237–60.</ref><ref name=KAY>{{cite book |author=[[K. Aslihan Yener|Yener, K. Aslihan]] |title= The Domestication of Metals: The Rise of Complex Metal Industries in Anatolia |pages= 52–53 |year= 2021 |publisher= BRILL |series= Culture and History of the Ancient Near East (Vol. 4) |isbn= 978-9004496934 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=_s1GEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |access-date= 15 January 2024}}</ref> Some of them are inlaid with [[silver]].<ref name=KAY/>

The sword developed from the knife or dagger. The sword became differentiated from the dagger during the Bronze Age (''c.'' 3000 BC), when copper and bronze weapons were produced with long leaf-shaped blades and with hilts consisting of an extension of the blade in handle form. A knife is unlike a [[dagger]] in that a knife has only one cutting surface, while a dagger has two cutting surfaces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=sword {{!}} weapon {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/sword |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Construction of longer blades became possible during the 3rd millennium BC in the Middle East, first in [[Arsenical copper|arsenic copper]], then in tin-bronze.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramsey |first=Syed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCQzDAAAQBAJ&dq=Construction+of+longer+blades+became+possible+during+the+3rd+millennium+BC+in+the+Middle+East&pg=PT118 |title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times |date=2016-05-12 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-86019-80-6 |language=en}}</ref>

Blades longer than {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} were rare and not practical until the late Bronze Age because the [[Young's modulus]] (stiffness) of [[bronze]] is relatively low, and consequently longer blades would bend easily.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Breverton |first=Terry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VepgBQAAQBAJ&dq=Blades+longer+than+60+cm+Bronze+Age+.&pg=PT39 |title=Breverton's Encyclopedia of Inventions: A Compendium of Technological Leaps, Groundbreaking Discoveries and Scientific Breakthroughs that Changed the World |date=2012-04-26 |publisher=Quercus |isbn=978-1-78087-340-4 |language=en}}</ref> The development of the sword out of the dagger was gradual; the first weapons that can be classified as swords without any ambiguity are those found in [[Minoan Crete]], dated to about 1700 BC, reaching a total length of more than {{convert|100|cm|in|abbr=on}}. These are the "type A" swords of the [[Aegean Bronze Age]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramsey |first=Syed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCQzDAAAQBAJ&dq=the+first+weapons+that+can+be+classified+as+swords+without+any+ambiguity+are+those+found+in+Minoan+Crete&pg=PT119 |title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times |date=2016-05-12 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-86019-80-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sandars |first=N. K. |date=1961 |title=The First Aegean Swords and Their Ancestry |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/502497 |journal=American Journal of Archaeology |volume=65 |issue=1 |pages=17–29 |doi=10.2307/502497 |jstor=502497 |issn=0002-9114|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

One of the most important, and longest-lasting, types of swords of the [[European Bronze Age]] was the ''Naue II'' type (named for [[Julius Naue]] who first described them), also known as ''Griffzungenschwert'' ({{lit|grip-tongue sword}}). This type first appears in c. the 13th century BC in [[Terramare culture|Northern Italy]] (or a general [[Urnfield]] background), and survives well into the Iron Age, with a life-span of about seven centuries. During its lifetime, metallurgy changed from bronze [[Iron Age sword|to iron]], but not its basic design.<ref>{{Cite book |last=PutraDanayu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVcmEAAAQBAJ&dq=One+of+the+most+important,+and+longest-lasting,+types+swords+of+the+European+Bronze+Age+was+the+Naue+II+type&pg=PA413 |title=Sword: Tell about sword in human history |date=2021-03-30 |publisher=Putra Ayu |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Naue II swords were exported from Europe to the Aegean, and as far afield as [[Ugarit]], beginning about 1200 BC, i.e. just a few decades before the final collapse of the palace cultures in the [[Bronze Age collapse]].<ref>Jung, R.; M. Mehofer (2008). "A sword of Naue II type from Ugarit and the Historical Significance of Italian type Weaponry in the Eastern Mediterranean", ''Aegean Archaeology'' 8, 111–36.</ref> Naue II swords could be as long as 85&nbsp;cm, but most specimens fall into the 60 to 70&nbsp;cm range. [[Robert Drews]] linked the Naue Type II Swords, which spread from Southern Europe into the Mediterranean, with the [[Bronze Age collapse]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Drews |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Drews |year=1995 |title=The end of the Bronze Age: changes in warfare and the catastrophe ca. 1200 B.C |publisher=Princeton University Press |edition=revised |pages=197–204 |isbn=978-0-691-02591-9}}{{clarify|date=September 2015}}<!--what does this mean? "linked" how?--></ref> Naue II swords, along with Nordic full-hilted swords, were made with functionality and aesthetics in mind.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1080/00293652.2014.920907|title = Tales of Hoards and Swordfighters in Early Bronze Age Scandinavia: The Brand New and the Broken|journal = Norwegian Archaeological Review|volume = 47|pages = 18–41|year = 2014|last1 = Melheim|first1 = Lene|last2 = Horn|first2 = Christian|s2cid = 162347126 |issn=0029-3652 }}</ref> The hilts of these swords were beautifully crafted and often contained false rivets in order to make the sword more visually appealing. Swords coming from northern Denmark and northern Germany usually contained three or more fake rivets in the hilt.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bunnefeld|first=Jan-Heinrich|date=December 2016|title=Crafting Swords. The emergence and production of full-hilted swords in the Early Nordic Bronze Age|journal=Praehistorisches Zeitschrift |volume=91 |pages=384 |via=EBSCO host}}</ref>

[[Chinese swords|Sword production in China]] is attested from the Bronze Age [[Shang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Chang |first=K. C.|year=1982 |title=Studies of Shang Archaeology |publisher=Yale University Press |pages=6–7|isbn=978-0-300-03578-0}}</ref> The technology for bronze swords reached its high point during the Warring States period and Qin dynasty. Amongst the Warring States period swords, some unique technologies were used, such as casting high tin edges over softer, lower tin cores, or the application of diamond shaped patterns on the blade (see [[sword of Goujian]]). Also unique for Chinese bronzes is the consistent use of high tin bronze (17–21% tin) which is very hard and breaks if stressed too far, whereas other cultures preferred lower tin bronze (usually 10%), which bends if stressed too far. Although iron swords were made alongside bronze, it was not until the early [[Han period]] that iron completely replaced bronze.<ref name=HanIron/>

In the [[Indian subcontinent]], earliest available [[Bronze age sword]]s of copper were discovered in the [[Indus Valley civilization]] sites in the northwestern regions of [[South Asia]]. Swords have been recovered in archaeological findings throughout the [[Ganges]]-[[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|Jamuna]] [[Doab]] region of Indian subcontinent, consisting of [[bronze]] but more commonly [[copper]].<ref name=allchin111-114>Allchin, pp. 111–14.</ref> Diverse specimens have been discovered in [[Fatehgarh]], where there are several varieties of hilt.<ref name=allchin111-114/> These swords have been variously dated to times between 1700 and 1400 BC. Other swords from this period in India have been discovered from [[Kallur archaeological site#Swords|Kallur, Raichur]].<ref name=allchin111-114/>

====Iron Age====
{{Main|Iron Age sword}}
[[File:Hallstatt 'C' Swords in Wels Museum, Upper Austria.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|[[Hallstatt culture|Hallstatt]] swords]]

[[Iron]] became increasingly common from the 13th century BC. Before that the use of swords was less frequent. The iron was not [[quenching|quench-hardened]] although often containing sufficient carbon, but work-hardened like bronze by hammering. This made them comparable or only slightly better in terms of strength and hardness to bronze swords. They could still bend during use rather than spring back into shape. But the easier production, and the better availability of the raw material for the first time permitted the equipping of entire armies with metal weapons, though Bronze Age Egyptian armies were sometimes fully equipped with bronze weapons.<ref>Burton, p. 78.</ref>

Ancient swords are often found at burial sites. The sword was often placed on the right side of the corpse. Many times the sword was kept over the corpse. In many late [[Iron Age]] graves, the sword and the [[scabbard]] were bent at 180 degrees. It was known as killing the sword. Thus they might have considered swords as the most potent and powerful object.<ref>{{citation |last=Wells |first=Peter |title=How Ancient Europeans Saw the World : Vision, Patterns, and the Shaping of the Mind in Prehistoric Times |location=Princeton, New Jersey |publisher=Princeton UP |date=2017 |page=124}}</ref>

