This is a list of types of
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed t ...
s.
The term
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed t ...
used here is a narrow definition. This is not a general
List of premodern combat weapons
This is a list of historical pre- modern weapons grouped according to their uses, with rough classes set aside for very similar weapons. Some weapons may fit more than one category (e.g. the spear may be used either as a polearm or as a project ...
and does not include the
machete
Older machete from Latin America
Gerber machete/saw combo
San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca uses a machete to carve wood. ...
or similar "sword-like" weapons.
African swords
North African swords
*
Flyssa
The flyssa is a traditional edged weapon of Algeria produced and used during the 19th century and earlier. It originates from the Kabyle Iflissen Lebhar tribal confederacy.
Characteristics
These weapons have blades of various sizes from , and ...
(19th century Algeria)
*
Kaskara (19th century Sudan)
*
Khopesh
The ''khopesh'' ('; also vocalized khepesh) is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that evolved from battle axes.
Description
A typical ''khopesh'' is 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) in length, though smaller examples also exist. The inside ...
(Egyptian)
*
Mameluke sword (18th to 19th century Egyptian)
*
Nimcha (18th century Morocco and Algeria)
East African swords
*
Billao
A billao ( so, billaawe), also known as a belawa, is a horn-hilted Somali shortsword or long dagger depending on blade length. It served most notably as a close-quarters weapon in the Dervish State, at the turn of the 20th century.
Features
Th ...
(Somali)
*
Shotel (Eritrea and Ethiopian)
West African swords
*
Akrafena (Ghana and Togo)
*
Ida
Ida or IDA may refer to:
Astronomy
*Ida Facula, a mountain on Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter
*243 Ida, an asteroid
* International Docking Adapter, a docking adapter for the International Space Station
Computing
* Intel Dynamic Acceleration, a tech ...
(Nigeria and Benin)
*
Takoba (Mali and Niger)
Central African swords
*
Mambele
A mambele is a form of hybrid knife/axe in central and southern Africa, originating from a curved throwing dagger used by the Mangbetu.
Description
The mambele consists of an iron blade with a curved back section and rearward spike. It can b ...
Asian swords
East Asian swords
China
*
Dao (刀
pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...
dāo) "sabre"
**
Baguadao (八卦道)
**
Butterfly sword
The butterfly sword is a short dao, or single-edged sword, originally from southern China, though it has also seen use in the north. It is thought that butterfly swords date from the early 19th century. Several English language accounts from t ...
(蝴蝶雙刀)
**
Changdao
The ''changdao'' () was a two-handed, single-edged Chinese sword. The term has been translated as "long saber," "saber-staff," or "long-handled saber." During the Ming dynasty, was often used as a general term for two handed swords. After Rep ...
(長刀)
**
Dadao (大刀)
**
Liuyedao
The ''liuyedao'' or ''willow-leaf saber'' is a type of dao that was commonly used as a military sidearm for both cavalry and infantry during the Ming and Qing dynasties. A descendant of the earlier Mongol saber the liuyedao remained the most pop ...
(柳針刀)
**
Miao dao
The ''miaodao'' (苗刀) is a Chinese two-handed dao or saber of the Republican Era, with a narrow blade, long hilt, and an overall length of or more. The name means "sprout saber", presumably referring to a likeness between the weapon and a n ...
(苗刀)
**
Nandao
Nandao is a kind of sword that is used mostly in contemporary Chinese wushu exercises and forms. It is the southern variation of the "northern broadsword", or Beidao. Its blade bears some resemblance to the butterfly sword, also a southern Chi ...
(南刀)
**
Piandao (片刀)
**
Wodao
The ''wodao'' () is a Chinese sword from the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. It is typically long and slender, but heavy, with a curved back and sharp blade. It bears a strong resemblance to the Tang sword, zhanmadao, Tachi or Odachi in form. Exta ...
(倭刀)
**
Yanmaodao
The ''Yanmaodao'' () is a type of dao used as a standard military weapon during the Ming Dynasty and middle Qing Dynasty (1368–1800). The blade is straight until the curve begins around the center of percussion along the last 1/4 or so of the ...
(雁翎刀)
**
Zhanmadao
The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279).
General characteristics
The zhanmadao is a single-edged sabre ...
(斬馬刀)
*
Jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation (劍), English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and ...
