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Ancient Weapons
This is a list of notable types of weapons that were used in warfare, and more broadly in combat, prior to the advent of the early modern period, i.e., approximately prior to the start of the 16th century. It therefore excludes objects that may be broadly understood as weapons but are not combat weapons, such as ceremonial weapons and ritual tools shaped or conceptualized as weapons, hunting weapons, and other items that may be perceived as weapons but for which there is no historical evidence of their use in combat during the relevant period. The entries are grouped according to their uses, with similar weapons categorized together. Some weapons may fit more than one category (e.g. the spear may be used either as a polearm or as a projectile), and the earliest gunpowder weapons that fill within this period are also included. Hand-to-hand combat Hand or fist weapons and fans Single-handed weapons not resembling a straight dagger blade, usually wielded without wrist action; oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warfare
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of State (polity), states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organized groups. It is generally characterized by widespread violence, destruction, and mortality, using Regular army, regular or Irregular military, irregular Military, military forces. ''Warfare'' refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general. Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive Civilian casualty, civilian or other non-combatant suffering and Casualty (person), casualties. Etymology The English word ''war'' derives from the 11th-century Old English words and , from Old French ( as in modern French), in turn from the Frankish language, Frankish , ultimately deriving from the Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Ge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pata (sword)
The pata () is a sword, originating from the Indian subcontinent, with a gauntlet integrated as a handguard. Often referred to in its native Marathi as a dandpatta, it is commonly called a gauntlet-sword in English. Description The pata has a long straight blade ranging in length from . The blades were locally made by native artisans. The characteristic feature of the pata is its hilt which takes the form of a half-gauntlet, the inside of which is usually padded. The hilt is attached to the blade by decorative arms that extend forward on both sides of the blade. The Mughals developed a variation with matchlock pistols adjoining the handle. The hilt also has a long cuff which is usually decorated and in older examples inlaid and embellished with gold and silver. The swordsman holds the weapon by gripping a crossbar inside the gauntlet. The cuff is held close to the forearm by another bar or chain. History Created in Medieval India, the pata's use in warfare appears to be mostl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krabi (sword)
Krabi (, ) is the capital of and main town in Krabi Province ('' thesaban mueang''), on the west coast of southern Thailand, where the Krabi River flows into Phang Nga Bay. The town lies south of Bangkok, and as of 2020, has a population of 32,644. As in much of southern Thailand, the local economy centres largely on tourism. History At the start of the Rattanakosin period in the late eighteenth century, when the capital was finally settled at Bangkok, an elephant kraal was established in Krabi by order of Chao Phraya Nakhon (Noi), the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, which was by then a part of the Thai Kingdom. He sent his vizier, the Phra Palad, to oversee this task, which was to ensure a regular supply of elephants for the larger town. So many followers immigrated in the steps of the Phra Palad that soon Krabi had a large community in three different boroughs: Pakasai, Khlong Pon, and Pak Lao. In 1872, King Chulalongkorn elevated these to town status, called Krabi, a w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Klewang
The klewang or kelewang is a category of traditional single-edged sword that can be found throughout the Malay Archipelago. Usually it is shorter than a ''pedang'' (sword) but longer than a '' golok'' (machete). There are straight bladed types, but most are curved. History During the Aceh War the Acehnese klewang proved very effective in close quarters combat against the sabre-wielding Dutch troops and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. Mobile troops armed with carbines and klewang succeeded in suppressing Aceh resistance where traditional infantry with rifle and bayonet had failed. The Dutch klewang was developed at the end of the 19th century, because firearms and also traditional swords were not always reliable at that time, especially in the jungle. 'A klewang in the right-hand fist never refuses', it was said. From 1898 until the 1960s the Royal Dutch East Indies Army, Royal Dutch Army, Royal Dutch Navy and Dutch police used the militarised version of the klewan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kilij
A kilij (from Turkish language, Turkish ''kılıç'', literally "sword") is a type of one-handed, single-edged and curved scimitar used by the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and other Turkic khanates of Eurasian steppes and Turkestan. These blades developed from earlier Turko-Mongol sabers that were in use in lands controlled or influenced by the Turkic peoples. History Etymology Most of Turkology, Turkologists and linguists including Ahmet Bican Ercilasun, Bican Ercilasun and Sevan Nişanyan think that it is derived from the Turkic root ''kıl-'' which means "to forge" or "to smith", with the diminutive suffix ''-ıç'' which creates ''kıl-ıç'' (roughly "ironwork", i.e. "sword"). Also one of the earliest mentions of the word was also recorded as (, an Old Turkic phrase from the Orkhon Inscriptions which was erected in 735 AD) in the age of Göktürk Khaganate, Turkic Khaganate, instead of the other suggested Old Turkic rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khopesh