====Indian antiquity====
High-carbon steel for swords, which would later appear as [[Damascus steel]], was likely introduced in India around the mid-1st millennium BC.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=J.-S. Park K. Rajan R. Ramesh|title=High-carbon steel and ancient sword-making as observed in a double-edged sword from an Iron Age megalithic burial in Tamil Nadu, India|journal=Archaeometry|year=2020|volume=62|issue=1 |pages=68–80|doi=10.1111/arcm.12503|bibcode=2020Archa..62...68P |s2cid=210305604 |doi-access=}}</ref> The ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]'' mentions swords of Indian iron and steel being exported from [[ancient India]] to [[ancient Greece]].<ref name="Prasad, chapter IX">Prasad, chapter IX</ref> Blades from the [[Indian subcontinent]] made of Damascus steel also found their way into [[Ancient Persia|Persia]].<ref name="Prasad, chapter IX" />

====Greco-Roman antiquity====
{{Further|Migration Period sword}}

By the time of [[Classical Antiquity]] and the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] and [[Sassanid Empire]]s in Iran, iron swords were common. The Greek ''[[xiphos]]'' and the Roman ''[[gladius]]'' are typical examples of the type, measuring some {{convert|60|to|70|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hanson |first=Victor Davis |year=1993 |title=Hoplites: the classical Greek battle experience |publisher=Routledge Publishing |pages=25–27 |isbn=978-0-415-09816-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0LMLn_CA08C&pg=PA25 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517201753/https://books.google.com/books?id=K0LMLn_CA08C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA25 |archive-date=17 May 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Goldsworthy |first=Adrian Keith |year=1998 |title=The Roman army at war: 100 BC–AD 200 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |pages=216–17 |isbn=978-0-19-815090-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=55KE-nNtTRUC&pg=PA217 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519115953/https://books.google.com/books?id=55KE-nNtTRUC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA217 |archive-date=19 May 2016 }}</ref> The late [[Roman Empire]] introduced the longer ''[[spatha]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Fields |first=Nic |year=2009 |title=The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BCE–CE 117 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |pages=30–31 |isbn=978-1-84603-386-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v_ZVubRc1mQC&pg=PA30 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508191401/https://books.google.com/books?id=v_ZVubRc1mQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA30 |archive-date=8 May 2016 }}</ref> (the term for its wielder, ''[[spatharius]]'', became a court rank in [[Constantinople]]), and from this time, the term ''[[longsword]]'' is applied to swords comparatively long for their respective periods.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mantello |first=Frank Anthony C. |author2=Rigg, A. G.|author-link2=A. G. Rigg |year=1996 |title=Medieval Latin: an introduction and bibliographical guide |publisher=CUA Press |pages=447–49 |isbn=978-0-8132-0842-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bb32Th4WAK0C&pg=PA447 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511171922/https://books.google.com/books?id=Bb32Th4WAK0C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA447 |archive-date=11 May 2016 }}</ref>

Swords from the Parthian and Sassanian Empires were quite long, the blades on some late Sassanian swords being just under a metre long.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramsey |first=Syed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCQzDAAAQBAJ&dq=Swords+from+the+Parthian+and+Sassanian+Empires+were+quite+long,+the+blades+on+some+late+Sassanian+swords+being+just+under+a+metre+long.&pg=PT120 |title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times |date=2016-05-12 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-86019-80-6 |language=en}}</ref>

Swords were also used to administer various [[physical punishment]]s, such as non-surgical [[amputation]] or [[capital punishment]] by [[decapitation]]. The use of a sword, an honourable weapon, was regarded in Europe since [[Roman Republic|Roman times]] as a privilege reserved for the [[nobility]] and the upper classes.<ref>Naish, p. 39.</ref>

====Persian antiquity====
[[File:Darius-Vase.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.75|[[Darius I]] of Persia holding an acinaces in his lap]]

In the first millennium BC, the [[Military history of Iran|Persian armies]] used a sword that was originally of Scythian design called the ''akinaka'' ([[acinaces]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Esposito |first=Gabriele |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QqMeEAAAQBAJ&dq=Persian+armies+used+a+sword+that+was+originally+of+Scythian&pg=PT174 |title=Armies of the Thracians and Dacians, 500 BC to AD 150: History, Organization and Equipment |date=2021-06-30 |publisher=Pen and Sword Military |isbn=978-1-5267-7275-6 |language=en}}</ref> However, the great conquests of the Persians made the sword more famous as a Persian weapon, to the extent that the true nature of the weapon has been lost somewhat as the name ''akinaka'' has been used to refer to whichever form of sword the Persian army favoured at the time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramsey |first=Syed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCQzDAAAQBAJ&dq=Persian+armies+used+a+sword+that+was+originally+of+Scythian&pg=PT121 |title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times |date=2016-05-12 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-86019-80-6 |language=en}}</ref>

It is widely believed that the original ''akinaka'' was a 35 to 45&nbsp;cm (14 to 18 inch) double-edged sword. The design was not uniform and in fact identification is made more on the nature of the [[scabbard]] than the weapon itself; the scabbard usually has a large, decorative mount allowing it to be suspended from a belt on the wearer's right side. Because of this, it is assumed that the sword was intended to be drawn with the blade pointing downwards ready for surprise stabbing attacks.

In the 12th century, the [[Seljuq dynasty]] had introduced the curved ''[[shamshir]]'' to Persia, and this was in extensive use by the early 16th century.

====Chinese antiquity====
Chinese iron swords made their first appearance in the later part of the [[Western Zhou dynasty]], but iron and steel swords were not widely used until the 3rd century BC [[Han dynasty]].<ref name=HanIron>{{cite web |last=Cao |first=Hangang |title=A Study of Chinese Weapons Cast During Pre-Qin and Han Periods in the Central Plains of China |url=http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/cn.article.htm |access-date=3 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515074933/http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/cn.article.htm |archive-date=15 May 2011 }}</ref> The Chinese ''[[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]]'' (刀 [[pinyin]] dāo) is single-edged, sometimes translated as [[sabre]] or [[broadsword]], and the ''[[jian]]'' (劍 or 剑 [[pinyin]] jiàn) is double-edged. The ''[[zhanmadao]]'' (literally "horse chopping sword") is an extremely long, anti-cavalry sword from the [[Song dynasty]] era.

===Middle Ages===

====Europe====

=====Early and High Middle Ages=====
{{Further|Knightly sword|Longsword|Viking sword}}
[[File:Morgan-bible-fl-29.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Battle scene from the [[Morgan Bible of Louis IX]] showing 13th-century swords]]

During the [[Middle Ages]], sword technology improved, and the sword became a very advanced weapon. The [[spatha]] type remained popular throughout the [[Migration period]] and well into the Middle Ages. [[Vendel Age]] spathas were decorated with Germanic artwork (not unlike the Germanic [[bracteate]]s fashioned after Roman coins). The [[Viking Age]] saw again a more standardized production, but the basic design remained indebted to the spatha.<ref>Laing, Lloyd Robert (2006). ''The archaeology of Celtic Britain and Ireland, c. CE 400–1200''. Cambridge University Press. pp. 93–95. {{ISBN|0-521-54740-7}}</ref>

Around the 10th century, the use of properly quenched [[Hardened steel|hardened]] and [[Tempering (metallurgy)|tempered steel]] started to become much more common than in previous periods. The [[Franks|Frankish]] [[Ulfberht swords|'Ulfberht' blades]] (the name of the maker inlaid in the blade) were of particularly consistent high quality.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116405283023 |url-access=registration |quote=Ulfberht. |title=Writing society and culture in early Rus, c. 950–1300 |access-date=14 November 2010 |year=2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/trent_0116405283023/page/109 109] |first=Simon |last=Franklin |isbn=978-0-511-03025-3 }}</ref> [[Charles the Bald]] tried to prohibit the export of these swords, as they were used by [[Vikings]] in raids against the [[Franks]].

