The first sword appeared during the Bronze Age. It was made of copper and was uncovered at the Harappan sites in present-day Pakistan. By the Middle Ages iron and steel swords were being mass produced and used in battle. Soldiers were trained in swordsmanship and prepared for combat. It was before the era of guns and high-powered artillery and face to face fighting was the norm. During this time in history, all of the royal generals, kings, and emperors owned personal swords. These weapons were manufactured by the greatest sword makers of the time. Many historical manuscripts document events surrounding significant swords. This video will be examining ten world famous and deadly swords that still survive today.
10. Tomoyuki Yamashita’s Sword
Tomoyuki Yamashita was a
general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. During his
military career, Tomoyuki Yamashita owned a personal sword that contained a
blade manufactured by famous sword maker Fujiwara Kanenaga sometime between 1640
and 1680. The weapon had its handle remade in the early 1900s.
The Samurai sword was surrendered by General
Yamashita, along with his army, on September 2, 1945. It was taken by
General MacArthur and given to the West Point Military Museum where it remains
today. The sword is one piece in a great collection
of military arms housed at the West Point Museum.
9. Curved Saber of San Martin
José de San Martín was a
famous Argentine general that lived from 1778-1850. He was the primary
leader of the southern part of South America’s struggle for independence from
Spain.
One of the most cherished
possessions of José de San Martín was a curved sword that he purchased in
London. San Martín admired the saber’s curved blade and felt that the
weapon was maneuverable and ideal for battle. For this reason, he armed
his cavalries of granaderos with similar weapons, which he deemed important for
charge attacks. The curved sword stayed with San Martín until his death
and was then passed down to the General de la Republica Argentina, Don Juan
Manuel de Rosas.
In his will San Martín
referred to the sword as “The saber that has accompanied me throughout the War
of Independence of South America.” In 1896 the weapon was sent to the
National Historical Museum in Buenos Aires where it remains today. In the
1960s the sword was stolen on two separate occasions and this caused museum operators
to build a screened gazebo to protect the artifact.
8. Seven-Branched Sword
The Baekje Dynasty was an
ancient kingdom located in southwest Korea. At its peak in the 4th
century, Baekje controlled colonies in China and most of the western Korean
Peninsula.
The weapon is a 74.9 cm
long iron sword with six branch-like protrusions along the central blade, which
is 65.5 cm. The sword was developed for ceremonial purposes and was not
built for battle. In 1870 a Shinto priest named Masatomo Kan discovered
two inscriptions on the Seven-Branched Sword. One of them states “At noon
on the sixteenth day of the eleventh month, fourth year of Taiwa era, the sword
was made of 100 time’s hardened steel.
Using the sword repels 100 enemy soldiers. Appropriate for the polite
duke king.”
The Seven-Branched Sword
contains many statements, but the most controversial involves the phrase
“enfeoffed lord,” used when describing the King of Wa as a possible subservient
to the Baekje ruler. The sword is an important historical link and shows
that a relationship did exist between the East Asian countries of this era.
The original Seven-Branched Sword is currently housed in the Isonokami Shrine
in Nara Prefecture of Japan.
It is not on display to the public.
7. Wallace Sword
William Wallace was a
Scottish knight who lived from 1272-1305. Wallace is known for leading a
resistance against England during the Wars of Scottish Independence, which were
waged during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. His sword is one of
the most famous in the world.
The William Wallace sword
is located at the National Monument in Stirling, Scotland. The shaft of
the sword measures 4 feet by 4 inches in length (132cm) and it weighs 6.0 lb
(2.7 kg). The sword is said to be the weapon that Wallace used at the
Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and the Battle of Falkirk (1298). The
pommel on the sword consists of an onion-shaped piece of gilded iron and the
grip is wrapped with dark brown leather. The hilt or handle that is
currently on the Wallace sword is not the original. It is believed that
the sword has been modified on separate occasions.
After the execution of
William Wallace, Sir John de Menteith, governor of Dumbarton Castle, received
his sword. In 1505, King James IV of Scotland paid the sum of 26
shillings to have the sword binned with cords of silk. It is said that
the sword underwent many changes, which might have been necessary because
Wallace’s original scabbard, hilt and belt were said to have been made from the
dried skin of Hugh Cressingham, who was an English commander.
6. Tizona Sword
El Cid is a man that was
born circa 1040 in Vivar, which was a small town about six miles north of
Burgos, the capital of Castile During his lifetime El Cid became a successful
military leader and diplomat. El Cid was the king’s most valuable asset
in the fight against the Moors. He was a skilled military strategist and
strong swordsman.
El Cid owned and used
many different swords in his lifetime, but the two most famous are Colada and Tizona.
Tizona is a sword that was used by El Cid to fight against the Moors. The
weapon is one of Spain’s most cherished relics and is believed to have been
forged in Córdoba, Spain, although considerable amounts of Damascus steel can
be found in its blade. Damascus steel was primarily used in the Middle
East. Tizona is 103 cm/40.5 inches long and weighs 1.1 kg/2.4
pounds. It contains two separate inscriptions, with one listing a
manufactory date of 1002 and the other quoting the Catholic prayer Ave Maria.