The ''khopesh'' ('; also vocalized khepesh) is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that developed from battle axes. The sword style originated in Western Asia during the Bronze Age and was introduced in the Second Intermediate Period.Lloyd, Alan B. ''A Companion to Ancient Egypt''. Spalinger, Anothony J. Ch 23. "Military Institutions and Warfare: Pharaonic". Newark, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.Van De Mieroop, Marc. ''A History of Ancient Egypt''. John Wiley & Sons, 2021. p. 126. The ''khopesh'' became more common in the New Kingdom, and is often depicted with kings in statues and murals. Etymology The word ''khopesh'' may have been derived from "leg", as in "leg of beef", because of their similarity in shape. The hieroglyph for ''ḫpš'' ('leg') is found as early as during the time of the Coffin Texts (the First Intermediate Period). Coffin Texts: However, on the 196 BC Rosetta Stone, it is referenced as the "sword" determinative in a hieroglyph block, with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kampilan
The kampilan (Baybayin: ) is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered Sword#Blade, blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip. The design of the pommel (sword), pommel varies between ethnic groups, but it usually depicts either a ''buaya'' (crocodile), a ''bakunawa'' (sea serpent), a ''kalaw'' (Rufous hornbill, hornbill), or a ''kakatua'' (Red-vented cockatoo, cockatoo).. This weapon was featured in the American bladesmithing competition, ''Forged in Fire (TV series), Forged in Fire'', in season 4 episode 16. Names "Kampilan" is the term most commonly used for the sword in the Tagalog language, Tagalog, Ilocano language, Ilocano and Visayan languages. It simply means "sword". It is known by other names in other ethnic groups in the Philippines incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Korean Sword
The traditions of Korean bladesmithing and swordsmanship have served a central place in the military history of Korea for thousands of years. Although typical Korean land battles have taken place in wide valleys and narrow mountain passes, which favor use of spears and bows, the sword found use as a secondary, close-quarters weapon, in addition to far more prominent role during sieges and ship-to-ship boarding actions. Higher quality, ceremonial swords were typically reserved for the officer corps as a symbol of authority with which to command the troops. Ceremonial swords are still granted to military officials by the civilian authority to this day. Korean swords typically fall into two broad categories, the ''geom'', and the ''do''. The Geom is a double-edged weapon, while the Do is a single-edged weapon; although exceptions exist. In common parlance, all swords may be referred to as ''geom'' (). The history of the sword in Korea begins with bronze daggers of Bronze Age of w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Falchion
A falchion (; Old French: ''fauchon''; Latin: ''falx'', "sickle") is a one-handed, backsword, single-edged sword of European origin. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 13th century up to and including the 16th century. In some versions, the falchion looks rather like the seax and later the sabre, and in other versions more like a machete with a crossguard. Types The blade designs of falchions varied widely across the continent and over time. They almost always included a single edge with a slight curve on the blade towards the point on the end and most were also affixed with a quilloned crossguard for the hilt in the manner of the contemporary arming swords. Unlike the double-edged swords of Europe, few actual swords of this type have survived to the present day; fewer than a dozen specimens are currently known. A number of weapons similar to the falchion existed in Western Europe, including the Messer (weapon), Messer, hanger (weapon), hanger and the backs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dha (sword)
Dha (; also spelled ''dah'') is the Burmese word for "knife" and "sword" similar term to daab or darb () in Thai language for a single edge sword. The term dha is conventionally used to refer to a wide variety of knives and swords used by many people across Southeast Asia, especially present-day Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, and Cambodia and Northeast India. Origins The broad use and diffusion of the dha across Southeast Asia makes it difficult to attribute the definitive origin. The dha may have its origins with the Burmese people and Tai people who migrated to the area from present-day Yunnan Province in southern China. The Khmer and Mon peoples were well established before the arrival of the Tai or the Burmese people; perhaps they invented the dha as 13th-century reliefs at Angkor depict the weapon. The history of the region includes many periods where one or the other of these groups dominated, bringing along their culture and weapons to conquered areas. Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dao (Naga Sword)
''Dao'' is the sword of the people of Northeastern India, mainly in the Indian states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Kachin, Sagaing region of Myanmar. The sword, with its wooden hilt, and unique square form is used for digging as well as used in historical warfare. In modern times, it is generally used for cutting meat and wood. Form The ''dao'' broadsword can be found in Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ... in the northeastern region of India and Kachin, Sagaing Region, Saigaing region of Myanmar. The dao has a thick and heavy form, which varies in length from to . The unique design of this long backsword is that, instead of a point, the tip of the sword is a bevel which creates the appearance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dao (Chinese Sword)
''Dao'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , Chinese language, Chinese: 刀; pinyin: ''dāo''; jyutping: ''dou1'') are single-edged Chinese swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. They can be straight or curved. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the ''dao'' is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the ''Gun (staff), gun'' (stick or staff), ''qiang (spear), qiang'' (spear), and the ''jian'' (double-edged sword), called in this group "The General of Weapons". Name In Chinese language, Chinese, the word can be applied to ''any'' weapon with a single-edged blade and usually refers to knives. Because of this, the term is sometimes translated as knife or Nonetheless, within Chinese martial arts and in military contexts, the larger "sword" versions of the ''dao'' are usually intended. General characteristics While the ''dao'' hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