[[Wootz steel]] (which is also known as [[Damascus steel]]) was a unique and highly prized steel developed on the Indian subcontinent as early as the 5th century BC. Its properties were unique due to the special smelting and reworking of the steel creating networks of iron carbides described as a globular [[cementite]] in a matrix of [[pearlite]]. The use of Damascus steel in swords became extremely popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.{{#tag:ref|"Pattern-Welding and Damascening of Sword-Blades: Part 1 Pattern-Welding" ([[Herbert Maryon|Maryon]] 1960)<ref name="Maryon">{{cite journal|last1=Maryon|first1=Herbert|author-link=Herbert Maryon|title=Pattern-Welding and Damascening of Sword-Blades: Part 1 Pattern-Welding|journal=Studies in Conservation|date=February 1960|volume=5|issue=1|pages=25–37|doi=10.2307/1505063|jstor=1505063}}</ref>{{paragraph break}}A brief review article by the originator of the term "pattern-welding" accurately details all the salient points of the construction of pattern-welded blades and of how all the patterns observed result as a function of the depth of grinding into a twisted rod structure. The article also includes a brief description of pattern-welding as encountered in the Malay keris. Damascus steel is also known as watered steel.|group=nb}}<ref name="Maryon"/>

It was only from the 11th century that [[Normans|Norman]] swords began to develop the [[crossguard]] (quillons). During the [[Crusades]] of the 12th to 13th century, this [[Cruciform#Cruciform sword|cruciform]] type of [[arming sword]] remained essentially stable, with variations mainly concerning the shape of the [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]]. These swords were designed as cutting weapons, although effective points were becoming common to counter improvements in armour, especially the 14th-century change from [[Mail (armour)|mail]] to [[plate armour]].<ref>Jeep, John M. (2001). ''Medieval Germany: an encyclopedia''. Routledge. p. 802, {{ISBN|0-8240-7644-3}}</ref>

It was during the 14th century, with the growing use of more advanced armour, that the hand and a half sword, also known as a "[[Classification of swords#Longsword|bastard sword]]", came into being. It had an extended grip that meant it could be used with either one or two hands. Though these swords did not provide a full two-hand grip they allowed their wielders to hold a [[shield]] or parrying dagger in their off hand, or to use it as a two-handed sword for a more powerful blow.<ref name=Gravett>Gravett, p. 47</ref>

In the Middle Ages, the sword was often used as a symbol of the [[Logos (Christianity)|word of God]]. The names given to many swords in [[mythology]], [[literature]], and [[history]] reflected the high prestige of the weapon and the wealth of the owner.<ref>{{cite book |first=Juan Eduardo |last=Cirlot |year=2002 |title=A Dictionary of Symbols |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |pages=323–25 |isbn=978-0-486-42523-8}}</ref>

=====Late Middle Ages=====
{{Further|Longsword|Zweihänder}}

From around 1300 to 1500, in concert with improved [[armour]], innovative sword designs evolved more and more rapidly. The main transition was the lengthening of the grip, allowing [[Classification of swords#Handedness|two-handed]] use, and a longer blade. By 1400, this type of sword, at the time called ''langes Schwert'' (longsword) or ''spadone'', was common, and a number of 15th- and 16th-century ''[[Fechtbücher]]'' offering instructions on their use survive. Another variant was the specialized armour-piercing swords of the [[estoc]] type. The [[longsword]] became popular due to its extreme reach and its cutting and thrusting abilities.<ref>{{cite book |first=David|last=Lindholm|author2=Nicolle, David |title=The Scandinavian Baltic Crusades 1100–1500 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2007 |page=178 |isbn=978-1-84176-988-2}}</ref>

[[File:Battle of Kappel detail.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|1548 depiction of a ''[[zweihänder]]'' used against pikes in the [[Second War of Kappel|Battle of Kappel]]]]
[[File:KHM Wien A 141 - Ceremonial sword of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa, 1466.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Ceremonial sword of the Rector of the [[Republic of Dubrovnik]] (15th century)]]
The estoc became popular because of its ability to thrust into the gaps between plates of armour.<ref>{{cite book |first=Leonid |last=Tarassuk |author2=Blair, Claude |title=The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons: The Most Comprehensive Reference Work Ever Published on Arms and Armour from Prehistoric Times to the Present – with Over 1,200 Illustrations |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=1982 |page=491|author2-link=Claude Blair }}</ref> The grip was sometimes wrapped in wire or coarse [[Hide (skin)|animal hide]] to provide a better grip and to make it harder to knock a sword out of the user's hand.<ref name=McLean>McLean, p. 178.</ref>

A number of [[Martial arts manual#Historical European martial arts|manuscripts]] covering longsword combat and techniques dating from the 13th–16th centuries exist in German,<ref name=Deutschbuch>{{cite web|url=http://www.pragmatische-schriftlichkeit.de/cgm582.html |title=Transkription von cgm582 |publisher=Pragmatische Schriftlichkeit|access-date=10 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309215813/http://www.pragmatische-schriftlichkeit.de/cgm582.html |archive-date=9 March 2011}}</ref> Italian, and English,<ref name=Englishbook>{{cite web |url=http://www.mymartialheritage.org/manuals.html |title=15th Century English Combat Manuscripts |publisher=The English Martial Arts Academy |access-date=10 November 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727104736/http://www.mymartialheritage.org/manuals.html |archive-date=27 July 2011}}</ref> providing extensive information on longsword combatives as used throughout this period. Many of these are now readily available online.<ref name=Deutschbuch/><ref name=Englishbook/>

In the 16th century, the large [[zweihänder]] was used by the elite German and Swiss mercenaries known as [[doppelsöldner]]s.<ref>Miller, Douglas; John Richards. ''Landsknechte 1486–1560''. {{ISBN|3-87748-636-3}}</ref> ''Zweihänder'', literally translated, means two-hander. The ''zweihänder'' possesses a long blade, as well as a huge guard for protection. It is estimated that some ''zweihänder'' swords were over {{convert|6|ft|m}} long, with the one ascribed to [[Frisia]]n warrior [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] being {{convert|2.13|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=out|order=flip}} long.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wunseradiel.nl/index.php?simaction=content&pagid=289&mediumid=1 |publisher=Gemeente Wûnseradiel |title=Greate Pier fan Wûnseradiel |language=fy |access-date=4 January 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903223225/http://www.gemeentesudwestfryslan.nl/ |archive-date=3 September 2012 }}</ref> The gigantic blade length was perfectly designed for manipulating and pushing away enemy [[polearm]]s, which were major weapons around this time, in both Germany and Eastern Europe. ''Doppelsöldners'' also used ''[[katzbalger]]s'', which means 'cat-gutter'. The ''katzbalger's'' S-shaped guard and {{convert|2|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} blade made it perfect for bringing in when the fighting became too close to use a ''zweihänder''.<ref name=Landsknechts>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Douglas |year=1976 |title=The Landsknechts |url=https://archive.org/details/landsknechts00mill |url-access=limited |publisher=Osprey Publishing |page=[https://archive.org/details/landsknechts00mill/page/n11 11] |isbn=978-0-85045-258-7}}</ref>

Civilian use of swords became increasingly common during the late Renaissance, with [[duel]]s being a preferred way to honourably settle disputes.

The [[side-sword]] was a type of war sword used by infantry during the [[Renaissance]] of [[Europe]]. This sword was a direct descendant of the [[knightly sword]]. Quite popular between the 16th and 17th centuries, they were ideal for handling the mix of armoured and unarmoured opponents of that time. A new technique of placing one's finger on the ''[[ricasso]]'' to improve the grip (a practice that would continue in the [[rapier]]) led to the production of hilts with a guard for the finger. This sword design eventually led to the development of the civilian rapier, but it was not replaced by it, and the side-sword continued to be used during the rapier's lifetime. As it could be used for both cutting and thrusting, the term "cut and thrust sword" is sometimes used interchangeably with side-sword.<ref>The term ''cut & thrust'' is a non-historical classification first used within The [[Association for Renaissance Martial Arts]] to differentiate cutting swords with compound hilts from true rapiers.</ref> As rapiers became more popular, attempts were made to hybridize the blade, sacrificing the effectiveness found in each unique weapon design. These are still considered side-swords and are sometimes labeled ''sword rapier'' or ''cutting rapier'' by modern collectors.

