German - Two-handed Sword - Walters 511335

A flame-bladed sword or wave-bladed sword has a characteristically undulating style of

blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

. The wave in the blade is often considered to contribute a flame-like quality to the appearance of a sword. The dents on the blade can appear parallel or in a zig-zag manner. The two most common flame-bladed swords are

rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...

s or ''

Zweihänder The ''Zweihänder'' (, literally "two-hander"), also ''Doppelhänder'' ("double-hander"), ''Beidhänder'' ("both-hander"), ''Bihänder'', or ''Bidenhänder'', is a large two-handed sword that was used primarily during the 16th century. ''Zwe ...

s''. A flame-bladed sword was not exclusive to a certain country or region. The style of blade can be found on swords from modern-day Germany, France, Spain, and Switzerland.

''Flambard'', ''Flammard'', and ''Flammenschwert''

The two-handed flame-bladed sword is referred to by the German ''Flammenschwert'' (literally "flame-sword"). These swords are very similar to the

two-handed sword The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification, or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a single- ...

or ''

'', the only difference being the blade. The design of the blade is decorative along with being functional by causing unpleasant vibrations when parried. Still, the undulating blade is no more effective at cutting than a straight one. An advantage over swords with a straight blade is that a waved blade could better distribute the force of impact and thus was less likely to break. It could also threaten the opponent in a duel and may have discouraged them from grabbing the blade. Like other ''Zweihänders'', they were used during the 16th century by the ''

Landsknecht The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was ...

s'' (well-trained and experienced swordsmen) for single-fights, protecting castle/town walls, or sometimes to protect the banner on the battlefield.

''Flamberge''

'' 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 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, where it often just means a large sword.

Egerton Castle __NOTOC__ Egerton Smith Castle F.S.A. (12 March 1858 – 16 September 1920) was an author, antiquarian, and swordsman, and an early practitioner of reconstructed historical fencing, frequently in collaboration with his colleague Captain Alfred ...

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''.

Freemason Flame-bladed swords

Freemason lodges have used flame-bladed swords in their ceremonies, and some still at least possess swords. There is one in the museum at the Grand Lodge Freemason's Hall in London. Freemasonry sources suggest a symbolic connection to the ‘flaming sword’ from the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...

3:24.

Gallery

File:Dresden-Zwinger-Armoury-Sword.04.JPG, A ''Flammenschwert''. This is a

featuring an exceptionally long blade and hilt, a wide crossguard, and a

ricasso A ricasso is an unsharpened length of blade just above the guard or handle on a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet. Blades designed this way appear at many periods in history in many parts of the world and date back to at least the Bronze Age—ess ...

with a pair of

parrying hooks A parry is a fencing bladework maneuver intended to deflect or block an incoming attack. Execution To execute a parry, fencers strike the opponent's foible, or the area near the tip of the blade, with their forte, or the part of the blade near t ...

File:Flamberge.png, A one-handed sword of the flamberge type File:Anciens gardes suisses pontificaux à Lausanne 3.jpg, alt=Picture of the Pontificial Swiss Guard. Three guards are in the center of the picture wearing traditional clothing with orange and blue stripes. They also wear black berets. The middle guard holds a pole with the flag of the guard. The two other guards flank him on both sides. They hold two long two-handed swords in their right hand pointed to the ground. The blades of the swords are waved, shaped in a zigzag manner with rounded edges., Members of the Pontificial Swiss Guard with ''Flammenschwerter'' File:Flamberge.jpg, alt=, A flame-bladed sword with swept hilt

References

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