(劍
pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...
jiàn)
**
Shuangshou jian
The shuangshou jian is a Chinese two-handed double-edged straight sword (''jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation (劍), English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sou ...
(雙手劍)
*
Hook sword (鉤)
Japan
*
Nihonto (日本刀; にほんとう)
**
Bokken
A ''bokken'' (, , "wood", and ''ken'', "sword") (or a ''bokutō'' ) is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the ''wakizashi'' a ...
(木剣)
**
Chokutō
The is a straight, single-edged Japanese sword that was mainly produced prior to the 9th century. Its basic style is likely derived from similar swords of ancient China. Chokutō were used on foot for stabbing or slashing and were worn hung from ...
(直刀)
**
Hachiwara
The , also known as ''hachiwari'', was a type of knife-shaped weapon, resembling a ''jitte'' in many respects. This weapon was carried as a side-arm by the ''samurai'' class of feudal Japan.
Types
''Kabutowari'' were usually around 35cm long; so ...
(鉢割)
**
Iaitō
The
is a modern metal practice sword, without a cutting edge, used primarily for practicing iaido, a form of Japanese swordsmanship.
Other Japanese swords
A real (sharp) katana is called a . In contrast to shinken, iaitō have no cutting edge ...
(居合刀)
**
Jintachi (陣太刀)
**
Katana
A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
(刀; かたな)
**
Kenukigata tachi (毛抜型太刀)
**
Kodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short '' tachi'' (sword)", is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihontō'') used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Kodachi are from the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) and are in t ...
(小太刀)
**
Nagamaki (長巻)
**
Ninjato (忍者刀)
**
Ōdachi
The (large/great sword) or ''nodachi'' (野太刀, field sword) is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (日本刀, nihontō) used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The Chinese equivalent of this type of sword in terms of weight a ...
/Nodachi (大太刀/野太刀)
**
Sasuga (刺刀)
**
Shinai
A is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in ''kendo''. ''Shinai'' are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from ''kendo shinai'', and represented with different characters. T ...
(竹刀)
**
Shinken (真剣)
**
Shikomizue (仕込み杖)
**
Tachi
A is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and '' katana'' generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending o ...
(太刀; たち)
**
Tantō
A is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords ( ''nihonto'') that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ...
(短刀; たんとう)
**
Tsurugi (剣)
**
Wakizashi
The is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords ('' nihontō'') worn by the samurai in feudal Japan.
History and use
The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods: (脇差; わきざし)
*
Dōtanuki
is a name of a Japanese school of swordsmiths from Higo province who produced swords in the ''Bizen'' tradition during the feudal period of Japan.Chanbara
, also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...
Korea
*
Hwandudaedo (환두대도; 环首大刀)
*
Saingeom (사인검)
Southeast Asian swords
Swords and knives found in Southeast Asia are influenced by Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and European forms.
Indonesia
*
Alamang
*
Amanremu
*
Badik
The badik or badek ( Makassarese : badiʼ ᨅᨉᨗ, Buginese : kawali ᨀᨓᨒᨗ) is a knife or dagger developed by the Bugis and Makassar people of southern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Description
The badik consists of three parts, namely the ha ...
*
Balato (sword)
*
Blakas
Blakas or Belakas is a general name for any sort of cleaver or large knife originating from Bali, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific ocean ...
*
Celurit
A Celurit or Clurit is generally a sickle (sometimes other variants include billhook) with a pronounced crescent-blade patterns which curves more than half a circle and a long handle, is widely used for agricultural purposes and also in Pencak Si ...
*
Gari (sword)
*
Golok
*
Kabeala
Kabeala (sometimes Kabela, Kabeàla or Kabiala; which means "'' Parang''" or "'' Golok''" in East Sumba language) is a traditional weapon originating from East Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the ...
*
Karambit
*
Keris
The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...
*
Klewang
The klewang or kelewang is a class of bladed weapon between the sword and machete found in Indonesia and Malaysia.
History
During the Aceh War the Acehnese klewang proved very effective in close quarters combat against the sabre-wielding Dutch ...
*
Kujang
*
Langgai Tinggang
*
Luwuk (sword)
A luwuk is a type of short sword from the island of Java. This sword is found mostly in East Java and Central Java.