Side-swords used in conjunction with [[buckler]]s became so popular that it caused the term [[swashbuckler]] to be coined. This word stems from the new fighting style of the side-sword and buckler which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.fencing.net/product_p/ca-2279.htm|title=Practical Side Sword|publisher=Fencing.net|access-date=22 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031053440/http://shop.fencing.net/product_p/ca-2279.htm|archive-date=31 October 2010}}</ref>

Within the [[Ottoman Empire]], the use of a curved sabre called the ''[[yatagan]]'' started in the mid-16th century. It would become the weapon of choice for many in [[Turkey]] and the [[Balkans]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mortensen|first=Peder|author2=Torben Lundbæk|author3=Kjeld von Folsach|title=Sultan, Shah, and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world|publisher=National Museum|year=1996|page=200|isbn=978-87-89384-31-3}}</ref>

The sword in this time period was the most personal weapon, the most prestigious, and the most versatile for close combat, but it came to decline in military use as technology, such as the [[crossbow]] and [[firearm]]s changed warfare. However, it maintained a key role in civilian [[self-defence]].<ref name =Britannica/>

====Middle East====
The earliest evidence of curved swords, or [[scimitar]]s (and other regional variants as the [[Arabs|Arabian]] ''[[Arab sword|saif]]'', the [[Persians|Persian]] ''[[shamshir]]'' and the [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] ''[[kilij]]'') is from the 9th century, when it was used among soldiers in the [[Khurasan]] region of [[History of Persia|Persia]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Daily life in the medieval Islamic world |author=Lindsay, James E. |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-313-32270-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/64 64] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/64 }}</ref>

<gallery widths=130 heights=200>
File:Pala type of kilij.jpg|''[[Kilij]]''
File:Sabel, Shamsir (Persien) - Livrustkammaren - 13938.tif|''[[Shamshir]]''
</gallery>

====Africa====
[[File:State Gifts Presentation Sword.JPG|thumb|20th-century ''[[akrafena]]'']]

The ''[[takoba]]'' is a type of broadsword originating in the western [[Sahel]], descended from various [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Islam in Africa|Islamic]] swords. It has a straight double-edged blade measuring about one meter in length, usually imported from Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/takouba/|title=Takouba - Swords of the Saharan Tuareg|last= Jones|first=Lee A.|date=15 March 1998|access-date=6 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://takouba.org/|title=What is a takouba?|publisher=Takouba Research Society|access-date=6 July 2019|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807203819/http://takouba.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Ethiopian Empire|Abyssinian]] swords related to the Persian ''shamshir'' are known as ''[[shotel]]''.<ref>{{cite book |publisher=Mitchell |title=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution |volume=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXVDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA515 |year=1869 |page=515 |author=Royal United Service Institution |author-link=Royal United Service Institution}}</ref> The [[Asante people]] adopted swords under the name of ''[[akrafena]]''. They are still used today in ceremonies, such as the [[Odwira festival]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkLv4oPlIJQC&pg=PA138 |title=Odwira and the Gospel: A Study of the Asante Odwira Festival and Its Significance for Christianity in Ghana |publisher=OCMS |last=Adams |first=Frank Kwesi |year=2010 |page=138 |isbn=9781870345590}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://britishmuseum.org/research/online_research_catalogues/ag/asante_gold_regalia/i_history-significance-usage/iv.aspx |title=I. The history, significance and usage of Asante royal regalia continued |work=[[British Museum]] |access-date=10 April 2019 |publisher=[[Trustees of the British Museum]]}}</ref>

====East Asia====
[[File:Sword with Scabbard MET 21123 - cropped.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese ''dao'' and scabbard of the 17th–18th century]]

As steel technology improved, single-edged weapons became popular throughout Asia. Derived from the [[History of China|Chinese]] ''[[jian]]'' or ''[[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]]'', the [[Korea]]n ''[[hwandudaedo]]'' are known from the early medieval [[Three Kingdoms of Korea|Three Kingdoms]]. Production of the [[Japan]]ese ''[[tachi]]'', a precursor to the ''[[katana]]'', is recorded from c. AD 900 (see [[Japanese sword]]).<ref>[[Karl Friday|Friday, Karl F.]] (2004). ''Samurai, warfare and the state in early medieval Japan''. Routledge publishing. pp. 79–81. {{ISBN|0-415-32962-0}}</ref>

[[File:WLA haa Sword by Kenji Nobuhide Kurihara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Japanese sword]]s: ''[[tachi]]'' (right), ''[[wakizashi]]'' (top left), and ''[[tsuba]]'' (bottom left)]]
Japan was famous for the swords it forged in the early 13th century for the class of warrior-nobility known as the [[Samurai]]. Western historians have said that Japanese ''[[katana]]'' were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history.<ref name=Turnbull2012>{{cite book |author=Turnbull, Stephen |title=Katana: The Samurai Sword |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zW1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 |page=4 |year=2012 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-84908-658-5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429015330/https://books.google.com/books?id=rAFTe6JUEkQC&pg=PA4 |archive-date=29 April 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Ford2006>{{cite book |author=Ford, Roger |title=Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9WdYAAAAYAAJ |pages=66, 120 |year=2006 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn= 978-0-7566-2210-7 }}</ref><ref>Bryant, Anthony J.; Angus McBride. ''Samurai 1550–1600'', p. 49.</ref> The types of swords used by the Samurai included the ''[[ōdachi]]'' (extra long field sword), ''[[tachi]]'' (long cavalry sword), ''katana'' (long sword), and ''[[wakizashi]]'' (shorter companion sword for ''katana''). Japanese swords that pre-date the rise of the samurai caste include the ''[[Tsurugi (sword)|tsurugi]]'' (straight double-edged blade) and ''[[chokutō]]'' (straight one-edged blade).<ref>Jeep, John M. (1998). ''The connoisseur's book of Japanese swords''. Kodansha International publishing. {{ISBN|4-7700-2071-6}}</ref> Japanese swordmaking reached the height of its development in the 15th and 16th centuries, when samurai increasingly found a need for a sword to use in closer quarters, leading to the creation of the modern ''katana''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The connoisseur's book of Japanese swords |last=Nagayama |first=Kōkan |year=1998 |publisher=Kodansha International |isbn=978-4-7700-2071-0 |pages=59–65 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPyswmGDBFkC&pg=PA59 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603114919/https://books.google.com/books?id=zPyswmGDBFkC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA59 |archive-date=3 June 2016 }}</ref> High quality Japanese swords have been exported to neighboring Asian countries since before the 11th century. From the 15th century to the 16th century, more than 200,000 swords were exported, reaching a quantitative peak, but these were simple swords made exclusively for mass production, specialized for export and lending to conscripted farmers (''[[ashigaru]]'').<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160828134453/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20160327/ddm/001/070/120000c ''日本の技術の精巧さは...''.] ''[[Mainichi Shimbun]]''. 27 March 2016</ref><ref name="takeot">Takeo Tanaka. (2012) ''Wokou'' p. 104. [[Kodansha]]. {{ISBN|978-4062920933}}</ref><ref name="rekishi200940">''歴史人'' September 2020, p. 40. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>

====South Asia====
The ''[[Khanda (sword)|khanda]]'' is a double-edge straight sword. It is often featured in religious iconography, theatre and art depicting the ancient [[history of India]]. Some communities venerate the weapon as a symbol of [[Shiva]]. It is a common weapon in the martial arts in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref name="mty">Murty, M. L. K. (2003), p. 91.</ref> The ''khanda'' often appears in [[Hinduism|Hindu]], [[Buddhist]] and [[Sikhism|Sikh]] scriptures and art.<ref>{{cite book |last = Teece |first = Geoff | title = Sikhism |publisher = Black Rabbit Books |isbn = 978-1-58340-469-0 |page = 18|year = 2005 }}</ref> In [[Sri Lanka]], a unique wind furnace was used to produce the high-quality steel. This gave the blade a very hard cutting edge and beautiful patterns. For these reasons it became a very popular trading material.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.org/9609/newsbriefs/srilanka.html|title=Wind-Powered Furnaces|author=Freese, Brett Leslie |publisher=archaeology.org|access-date=6 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619070050/http://www.archaeology.org/9609/newsbriefs/srilanka.html |archive-date=19 June 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Rajput Khanda.jpg|thumb|A ''[[Khanda (sword)|khanda]]'' sword from India]]

The ''[[Firangi (sword)|firangi]]'' ({{IPAc-en|f|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|ŋ|ɡ|iː}}, derived from the Arabic term for a Western European, a "[[Franks|Frank]]") was a sword type which used blades manufactured in Western Europe and imported by the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese]], or made locally in imitation of European blades. Because of its length the ''firangi'' is usually regarded as primarily a [[cavalry]] weapon. The sword has been especially associated with the [[Maratha]]s, who were famed for their cavalry. However, the ''firangi'' was also widely used by [[Sikh]]s and [[Rajput]]s.<ref name="Ref-1">Stone and LaRocca, p. 229.</ref>

The ''[[talwar]]'' ({{langx|hi|तलवार}}) is a type of curved sword from India and other countries of the [[Indian subcontinent]], it was adopted by communities such as Rajputs, Sikhs and Marathas, who favored the sword as their main weapon. It became more widespread in the medieval era.<ref>Evangelista, p. 575.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title = Ancient and Awesome Indo-Pakistani Weapons |journal = Black Belt |volume = 18 |pages = 34 |date = March 1980 |issn=0277-3066}}</ref>

The ''[[urumi]]'' ({{langx|ta|சுருள் பட்டாக்கத்தி}} {{transliteration|ta|surul pattai}}, lit. curling blade; {{langx|si|එතුණු කඩුව}} {{transliteration|si|ethunu kaduwa}}; [[Hindi]]: {{transliteration|hi|aara}}) is a "sword" with a flexible whip-like blade.<ref name=Saravanan2005>{{cite journal |author=Saravanan, T. |year=2005|title=Valorous Sports Metro Plus Madurai |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/01/14/stories/2005011400050100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022074012/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/01/14/stories/2005011400050100.htm |journal=[[The Hindu]] |archive-date=22 October 2012}}</ref>

<gallery widths=200 heights=200>
File:Indian tulwar - talwar sword.jpg|''[[Talwar]]''
File:Pata-1-Archit-Patel.jpg|''[[Pata (sword)|Pata]]''
File:Mumtaz Mahal Museum, Red Fort - Firangi.jpg|''[[Firangi (sword)|Firangi]]''
</gallery>

====Southeast Asia====
[[File:Sabel behorend bij wapenrek van Cornelis Tromp, NG-NM-6097-C.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Vietnamese ''gươm'' of the 17th century]]

In [[Indonesia]], the images of Indian style swords can be found in Hindu gods statues from ancient Java circa 8th to 10th century. However the native types of blade known as ''[[kris]]'', [[Parang (knife)|''parang'']], ''[[klewang]]'' and ''[[golok]]'' were more popular as weapons. These daggers are shorter than a sword but longer than a common dagger.

