Gladius, II (1963), pp. 5-68 Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer ISSN 0435-029X FROM MEDIAEVAL SWORD TO RENAISSANCE RAPIER by Dr. Ada Bruhn HoffmeyerHolffmeyer THE sword types of the Middle Ages proper are not numerous. They are assembled chiefly aboutabut two main types:types: the sword with the brazil-nut.shapedbrazil-nutshapecl plommelpommel and the swordswolrd with the disC'-ordisoor wheel pommel. In both main groups there are numerous variations ofolf the pommel forms, with a certain amount of typological se1quence,selqueme, inter­inter- mediate formsform~sand sp€lcialspecial forms. To some extent the shape of the pommel is related to the hand.guard,hand-guard, wh1chwhich may be horizontal'horizontal or curved, thick and heavy, round, flat, much curved or sligthly curved. The shape of the pommel, the length of the tang and the shapesh~.peand length of the guard or quillons are the most important aids to the period and provenance determination of the sword. In this respect the blade is secondary in importance,implortance, because in the ma1joritymajolrity of cases blades were mass'producedmass-produced in great blade centres, whereas the hilts mostly are individual work, carried out in accordance with the owner's personal idelas and pecuniary circumstances, and RIsoalso accor.accor- ding to the intended purpoisepurpose of the weapon: ceremonial, coronation, magistracy, public authorities or war. No doubtdmb& further and detailed examinations of the various types ,andand shapes of bla~des,blades, their mate­mate rialandrial and the manufacture of the blades wmwill be most useful as an important aid in regard to the determination of provenance, use and chronology. The sword with the brazil-nutbraz,u-nut pommel and the horizontalquHlonshorizontal quiIlons dates chiefly to the pieriodperiod between 9'50-1250,950-1250, more especially in the l'2th12th ,century.century. It 1sis the sword of the Bayeux tapestry, carried both by Anglo-SaxonsAnglohS'axons and by NormanslNormans (fig. 1). (Yet some few variations are seen in the tapestry, e,e. g. the State Sword of king Harold). But the forerunners occur in such illuminations as for instance TheTbGos·Gos. pels of Otto II!,111, fromfroim about 983-9;g19183-991 (Munich Staatsbibl. God.Cod. Lat.4453).Lat. 4453). The brazil-nut sword appe'8l'sappelaw sometimes with curved quillons, but these are not common. The brazil·nutbrazil-nut pommel sword is a direct continuation of the common Germanic-Viking Age types..types. In actual fa,ctfaot it represents the close of an epoch, of the srpathaspatha which conti­conti- nued from the Merovingian sword through the swords of the Caro­Csro- lingian and Viking periods with the many pommel variations,variatiolns, by Jan Petersen divided into groups named after the letters of thethe al.alb phabet. The brazil-nut sword occurs especially in Central and North Europe, but it is also to be found in the northernno~thmpart of West 5 Digitalizado por InterClassica Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas http://interclassica.um.es http://gladius.revistas.csic.es Gladius, II (1963), pp. 5-68 Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer ISSN 0435-029X Fig. 1. Transitional s WIV o0 r d, fromfrom Meuse, late 11th century. In blade name/lame of Ulfberth.Ulifberth. (Coll.(Coli. E. A. Christensen,Chr;stensen, Copen-Copen­ hagen,hal?en. E 131). Europe,Europe, forfor instanceinstance inin northern France, Holland, Belgium and En-En· gland,gland, as well as inin thethe Baltic countries, eastwards as far as the Volga regionsregions andand possiblypossibly still more toto thethe East. On the other handh3nd it occursoccurs lessless frequentlyfrequently inin South EuropeEurope and in thethe South of France, regionsregions inin whichwhich thethe disc-and wheelwheel pommels are sovereign. 6 Digitalizado por InterClassica Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas http://interclassica.um.es http://gladius.revistas.csic.es Gladius, II (1963), pp. 5-68 Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer ISSN 0435-029X TheThe brazil·nutbrazil-nutpommel polmmel variesvaries withwith thethe periods,periods, andand toto somesome extentextent alsoalso withwith locality.locality. InIn earlyearly timestimes itit waswas oftenoften almostalmost aa ha.lfhalf disc;disc; soonsoon afterwardsafterwards itit acquiredacquired moremore oror lessless olive,olive, lenticular,lenticular, hathat oror saddlesaddle shapes,shapes, thickthick belowbelow andand thinthin above,above, roundedrounded oror withwith anan almostalmost pointedpointed top.top. (A(A detaileddetailed examinationexamination andand divisiondivision hashas beenbeen undertakenundertaken byby thethe EnglishEnglish archaeologistarchaeologist R.R. EwartEwart Oa.keshott,Oakeshott, inin hishis book:book: TheThe ArchaeologyArchaeology ofof