Descriptions
The luwuk is a straight, single-edged sword. The blade of the sword (known as "wilah") maintains the same width fr ...
*
Mandau
The Mandau ( cs, Mandava) is a river in Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Saxony (Germany). It is a left tributary of the Lusatian Neisse, which it joins near Zittau.
It originates from multiple springs north of the 580.6m (1902 feet AMSL) Wolf M ...
*
Niabor
*
Palitai
Palitai (or Palite, Parittei, Pattei) is the traditional knife of the Mentawai people, originating from the Mentawai Islands off West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Description
The Palitai has a straight and double edged blade. The handle is uniquely lon ...
*
Pandat
*
Parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, and African heritage, something which ...
*
Rencong
The rencong ( Acehnese: ''reuncong'', Dutch spelling: ''rentjong'', British spelling: ''renchong'') is a type of knife originating in Aceh, Indonesia. Originally a fighting weapon, it is most often seen today in the martial art of pencak silat ...
*
Sewar
*
Si Euli
Si Euli is a traditional dagger or knife that originates from Nias (mostly North Nias), an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. There are versions of this knife worn by men or for daily use.
Description
A dagger with a narro ...
*
Sikin Panjang
*
Trisula
The ''trishula'' () is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism.
In Nepal and Thailand, the term also often refers to a short-handled weapon which may be mounted on a ''daṇḍa'' "staff". Unlike ...
Myanmar
*
Dha DHA, Dha and dha may refer to:
Chemicals
* Docosahexaenoic acid, a 22:6 omega-3 fatty acid
* Dehydroandrosterone, an endogenous androgenic steroid
* Dehydroascorbic acid, an oxidized form of ascorbic acid
* Dehydroacetic acid, a pyrone derivat ...
Philippines
*
Balasiong
*
Balisword
A balisword is an exceptionally large balisong. Similar to a normal balisong, two hilts cover the blade of a balisword. These handles fold away from the blade to expose it. The standard length of an open sword is around long. A normal blade me ...
*
Bangkung
*
Banyal
*
Barong
*
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and ...
*
Bolo
*
Dahong Palay
*
Gayang
*
Gulok
*
Kalis
A kalis (Baybayin: or ; Jawi script: كاليس ; Abecedario: ''cáli'', ''cális'') is a type of double-edged Philippine sword, often with a "wavy" section. The kalis has a double-edged blade, which is commonly straight from the tip but wavy n ...
*
Kampilan
The kampilan (Baybayin: ) also known as talong is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the po ...
*
Panabas
The panabas, also known as nawi, is a large, forward-curved sword or battle axe used by certain ethnic groups in the southern Philippines. It can range in size from 2 to 4 feet and can be held with one or both hands, delivering a deep, meat cleaver ...
*
Pinuti
*
Pirah
*
Sundang
A bolo ( tl, iták, ilo, bunéng, pag, baráng, ceb, súndang, hil, binangon) is a general term for traditional pre-colonial small to medium-sized single-edged swords or large knives of the Philippines that function as both tools and weapo ...
*
Susuwat
*
Utak
Thailand
*
Daab
*
Krabi
Krabi ( th, กระบี่, ) is the main town in the province of Krabi (''thesaban mueang'') on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it empties in Phang Nga Bay. As of 2020, the town had a population of ...
South Asian Swords
Bhutan
*
Patag
Bladed Weapons of Indian subcontinent
*
Kirpan
The kirpan is a curved, single-edged dagger or knife carried by Sikhs. Traditionally, it was a full-sized sword but modern Sikhs have reduced the length to that of a dagger or knife due to modern considerations based on societal and legal chang ...
* Tegha (curved sword)
* Sirohi sword
*
Asi
*
Firangi
*
Hengdang
*
Talwar
The talwar (), also spelled ''talwaar'' and ''tulwar'', is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent.
Etymology and classification
The word ''talwar'' originated from the Sanskrit word ''taravāri'' ( sa, तरवारि) ...
*
Kayamkulam vaal
*
Khanda
Khanda may refer to:
Places
* Khanda, Sonipat, a very big and historical village in Sonipat district of Haryana, India
* Khanda, Jind, a village in Jind district of Haryana, India
* Khanda Kheri, a village in Hansi Tehsil of Hisar district of ...