[[File:Kampilan moro sword with sheath.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Kampilan]] from the [[Philippines]]. The traditional design of the hilt is a notable depiction from [[Philippine mythology]].]]

In the [[Philippines]], traditional large swords known as ''[[kampilan]]s'' and ''[[panabas]]'' were used in combat by the natives. A notable wielder of the ''kampilan'' was [[Lapu-Lapu]], the king of [[Mactan]] and his warriors who defeated the Spaniards and killed Portuguese explorer [[Ferdinand Magellan]] at the [[Battle of Mactan]] on 27 April 1521.<ref name="old">{{cite web |url=http://old.blades.free.fr/swords/klewang/kampilan/kampilan.htm |title=Kampilan |access-date=5 February 2009 |date=13 March 2007 |work=Malay World Edged Weapons |publisher=old.blades.free.fr |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231082858/http://old.blades.free.fr/swords/klewang/kampilan/kampilan.htm |archive-date=31 December 2009}}</ref> Traditional swords in the Philippines were immediately banned, but the training in [[swordsmanship]] was later hidden from the occupying [[Spanish Colonial Era (Philippines)|Spaniards]] by practices in [[Philippine dance|dances]]. But because of the banning, Filipinos were forced to use swords that were disguised as farm tools. ''[[Bolo knife|Bolos]]'' and [[balisword]]s were used during the [[Philippine Revolution|revolutions]] against the colonialists not only because ammunition for guns was scarce, but also for concealability while walking in crowded streets and homes. ''Bolos'' were also used by young boys who joined their parents in the revolution and by young girls and their mothers in defending the town while the men were on the battlefields. During the [[Philippine–American War]] in events such as the [[Battle of Balangiga]], most of an American company was hacked to death or seriously injured by ''[[Bolo knife|bolo]]''-wielding guerillas in [[Balangiga, Eastern Samar|Balangiga, Samar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marcialtirada.net/filipino_weapons |title=Traditional Filipino Weapons |author=Guro, Tony |publisher=Philippine Martial Arts Institute |date=4 May 2012 |access-date=4 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529002947/http://www.marcialtirada.net/filipino_weapons |archive-date=29 May 2012}}</ref> When the [[Japanese Imperial Army|Japanese]] took control of the country, several American special operations groups stationed in the Philippines were introduced to [[Filipino martial arts]] and swordsmanship, leading to this style reaching America despite the fact that natives were reluctant to allow outsiders in on their fighting secrets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/kali.htm |title=A History and Style Guide of Kali |author1=Rousseau, Robert |author2=About.com Guide |publisher=About.com |date=4 May 2012 |access-date=4 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201061001/http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/kali.htm |archive-date=1 February 2012 }}</ref>

====Pre-Columbian Americas====
[[File:Macuahuitl_(DSC07972a).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|A ''[[macuahuitl]]'' broadsword from [[Mesoamerica]]]]

The ''[[macuahuitl]]'' is a wooden broadsword and club that was utilized by various [[Mesoamerica]]n civilizations, such as those of the [[Aztec Empire|Aztecs]], [[Maya civilization|Maya]], [[Olmec]]s, [[Toltec]]s, and [[Mixtec]]s.

====Pacific Islands====
In the [[Gilbert Islands]], the native [[Kiribati people]] have developed a type of broadsword made from shark teeth, which serves a similar function to the ''[[leiomano]]'' used by the [[Native Hawaiians]].

===Early modern history===
====Military sword====
{{Further|Basket-hilted sword|Backsword|Sabre}}

A single-edged type of [[Sidearm (weapon)|sidearm]] used by the [[Hussites]] was popularized in 16th-century Germany under its Czech name ''[[dusack]]'', also known as ''Säbel auf Teutsch gefasst'' ("sabre fitted in the German manner").<ref>In 1579, [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]] records delivery of some 700 ''Dusäggen'' by local bladesmiths, besides payment of 40 ''Dusäggen'' delivered from [[Passau]], as part of the preparation for the [[Long Turkish War|war against the Turks]] under [[Charles II, Archduke of Austria|Archduke Charles II]]. [http://www.waffensammlung-beck.ch/waffe2.html "Säbel, 'Dusägge', Deutsch Ende 16. Jahrhundert"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190005/http://www.waffensammlung-beck.ch/waffe2.html |date=3 March 2016 }}, Waffensammlung Beck, Inv-Nr.:Be 10.</ref> A closely related weapon is the ''schnepf'' or [[Swiss sabre]] used in [[Early Modern Switzerland]].<ref>Claude Blair, "The Early Basket Hilt in Britain" in: ''Scottish Weapons and Fortifications'' (ed. David H. Caldwell, 1981)</ref>

The [[cut-and-thrust]] [[mortuary sword]] was used after 1625 by [[cavalry]] during the [[English Civil War]]. This (usually) two-edged sword sported a half-basket hilt with a straight blade some 90–105&nbsp;cm long. Later in the 17th century, the swords used by cavalry became predominantly [[backsword|single-edged]]. The so-called [[walloon sword]] (''épée wallone'')<ref>Vladimir Brnardic, Darko Pavlovic, ''Imperial Armies of the Thirty Years' War (2): Cavalry'', [[Osprey Publishing]], 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-84603-997-3}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8yelxwMTfnUC&dq=walloon+sword&pg=PA20 p. 20]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref> was common in the [[Thirty Years' War]] and [[Baroque]] era.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/review_pmc_papp.html|title=Pappenheimer Sword |first=Bill |last=Grandy |access-date=30 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102154632/http://myarmoury.com/review_pmc_papp.html |archive-date=2 November 2016}}</ref> Its hilt was ambidextrous with shell-guards and [[knuckle-bow]] that inspired 18th-century continental [[hunting hanger]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Collections Explorer – Object Detail (HEN.M.219-1933, id:1) |url=http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/opacdirect/18948.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402161142/http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/opacdirect/18948.html |archive-date=2 April 2012 |publisher=The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge |date=1 January 2012 |access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> Following their campaign in the Netherlands in 1672, the French began producing this weapon as their first regulation sword.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=13795|title=Walloon Swords |first=Nathan |last=Robinson |access-date=30 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629231452/http://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=13795 |archive-date=29 June 2017}}</ref> Weapons of this design were also issued to the [[Swedish army]] from the time of [[Gustavus Adolphus]] until as late as the 1850s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfhm.se/|title=Statens försvarshistoriska museer|access-date=30 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104013814/http://www.sfhm.se/|archive-date=4 January 2017}}</ref>

====Duelling sword====
{{Further|Rapier|Small sword}}

The [[rapier]] is believed to have evolved either from the Spanish ''[[espada ropera]]'' or from the swords of the [[Italian nobility]] somewhere in the later part of the 16th century.<ref>Kirkland p. 17</ref><ref>Green pp. 583–84</ref> The rapier differed from most earlier swords in that it was not a military weapon but a primarily civilian sword. Both the rapier and the Italian [[schiavona]] developed the crossguard into a [[basket-hilted sword|basket-shaped guard]] for hand protection.<ref name=Oakeshott/>

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the shorter [[small sword]] became an essential fashion accessory in European countries and the New World, though in some places such as the [[Scottish Highlands]] large swords as the basket-hilted broadsword were preferred, and most wealthy men and military officers carried one slung from a belt. Both the small sword and the rapier remained popular [[European dueling sword|dueling swords]] well into the 18th century.<ref>Norman, B.; Vesey, A. (1980). ''The rapier and small-sword, 1460–1820''. Arms and Armour Press. {{ISBN|0-405-13089-9}}</ref>

