Flamberge Klingen Germany Museum Livrustkammaren

A Flamberge (also Floberge, Froberge, and other variations) is a medieval sword. Swung by a number of heroes of ''

chansons de geste The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly before the e ...

'' and romances, the name became a generic name for a large sword. In earlier texts, the name is usually given as "floberge" or "froberge" (Italian: ''Fusberta'' or ''Frusberta''), but the name developed under the influence of the word " flamber". Swords by that name are wielded by

Renaud de Montauban Renaud (or Renaut or Renault) de Montauban (Modern ; ; ; or ) was a legendary hero and knight which appeared in a 12th-century Old French known as ''The Four Sons of Aymon''. The four sons of Duke Aymon are Renaud, Richard, Alard and Guiscard, ...

(and his cousin

Maugris Maugris or Maugis was one of the heroes of the ''chansons de geste'' and romances of chivalry and the Matter of France that tell of the legendary court of King Charlemagne. Maugis was cousin to Renaud de Montauban and his brothers, son of Beuve ...

) in ''

The Four Sons of Aymon The Four Sons of Aymon (, , ), sometimes also referred to as ''Renaud de Montauban'' (after its main character) is a medieval tale centring around the four sons of Duke Aymon: the knight Renaud de Montauban (also spelt ''Renaut'', ''Renault'', , ...

'' (12th century);

Antenor __NOTOC__ Antenor (, ''Antḗnōr''; BC) was an Athenian sculptor. He is recorded as the creator of the joint statues of the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton funded by the Athenians on the expulsion of Hippias. These statues were ...

in the ''

Roman de Troie (''The Romance of Troy'') by Benoît de Sainte-Maure, probably written between 1155 and 1160,Roberto Antonelli "The Birth of Criseyde - An Exemplary Triangle: 'Classical' Troilus and the Question of Love at the Anglo-Norman Court" in Boitani, P. ...

'' (12th century); Begon, the brother of the eponymous hero of '' Garin le Loherain'' (12th century); and the hero of '' Galien le Restoré'' (15th century). In early 20th century works, swords of the name were wielded by Dom Manuel of

James Branch Cabell James Branch Cabell (; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and ''belles-lettres''. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His work ...

's ''

Biography of the Life of Manuel A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

'' and by

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full s ...

. Flamberge ("flaming"), from the French "flamber", is a term with many connotations, including swords without the flamed-blade. The term is a frequent name or alias for swords in medieval chansons de geste and romances, where it often just means a large sword. Egerton Castle used the term to refer to swords that were a transition from the rapier to the smallsword. These swords did not necessarily have an undulated blade. Castle makes note of this being the case of certain Swiss rapiers, but flamberge quickly became a disdainful term in France to refer to flamboyant swords. This comes from the French expression "Mettre flamberge au vent", meaning "To put he swordin the wind". Here, it is suggested that the wielder of the sword likened it to the mythical sword

Durendal Durendal, also spelled Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. The sword is famous for its hardness and sharpness. Sources including '' La Chanson de Rola ...

, which alternatively was called flamberge.

References

Medieval European swords Mythological swords Matter of France {{Sword-stub