*
Malappuram Kathi
*
Moplah
*
Pata
Pata or PATA may refer to:
Places
* Pata, Sulu, a Philippine municipality
* Pata, Galanta District, a village in Slovakia
* Pata, Central African Republic, a village
* Pata village (Samoa), a village in Samoa
* Pontrilas Army Training Area, a Bri ...
*
Ram-dao
Ram-dao, or Ram dao, are traditional sacrificial swords used in the Hindu ritual sacrifice of animals. The large, curved blade is designed to decapitate a sacrificial animal in a single stroke. Ram-daos are used in a hacking swing, with the ...
*
Urumi
Sri Lanka
*
Kastane
Kasthane is a short traditional ceremonial/decorative single-edged Sri Lankan sword. The sword is featured in the Flag of Sri Lanka
Design
Kastanes often have elaborate hilts, especially shaped and described as a rich mythical style inherited fr ...
West and Central Asian swords
*
Acinaces
The acinaces, also spelled akinakes ( Greek ) or akinaka (unattested Old Persian ''*akīnakah'', Sogdian ''kynʼk'') is a type of dagger or xiphos (short sword) used mainly in the first millennium BCE in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, especiall ...
(Scythian short sword)
* Chereb (, modern Hebrew ''khérev''): ancient Israelite sword mentioned 413 times in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...
.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans also introduced various types of swords, see
#Ancient Europe.
Post-classical period
All of the
Islamic world
The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...
during the 16th to 18th century, including the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkme ...
were influenced by the "
scimitar
A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...
" type of single-edged curved sword.
Via the
Mameluke sword this also gave rise to the European cavalry
sabre
A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...
.
Terms for the "scimitar" curved sword:
*
Kilij
A kilij (from Turkish ''kılıç'', literally "sword") or a pusat is a type of one-handed, single-edged and moderately curved scimitar used by the Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and other Turkic khanates of Eu ...
(Turkish)
*
Pulwar
The pulwar or pulouar is a single-handed curved sword originating in Afghanistan.
Origin
The pulwar originated alongside other scimitar-type weapons such as the Arab saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij, and the Indian talwar, all of th ...
(Afghanistan)
*
Shamshir
A shamshir ( fa, شمشیر) is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the Persian word ''shamshīr'', which means "sword". The curved "scimitar" sword family includes the shamshir, kilij, talwar, pulwar an ...
(Persia)
*
Talwar
The talwar (), also spelled ''talwaar'' and ''tulwar'', is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent.
Etymology and classification
The word ''talwar'' originated from the Sanskrit word ''taravāri'' ( sa, तरवारि) ...
(Indo-Pakistani)
*
Yataghan (Turkish)
*
Khanjar
A ''khanjar'' ( ar, خنجر, ku, Xencer, bn, খঞ্জর, khôñjôr tr, Hançer, fa, خنجر, ur, خنجر, sh, Handžar) is a traditional dagger originating from Oman, although it has since spread to the rest of the Middle East ...
(Arabian)
*
Saif (Arabian)
*
Scimitar
A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...
(Arabian)
*
Zulfiqar
Zulfiqar ( ar, ذُو ٱلْفَقَار, Ḏū-l-Faqār, ), also spelled ''Zu al-Faqar'', ''Zulfikar'', ''Dhu al-Faqar'', ''Dhulfaqar'' or ''Dhulfiqar'', is the sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Middle Eastern weapons are commonly inscribed wi ...
(Arabian)
European swords
Ancient Europe
*
Bronze Age European swords
**
Harpe
The ''harpē'' () was a type of sword or sickle; a sword with a sickle protrusion along one edge near the tip of the blade. The harpe is mentioned in Greek and Roman sources, and almost always in mythological contexts.
Harpe in mythology
...
: mentioned almost exclusively in Greek mythology
*
Iron Age European swords
**
Falcata
The falcata is a type of sword typical of pre- Roman Iberia. The falcata was used to great effect for warfare in the ancient Iberian peninsula, and is firmly associated with the southern Iberian tribes, among other ancient peoples of Hispania. ...
/
Kopis
The term kopis ( grc, Κόπις) in Ancient Greece could describe a heavy knife with a forward-curving blade, primarily used as a tool for cutting meat, for ritual slaughter and animal sacrifice, or refer to a single edged cutting or "cut and ...