As the wearing of swords fell out of fashion, [[Walking stick|canes]] took their place in a gentleman's wardrobe. This developed to the gentlemen in the Victorian era to use the [[umbrella]]. Some examples of canes—those known as sword canes or [[swordstick]]s—incorporate a concealed blade. The French [[martial art]] ''[[la canne]]'' developed to fight with canes and swordsticks and has now evolved into a sport. The English martial art [[singlestick]] is very similar.
With the rise of the [[Duelling pistol|pistol duel]], the duelling sword fell out of fashion long before the practice of duelling itself. By about 1770, English duelists enthusiastically adopted the pistol, and sword duels dwindled.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/techniques/pup_wd.html pbs.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422021753/http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/techniques/pup_wd.html |date=22 April 2006 }}</ref> However, the custom of duelling with [[epée]]s persisted well into the 20th century in France. Such modern duels were not fought to the death; the duellists' aim was instead merely to draw blood from the opponent's sword arm.<ref name="Time">The last known French duel of public note fought with epées took place in 1967, when [[Gaston Defferre]] insulted [[René Ribière]] at the French Parliament and was subsequently challenged to a duel fought with swords. René Ribière lost the duel, being wounded twice.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843669,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |title=People: Apr. 28, 1967 |magazine=Time |date=1967-04-28 |access-date=2010-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629023401/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843669,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |archive-date=29 June 2011 }}</ref>

===Late modern history===
====Military sidearm====
Towards the end of its useful life, the sword served more as a weapon of [[self-defence]] than for use on the battlefield, and the military importance of swords steadily decreased during the [[Modern Age]]. Even as a personal sidearm, the sword began to lose its preeminence in the early 19th century, reflecting the development of reliable [[handgun]]s.<ref name=Britannica>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/577385/sword |title=Encyclopædia Britannica-"Sword" |encyclopedia=The Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=10 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419033120/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/577385/sword |archive-date=19 April 2010 }}</ref>

However, swords were still normally carried in [[combat]] by cavalrymen and by officers of other branches throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, both in colonial and European warfare. For example, during the [[Aceh War]] the [[Aceh Sultanate|Acehnese]] ''[[klewang]]s'', a sword similar to the [[machete]], proved very effective in close quarters combat with Dutch troops, leading the [[Royal Netherlands East Indies Army]] to adopt a heavy [[cutlass]], also called ''klewang'' (very similar in appearance to the US Navy Model 1917 Cutlass) to counter it. Mobile troops armed with [[carbine]]s and klewangs succeeded in suppressing Aceh resistance where traditional infantry with [[rifle]] and [[bayonet]] had failed. From that time on until the 1950s the [[Royal Dutch East Indies Army]], Royal Dutch Army, Royal Dutch Navy and Dutch police used these cutlasses called Klewang.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Moor|first=Jaap de|author2=Wesseling, H. L.|title=Imperialism and war: essays on colonial wars in Asia and Africa|publisher=Brill|year=1989|pages=69–71|isbn=978-90-04-08834-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Ion|first=A. Hamish|author2=Errington, Elizabeth Jane|title=Great powers and little wars: the limits of power|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1993|page=60|isbn=978-0-275-93965-6}}</ref>

[[File:Jack Churchill leading training charge with sword.jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|British Major [[Jack Churchill]] (far right) leads commandos during a training exercise, sword in hand, in [[World War II]].]]

Swords continued in general peacetime use by cavalry of most armies during the years prior to World War I. The British Army formally adopted a completely new design of [[Pattern 1908 cavalry sword|cavalry sword]] in 1908, almost the last change in British Army weapons before the outbreak of the war.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilkinson-Latham |first=John |year=1966 |title=British Military Swords from 1800 to the Present Day |publisher=Hutchinson & Co. |isbn=978-0-09-081201-1}}</ref> At the outbreak of World War I infantry officers in all combatant armies then involved (French, German, British, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Belgian and Serbian) still carried swords as part of their field equipment. On mobilization in August 1914 all serving British Army officers were required to have their swords sharpened as the only peacetime use of the weapon had been for saluting on parade.<ref>Tuchman, Barbara W. (1962). ''The Guns of August'', p. 229. Constable and Co. Ltd.</ref> The high visibility and limited practical use of the sword however led to it being abandoned within weeks, although most cavalry continued to carry sabres throughout the war. While retained as a symbol of rank and status by at least senior officers of infantry, artillery and other branches, the sword was usually left with non-essential baggage when units reached the front line.<ref>{{cite book|first=Pierre|last=Lierneuz|page=366|title=The Belgian Army in the Great War. Portable Service Weapons|year=2017|publisher=Verlag Militaria GmbH |isbn=978-3-902526-86-1}}</ref> It was not until the late 1920s and early 1930s that this historic weapon was finally discarded for all but ceremonial purposes by most remaining horse mounted regiments of Europe and the Americas.

In China troops used the long anti-cavalry ''[[miao dao]]'' well into the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. The last units of British heavy cavalry switched to using [[Armored car (military)|armoured vehicles]] as late as 1938. Swords and other dedicated melee weapons were used occasionally by many countries during [[World War II]], but typically as a secondary weapon as they were outclassed by coexisting [[firearm]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Thomas M. |year=2006 |title=German Swords of World War II – A Photographic Reference Vol.3: DLV, Diplomats, Customs, Police and Fire, Justice, Mining, Railway, etc. |publisher=Schiffer Pub Ltd |isbn=978-0-7643-2432-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Youens |first=Michael |author2=Warner, Philip |year=1973 |title=Japanese Army of World War II |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-0-85045-118-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zk8bF_ShpsoC&pg=PP1 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513003714/https://books.google.com/books?id=Zk8bF_ShpsoC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1 |archive-date=13 May 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Mike |year=1998 |title=Battles of World War II |publisher=ABDO Publishing |isbn=978-1-56239-804-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OYVwusIBWPEC&pg=PP1 |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503090544/https://books.google.com/books?id=OYVwusIBWPEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1 |archive-date=3 May 2016 }}</ref> A notable exception was the Imperial Japanese Army where, for cultural reasons, all officers and warrant officers carried the [[Guntō#Shin guntō (new military sword)|shin-gunto]] ("new military sword") into battle from 1934 until 1945.<ref>{{cite book|first=Philip|last=Jowett|page=[https://archive.org/details/japanesearmyvolu00jowe_173/page/n42 42]|title=The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1)|year=2002|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |url=https://archive.org/details/japanesearmyvolu00jowe_173|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-353-5}}</ref>

====Ceremonial use====
{{Further|Sword of state}}

Swords are commonly worn as a [[ceremonial weapon|ceremonial item]] by officers in many military and naval services throughout the world. Occasions to wear swords include any event in dress uniforms where the rank-and-file carry arms: [[parade]]s, reviews, [[Swords in courts-martial|courts-martial]], [[Military tattoo|tattoos]], and changes of command. They are also commonly worn for officers' weddings, and when wearing dress uniforms to church—although they are rarely actually worn in the church itself.

In the British forces, swords are also worn for any appearance at [[Court (royal)|Court]]. In the [[United States]], some Navy and Marine officers are required to own a sword, which can be prescribed for any formal outdoor ceremonial occasion. They are also worn by Non-Commissioned Officers in some circumstances.

=====Religious=====
In the [[occult]] practices of [[Wicca]], a sword or knife often referred to as an [[athame]] is used as a [[Magical tools in Wicca|magical tool]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Regardie|first=Israel|title=The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic vol. Four|date=1990|publisher=New Falcon Publications (Falcon Press)|location=Scottsdale, Arizona|isbn=978-0-941404-12-9|page=33|edition=Fourth}}</ref>

====Sword replicas====
The production of replicas of historical swords originates with 19th-century [[historicism (art)|historicism]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Gabbay, Dov M. |author2=Anthonie Meijers |author3=Paul Thagard |author4=John Woods |year=2009 |title=Philosophy of Technology and Engineering Sciences |publisher=Elsevier Publishing |page=1208 |isbn=978-0-444-51667-1}}</ref> Contemporary replicas can range from cheap factory produced look-alikes to exact recreations of individual artifacts, including an approximation of the historical production methods.