Weapons,Weapons, 1960).1960). InIn mostmost casesoases thethe tangtang isis veryvery short,short, somewhatsomewhat longerlonger onon thethe laterlater swords,swords, espec;allyespecially thosethose withwith aa tall,tall, pointedpointed pommel.pommel. TheThe quillonsquillons areare generallygenerally horizontal:horizontal: thinthin andand slenderslender inin latelate VikingViking types,types, thickthick andand four-sidedfoursided onon thethe earlyearly swords,swords, laterlater onon moremore slender,slender, oftenoften withwith aa crosscross sectionsection thatthat isis roundedrounded oror almostalmost round.round. InIn NorthNorth Italy,Italy, SwitzerlandSwitzerland andand AustriaAustria wewe some·some. timestimes findfind broadbroad quillons,quillons, horizontalhorizontal alongalong thethe top,top, curvedcurved under­under- neath,neath, perhapsperhaps thethe resultresult ofof influenceinfluence ofof SouthSouth EuropeanEuropean formsforms (fig.(fig. 2-3).2-3). TheThe curvedcurved quillonquillon (including(including thatthat onon somesome VikihgVikibg Fig. 2.2. So-called Sct.Set. Mauritius sword,sword, aboutabout 1200-1250. (Armeria(Armerin Rea/e,Reale, Thrino,Tbrino, GG 25). types)types) is presumablyp~resumablydue due to Oriental influence.influence. TheThe blil.desblades areare ofof the heavy cutting typetype1 with a moremolre or lessless roundedrounded point. OnOn thethe earlier ones thethe g-roovesgrooves extend almostto'almost to; thethe point, whereas laterlater they reachreach only threethree fourths of09 the length oror less.less. 7 Digitalizado por InterClassica Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas http://interclassica.um.es http://gladius.revistas.csic.es Gladius, II (1963), pp. 5-68 Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer ISSN 0435-029X The Viking pattern-welded damast has disappeared; it is now en-en­ countered olnlyonly very oiocasionadlyoccaslonatlly (e. g. a fragment in the National Museum in Copenhagen).Copenhagen}. Instead the blade-smiths have adopted another and improved technique. (Actually this new methcd makes its appearance as earliyearly as thethe 9th century.) His minute resea~chesresearehes and analyses have enabled thethe Italian scientist Carlo Panseri to ex-ex­ plain the technique, starting'Starting inter alia with a 12th century sword of the brazil-nut type found in 194819148 at Adige, near Legnago castle, the important defence f~rtifica~tionsfortifications against the barbarian hordes olfof mi-mi­ gration times and against the enemies of later days. As regards the blades, continued metallurgical research will presumabiypresumably make it possi-possi­ ble to make fairly valid distinctions between the bladecentresblade-centres olfof South and Central Europe. InscriptionsIns<:riptions and pictorial scenes onOn bla-bla­ des are not uncommon. On solmesome of the early swords we find the master's signature «Ingelri((Zngelri me fecit)),fecit», or simpl,ysimply the name Zngelri,Ingelri, spelt in Ria variety of ways. Swords signed Ingelri can be traced across large sections of Europe, fosrfor instance in northern FraWx,France, Bel-Bel­ gium, Englcmd,England, Germany, Norway and Sweden right over to the Volga. Only one specimen is known to have been found in Denmark,Denhark, in South Schleswig and now in private DlanishDanish ownership (Coll. H. Briins Hansen, Hillerod). The lettering is the same as on the Ulfberth blades, goodgoold and painstakingly executed on the earliest, often slipshodslipshold and clumsy on the later ones. Other inscriptions a,ppeara'ppsar combined with this one, especially of a religious character (fig. 3) such as HOMO DEIJXI or INI;N NOlMJNENOMINE DOMINI,DOIMINI, whichwhilch are familiar from swords with a wheel pommel.p~o~mmel.It is presumable that these really are swords of the early days of the Crusades (Homo Dei, «Man((Man of God»,God)), as the first crusaders called themselves see I. Timothy, 6,11:6,ll: ctTh«Tu autem, o0 homo Dei!l).Dein). Side by side w;thwith the iron-inlaid inscriptions we find several with fine silver or bratssbrass inlay, pictorial and allego­allego- rical scenes Oror merely ornaments between the letters. A remarkable example is the sword L. M.M, 10116, ZUrich,Zurich, with its long series of alle­alle- gorical pictures. IncovationsIncolvations of Christ or His Mother (0 Sancta Maria), st.St. Peter, blessings, «Eripe((Eripe Nos)),Nos», from the Psalms or other religious inscriptions are also met with. In South EuropeE'urope they are often supplications to Virgin Mary. Another noteworthy sword is the one at Rouen, found in the Seine at the ChateauClhBteau Gaillard, a relic of the siege by Richard Coeur d'Leond'leon ;nin 1203-4 with the ins­ins- cription DEUS and Romanesque birds between each letter. These religious inscriptions are mostly confined to one pa,rticularpalrticular period,perio~d, the