Tizona is currently on display at the Museo de Burgos in Spain.
5. Napoleon’s Sword
In 1799, Napoleon
Bonaparte became the military and political leader of France after staging a
coup d’état. Five years later the French Senate proclaimed him emperor
Historians regard Napoleon as a military genius and a man who made strong
contributions to the operational art of war.
On the battlefield
Napoleon carried a pistol and a sword. He owned a large collection of
arms and artillery. His weapons were one of a kind and included the best
materials. In the summer of 2007, a gold-encrusted sword that once
belonged to Napoleon was auctioned off in France for more than $6.4 million
dollars. The sword was used by Napoleon in battle. In the early
1800s, Napoleon presented the weapon to his brother as a wedding gift.
The sword was passed down from generation to generation, never leaving the
Bonaparte family. In 1978, the sword was declared a national treasure in
France and the winner of the auction was not identified.
4. Sword of Mercy
The Sword of Mercy is a
famous weapon that once belonged to Edward the Confessor. Edward the
Confessor was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England before the Norman
Conquest of 1066
The Sword of Mercy has a
broken blade, which is cut off short and square. In 1236, the weapon was
given the name curtana and has since been used for royal ceremonies. In
ancient times it was a privilege to bear this sword before the king. It
was considered a merciful gesture. The story surrounding the breaking of
the weapon is unknown, but mythological history indicates that the tip was
broken off by an angel to prevent a wrongful killing.
The Sword of Mercy is
part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and is one of only five swords
used during the coronation of the British monarch. The weapon is rare and
is one of only a small number of swords to survive the reign of Oliver Cromwell.
Cromwell is known for ordering the melting down of ancient artifacts for scrap
gold and metal. During the British coronation, the Sword of Mercy is
wielded as the monarch bestows knighthood upon the recipient of honor.
3. Zulfiqar Scimitar
Zulfiqar is the ancient
sword of the Islamic leader Ali. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the
prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to
661. By some historical accounts, Muhammad gave Zulfiqar to Ali at the Battle
of Uhud. Muhammad admired Ali’s power and strength on the battlefield and
wanted to present him with the cherished weapon. The sword is a symbol of
the Islamic faith and is admired by millions of people.
Zulfiqar is a scimitar,
which refers to a West Asian or South Asian sword with a curved blade. It
is said that Ali used the sword at the Battle of the Trench, which is a
famous siege attempt
on the city of Medina. During the battle, Muhammad, Ali, and other Muslim
defenders built trenches to protect Medina against the much larger confederate
cavalry.
A few conflicting images
of the famous scimitar sword exist. Some of them describe the weapon as
having two parallel blades, emphasizing its mystical abilities and speed, while
others portray Zulfiqar as a more traditionally-shaped scimitar. Some
historical drawings depict the sword with a split, V-shaped blade.
2. Honjo Masamune
Masamune was a Japanese
swordsmith that is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest
metallurgists. The exact dates for Masamune’s life are unknown, but it is
believed that he worked from 1288–1328. Masamune’s weapons have reached
legendary status over the centuries.
The most famous of all
Masamune swords is named Honjo Masamune. The Honjo Masamune is so
important because it represented the Shogunate during the Edo period of
Japan. The sword was passed down from one Shogun to another for
generations. In 1939 the weapon was named a national treasure in Japan,
but remained in the Kii branch of the Tokugawa family. The last known
owner of Honjo Masamune was Tokugawa Iemasa. Apparently Tokugawa Iemasa
gave the weapon and 14 other swords to a police station in Mejiro, Japan, in
December of 1945.
Shortly thereafter in
January 1946, the Mejiro police gave the swords to Sgt. Coldy Bimore (U.S. 7th
Cavalry). Since that time, the Honjo Masamune has gone missing and the
whereabouts of the sword remains a mystery. Honjo Masamune is one of the
most important historical artifacts to disappear at the end of World War II.
1. Joyeuse
Charlemagne is a man that
was born circa 742. He is one of the greatest rulers in world history and
became King of the Franks in 768. In 800 he was named Emperor of the
Romans, a position that he held for the remainder of his life
Joyeuse is the name of
Charlemagne’s personal sword. Today, there are two swords attributed to
Joyeuse. One is a saber that is kept in the Weltliche Schatzkammer in
Vienna, while the other is housed at the Louvre in France. The blade on
display at the Louvre claims to be partially built from Charlemagne’s original
sword. The sword is made of parts from different centuries, so it can be
hard to positively identify the weapon as Joyeuse. The hilt of the sword
indicates a manufactory date around the time of Charlemagne. The heavily
sculpted gold pommel is made in two halves and the long gold grip was once
decorated with diamonds.
Charlemagne’s sword
appears in many legends and historical documents. Bulfinch’s Mythology
described Charlemagne using Joyeuse to behead the Saracen commander Corsuble as
well as to knight his friend Ogier the Dane. After the death of
Charlemagne, the sword was said to have been contrarily held by the Saint Denis
Basilica and it was later taken to the Louvre after being carried at a
Coronation processional for French kings.
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