Some kinds of swords are still commonly used today as weapons, often as a side arm for military infantry. The Japanese ''[[katana]]'', ''[[wakizashi]]'' and ''[[tantō]]'' are carried by some infantry and officers in Japan and other parts of Asia and the ''[[kukri]]'' is the official melee weapon for [[Nepal]]. Other swords in use today are the [[sabre]], the [[scimitar]], the [[shortsword]] and the [[machete]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Chappell |first=Mike |year=1993 |title=The Gurkhas |pages=31–32 |isbn=978-1-85532-357-5 |publisher=Osprey Publishing}}</ref>

* In the case of a rat-tail [[tang (tools)|tang]], the maker welds a thin rod to the end of the blade at the crossguard; this rod goes through the grip.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://knife-depot.com/pages/all-about-knife-tangs|title=All About Knife Tangs|website=Knife Depot|language=en|access-date=2018-12-02}}</ref>
* In traditional construction, Swordsmiths [[peening|peened]] such tangs over the end of the pommel, or occasionally welded the hilt furniture to the tang and threaded the end for screwing on a pommel. This style is often referred to as a "narrow" or "hidden" tang. Modern, less traditional, replicas often feature a threaded pommel or a pommel nut which holds the hilt together and allows dismantling.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oakshott |first=Ewart |title=The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry |publisher=Dover Publications |year=1996}}</ref>
* In a "full" tang (most commonly used in knives and [[machete]]s), the tang has about the same width as the blade, and is generally the same shape as the grip.<ref name=TangTypes>{{cite web |url=http://www.gungfu.com/cart-htm/swords_tang_types.htm |title=Tang Types of a Sword |publisher=gungfu.com |access-date=7 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061030154047/http://www.gungfu.com/cart-htm/swords_tang_types.htm |archive-date=30 October 2006 }}</ref>

==Morphology==
{{Further|Classification of swords}}

The sword consists of the [[blade]] and the [[hilt]]. The term ''[[scabbard]]'' applies to the cover for the sword blade when not in use.

===Blade===
{{Main|Sword blade|Oakeshott typology}}
{{Plain image with caption|Sword parts-en.svg|caption=Parts of a sword|upright=2|triangle=triangle|align=right|caption position=top}}

There is considerable variation in the detailed design of sword blades. The diagram opposite shows a typical Medieval European sword.

Early iron blades have rounded points due to the limited metallurgy of the time. These were still effective for thrusting against lightly armoured opponents. As armour advanced, blades were made narrower, stiffer and sharply pointed to defeat the armour by thrusting.

Dedicated cutting blades are wide and thin, and often have grooves known as [[fuller (weapon)|fullers]] which lighten the blade at the cost of some of the blade's stiffness. The edges of a cutting sword are almost parallel. Blades oriented for the thrust have thicker blades, sometimes with a distinct midrib for increased stiffness, with a strong taper and an acute point.  The geometry of a cutting sword blade allows for acute edge angles. An edge with an acuter angle is more inclined to degrade quickly in combat situations than an edge with a more obtuse angle. Also, an acute edge angle is not the primary factor of a blade's sharpness.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Geißler|first=Robert|title=Concerning the Sharpness of Blades|publisher=HROARR|year=2014|url=http://www.hroarr.com/concerning-the-sharpness-of-blades/|access-date=18 May 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521083741/http://www.hroarr.com/concerning-the-sharpness-of-blades/|archive-date=21 May 2014}}</ref>

The part of the blade between the [[center of percussion]] (CoP) and the point is called the ''foible'' (weak) of the blade, and that between the [[center of gravity|center of balance]] (CoB) and the hilt is the ''forte'' (strong). The section in between the CoP and the CoB is the ''middle''.

The ''[[ricasso]]'' or ''shoulder'' identifies a short section of blade immediately below the guard that is left completely unsharpened. Many swords have no ricasso. On some large weapons, such as the [[Germany|German]] ''[[Zweihänder]]'', a metal cover surrounded the ricasso, and a swordsman might grip it in one hand to wield the weapon more easily in close-quarter combat.<ref name=Landsknechts/>
The ricasso normally bears the [[trademark|maker's mark]].

The [[tang (tools)|tang]] is the extension of the blade to which the hilt is fitted.

On Japanese blades, the maker's mark appears on the tang under the grip.<ref>{{cite book |last=Yumoto |first=John M. |year=1979 |title=The Samurai sword: a handbook |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |page=137 |isbn=978-0-8048-0509-4}}</ref>

===Hilt===
{{main|Hilt}}
[[File:Rapier mg 3370-no shadows.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The hilt of a [[rapier]]—in this case, with a swept hilt]]

The [[hilt]] is the collective term for the parts allowing for the handling and control of the blade; these consist of the [[Hilt#Grip|grip]], the [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]], and a simple or elaborate [[Guard (weapon)|guard]], which in post-[[Viking Age]] swords could consist of only a [[crossguard]] (called a [[cruciform]] hilt or [[quillons]]). The pommel was originally designed as a stop to prevent the sword slipping from the hand. From around the 11th century onward it became a counterbalance to the blade, allowing a more fluid style of fighting.{{Dubious|date=March 2012}}<ref name="laodes">{{cite book|last=Loades|first=Mike|title=Swords and Swordsmen|year=2010|publisher=Pen & Sword Books|location=Great Britain|isbn=978-1-84884-133-8}}</ref> It can also be used as a blunt instrument at close range, and its weight affects the centre of percussion. In later times a ''[[Hilt#Sword knot|sword knot]]'' or ''[[Hilt#Sword knot|tassel]]'' was sometimes added. By the 17th century, with the growing use of firearms and the accompanying decline in the use of [[armour]], many [[rapier]]s and [[European dueling sword|dueling swords]] had developed elaborate basket hilts, which protect the palm of the wielder and rendered the [[Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlet]] obsolete.<ref>Wagner, Eduard (2004). ''Swords and daggers: an illustrated handbook''. Courier Dover Publications, p. 13, {{ISBN|0-486-43392-7}}</ref> By contrast, Japanese swords of the early modern period customarily used a small disc guard, or [[tsuba|{{Transliteration|ja|tsuba}}]].

In late medieval and Renaissance era European swords, a flap of leather called the ''chappe'' or ''rain guard'' was attached to a sword's [[crossguard]] at the base of the hilt to protect the mouth of the scabbard and prevent water from entering.<ref>Burton, p. 124</ref>

===Sword scabbards and suspension===
{{main|Scabbard}}

Common accessories to the sword include the [[scabbard]] and [[baldric]], known as a 'sword belt'.

* The scabbard, also known as the sheath, is a protective cover often provided for the sword blade. Scabbards have been made of many materials, including leather, wood, and metals such as brass or steel. The metal fitting where the blade enters the leather or metal scabbard is called the throat, which is often part of a larger scabbard mount, or locket, that bears a carrying ring or stud to facilitate wearing the sword. The blade's point in leather scabbards is usually protected by a metal tip, or [[chape]], which on both leather and metal scabbards is often given further protection from wear by an extension called a drag, or shoe.<ref>Robson, Brian (1975). ''Swords of the British Army: the regulation patterns, 1788–1914''. Arms and Armour Press, p. 10, {{ISBN|0-901721-33-6}}</ref>
* A sword belt is a [[belt (clothing)|belt]] with an attachment for the sword's scabbard, used to carry it when not in use. It is usually fixed to the scabbard of the sword, providing a fast means of drawing the sword in battle. Examples of sword belts include the [[Balteus (sword belt)|Balteus]] used by the [[Roman legionary]].<ref>Smith, pp. 133–34</ref> Swords and sword belts continue in use for ceremonial occasions by military forces.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://rmhistorical.com/files/content/RAF%20Dress%20Regulations%202004.pdf|title=Uniform dress and appearance regulations for the Royal Air Force|year=2004|edition=6|id=AP 1358|publisher=Ministry of Defence|pages=9–16 - Ceremonial Sword Belt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/documents/reference-library/br-3-vol-1/chapter-39.pdf|title=Royal Navy Book of Reference|id=BRd3(1)|chapter=39. ROYAL NAVY OFFICERS AND RATINGS, Annex 39A: RN Dress Tables|date=October 2018|edition=9|page=39A-1,39A-33}}</ref>

==Typology==
{{Main|Types of swords|Classification of swords}}

Sword typology is based on morphological criteria on the one hand (blade shape (cross-section, taper, and length), shape and size of the hilt and pommel), and age and place of origin on the other ([[Bronze Age sword|Bronze Age]], [[Iron Age sword|Iron Age]], European (medieval, early modern, modern), Asian).

The relatively comprehensive [[Oakeshott typology]] was created by historian and illustrator [[Ewart Oakeshott]] as a way to define and catalogue European swords of the medieval period based on physical form, including blade shape and hilt configuration. The typology also focuses on the smaller, and in some cases contemporary, single-handed swords such as the [[arming sword]].<ref name=Oakeshott>{{Cite Q|Q105271484|pages=18–19}}</ref>

===Single vs. double-edged===
As noted above, the terms [[longsword]], [[broad sword]], [[great sword]], and [[Claymore|Gaelic claymore]] are used relative to the era under consideration, and each term designates a particular type of sword.

====''Jian''====
In most Asian countries, a sword (''[[jian]]'' 劍, [[Korean sword|geom]] (검), ''ken/[[Tsurugi (sword)|tsurugi]]'' (剣) is a double-edged straight-bladed weapon, while a knife or sabre ([[Dao (Chinese sword)|''dāo'']] 刀, ''do'' (도), ''to/[[katana]]'' (刀) refers to a single-edged object.

====''Kirpan''====
Among the [[Sikhs]], the sword is held in very high esteem. A single-edged sword is called a ''[[kirpan]]'', and its double-edged counterpart a ''[[Khanda (sword)|khanda]]'' or ''[[Talwar|tegha]]''.<ref>Singh Jiwan Singh; B. Chatter (2001). ''The turban and the sword of the Sikhs: Essence of Sikhism''. Amritsar {{ISBN|81-7601-491-5}}</ref>

====''Churika''====
The [[South Indian]] ''[[churika]]'' is a handheld double-edged sword traditionally used in the [[Malabar region]] of [[Kerala]]. It is also worshipped as the weapon of [[Vettakkorumakan]], the hunter god in Hinduism.

====Backsword and falchion====
European terminology does give generic names for single-edged and double-edged blades but refers to specific types with the term 'sword' covering them all. For example, the [[backsword]] may be so called because it is single-edged but the [[falchion]] which is also single-edged is given its own specific name.<ref>{{cite book |title=European Weapons and Armour |last= Oakeshott |first= Ewart|year= 1980 |publisher= Lutterworth Press |location= Guildford & London|page= 152}}</ref>

===Single vs. two-handed use===
[[File:Tvåhandssvärd, Italien, ca 1623 - Skoklosters slott - 67303.tif|thumb|upright=0.7|Two-handed sword, Italy, circa 1623]]

====Two-handed====
{{See also|Two-handed sword}}

A two-handed sword is any sword that usually requires two hands to wield, or more specifically the very large swords of the 16th century.<ref name="laodes"/>

Throughout history two-handed swords have generally been less common than their one-handed counterparts, one exception being their common use in Japan. Two-handed grips have two advantages: obviously they allow the strength of two hands to be used, not just one, but by spacing the hands apart they also allow a [[couple (mechanics)|torque]] to be applied, rotating the sword in a slashing manner.

A two-handed grip may be needed for one of two reasons: either to wield a particularly large sword or else with the single-sided Japanese [[tachi]] for a slashing cut. Slashing swords may have distinctively long hilt grips to facilitate this.

====Hand and a half sword====
A hand and a half sword, colloquially known as a "[[bastard sword]]", was a sword with an extended grip and sometimes pommel so that it could be used with either one or two hands. Although these swords may not provide a full two-hand grip, they allowed its wielders to hold a [[shield]] or parrying dagger in their off hand, or to use it as a two-handed sword for a more powerful blow.<ref name=McLean/> These should not be confused with a [[longsword]], [[two-handed sword]], or [[Zweihänder]], which were always intended to be used with two hands.

==Laws on carrying a sword==
[[File:Pohjois-Karjala.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright=0.6|Two arms holding swords in the coat of arms of [[North Karelia]]]]

The [[Visigothic]] Code of Ervig (680-687) made ownership of a sword mandatory for men joining the Visigothic army, regardless of whether the men were Goth or Roman.<ref name="Medieval Military Technology">{{cite book| first1= Kelly | last1= DeVries | first2= Robert Douglas | last2= Smith | year = 2012| title = Medieval Military Technology | pages = 20| publisher = University of Toronto Press| isbn = 9781442604971}}</ref> A number of [[Charlemagne]] [[capitularies]] made ownership of a sword mandatory, for example, those who owned a warhorse needed to also own a sword.<ref name="Medieval Military Technology"/>

==In fiction==
{{Main|List of fictional swords}}

In [[fantasy]], [[magic sword]]s often appear, based on their use in myth and legend. The [[science fiction]] counterpart to these is known as an energy sword (sometimes also referred to as a "beam sword" or "laser sword"), a sword whose blade consists of, or is augmented by, concentrated energy. A well known example of this type of sword is the [[lightsaber]], shown in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Sophie Borland|date=January 21, 2008|title=Lightsabre wins the battle of movie weapons|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1576154/Lightsabre-wins-the-battle-of-movie-weapons.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1576154/Lightsabre-wins-the-battle-of-movie-weapons.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2008-01-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Arabic swords]]
* [[Chinese swords]]
* [[Classification of swords]]
* [[Glassmakers' symbol]]
* [[Japanese swords]]
* [[List of blade materials]]
* [[Lists of swords]]
* [[Sword and Spurs of Giampietro Proti]]
* [[Sword making]]
* [[Swordsmanship]]
* [[Types of swords]]
* [[Waster]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
=== Explanatory footnotes ===
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|35em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* Allchin, F. R. (December 1979). [https://brill.com/edcollchap/book/9789004644465/B9789004644465_s012.xml "A South Indian Copper Sword and Its Significance"]. J. E. van Lohuizen-de Leeuw, ed. [https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/693?language=en ''South Asian Archaeology 1975: Papers from The Third International Conference of The Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Western Europe, Held in Paris''] {{Subscription required}}. Brill Academic Publishers. pp. 106–18. {{doi|10.1163/9789004644465_012}}. {{ISBN|90-04-05996-2}}.
* Burton, Richard F. (2008).''The Book of The Sword''. Cosimo, Inc. {{ISBN|1-60520-436-6}}.
* Comnena, Anna (1928).  [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/AnnaComnena-Alexiad00.asp ''The Alexiad''] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106062444/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/AnnaComnena-Alexiad00.asp |date=6 November 2014 }}). Ed. and trans. Elizabeth A. Dawes. London: Routledge. Via the Internet History Sourcebook.
* {{Cite book 
|editor1-last=Deutscher
|editor1-first=Lisa
|editor2-last=Kaiser
|editor2-first=Mirjam
|editor3-last=Wetzler
|editor3-first=Sixt
|date=2019
|title=The Sword: Form and Thought
|location=Suffolk, UK
|publisher=Boydell Press
|isbn=978-1-78327-427-7
}}
* Edgerton, Wilbraham Egerton; et al. (2002). ''Indian and Oriental Arms and Armour''. Mineola, N.Y.: Courier Dover Publications. {{ISBN|0-486-42229-1}}. {{OCLC|49225703}}.
* {{Cite book |last=Evangelista |first=Nick |year=1995 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Sword |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-27896-9}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gravett|first=Christopher|year=1997|title=German Medieval Armies 1000-1300|publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn =978-1-85532-657-6}}
* Green, Thomas A. (2001). ''Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia''. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. {{ISBN|1-57607-150-2}}.
* Kirkland, J. Michael (2006). ''Stage Combat Resource Materials: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography''. Greenwood Publishing Group. {{ISBN|0-313-30710-5}}.
* {{cite book |first=Will|last=McLean|author2=Forgeng, Jeffrey L. |title=Daily life in Chaucer's England |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-313-35951-4}}
* Naish, Camille (1991). ''Death Comes to The Maiden: Sex and Execution, 1431–1933''. Taylor & Francis Publishing. {{ISBN|0-415-05585-7}}.
* Prasad, Prakash Chandra (2003). ''Foreign Trade and Commerce in Ancient India''. Abhinav Publications. {{ISBN|81-7017-053-2}}.
* Smith, William (1843). [https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Dictionary_of_Greek_and_Roman_Antiquit/peJWAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'']. New York: Harper & Brothers.
* [[Theodore Wertime|Wertime, Theodore]] and Muhly, J. D., eds. (1980). ''The Coming of the Age of Iron''. Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0-300-02425-8}}.
* Withers, Harvey J. S. (2006). ''World Swords 1400–1945''. Studio Jupiter Military Publishing. {{ISBN|0-9545910-1-1}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Swords}}

{{Swords by region|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Notable swords}}
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[[Category:Swords| ]]
[[Category:2nd-millennium BC introductions]]
[[Category:Ancient weapons]]
[[Category:Ceremonial magic]]
[[Category:Ceremonial weapons]]
[[Category:Edged and bladed weapons]]
[[Category:Medieval European swords]]
[[Category:Medieval weapons]]