: one-handed single-edged swords (blade 48–60 cm) with forward-curving blade for slashing
**
Falx
The ''falx'' was a weapon with a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge used by the Thracians and Dacians. The name was later applied to a siege hook used by the Romans.
Etymology
''Falx'' is a Latin word originally meaning 'sickle' b ...
: Dacian and Thracian one-handed or two-handed single-edged curved shortsword for slashing
**
Gladius
''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...
: Roman one-handed double-edged shortsword for thrusting (primary) and slashing, used by
legionaries
The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Repu ...
(heavy infantry)
and
gladiator
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
s, and late Roman light infantry. 3rd century BCE Roman Republic – late Roman Empire.
**
Makhaira
The makhaira is a type of Ancient Greek bladed weapon, generally a large knife or sword with a single cutting edge.
Terminology
The Greek word μάχαιρα (''mákhaira'', plural ''mákhairai''), also transliterated ''machaira'' or ''mac ...
: Greek one-handed, single-edged shortsword or knife for cutting (primary) and thrusting
**
Rhomphaia
The rhomphaia ( grc, ῥομφαία) was a close-combat bladed weapon used by the Thracians as early as 350-400 BC. Rhomphaias were weapons with a straight or slightly curved single-edged blade attached to a pole, which in most cases was consider ...
: Greek single-edged straight or slightly curved broadsword (blade 60–80 cm) for slashing (primary) and thrusting
**
Spatha
The spatha was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between 0.5 and 1 m (19.7 and 39.4 in), with a handle length of between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 in), in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD ...
: Celtic/Germanic/Roman one-handed double-edged longsword (blade 50–100 cm) for thrusting and slashing, used by gladiators, cavalry and heavy infantry. 3rd century BCE Gaul/Germania – Migration Period.
**
Xiphos
The ''xiphos'' ( grc, ξίφος ; plural ''xiphe'', grc, ξίφη ) is a double-edged, one-handed Iron Age straight shortsword used by the ancient Greeks. It was a secondary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies after the dory or javelin ...
: Greek one-handed, double-edged Iron Age straight shortsword
*
Migration Period sword
The Migration Period sword was a type of sword popular during the Migration Period and the Merovingian period of European history (c. 4th to 7th centuries AD), particularly among the Germanic peoples. It later gave rise to the Carolingian or Vik ...
s
**
Spatha
The spatha was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between 0.5 and 1 m (19.7 and 39.4 in), with a handle length of between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 in), in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD ...
: continuation, evolved into
***
Ring-sword
The Migration Period sword was a type of sword popular during the Migration Period and the Merovingian period of European history (c. 4th to 7th centuries AD), particularly among the Germanic peoples. It later gave rise to the Carolingian or Viki ...
(ring-spatha, ring-hilt spatha), Merovingian period
***
Viking sword
The Viking Age sword (also Viking sword) or Carolingian sword is the type of sword prevalent in Western and Northern Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
The Viking Age or Carolingian-era sword developed in the 8th century from the Merovingian ...
or Carolingian sword
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Krefeld type
Post-classical Europe
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Arming sword
In the European High Middle Ages, the typical sword (sometimes academically categorized as the knightly sword, arming sword, or in full, knightly arming sword) was a straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed, cruciform (i.e., cross-shape ...
: high medieval knightly sword
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Curtana
Curtana, also known as the Sword of Mercy, is a ceremonial sword used at the coronation of British kings and queens. One of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, its end is blunt and squared to symbolise mercy.
Description
The sword mea ...
: a medieval term for a ceremonial sword
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Longsword
A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around ), a straight double-edged blade of around , and weighing approximately ...
: late medieval
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Backsword
A backsword is a type of sword characterised by having a single-edged blade and a hilt with a single-handed grip. It is so called because the triangular cross section gives a flat back edge opposite the cutting edge. Later examples often have a " ...
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Falchion
A falchion (; Old French: ''fauchon''; Latin: ''falx'', "sickle") is a one-handed, 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 version ...
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Estoc
The French estoc is a type of sword, also called a tuck in English, in use from the 14th to the 17th century. It is characterized by a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use and a straight, edgeless, but sharply pointed blade of around to ...
: thrust-oriented
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Claymore
A claymore (; from gd, claidheamh- mòr, "great sword") is either the Scottish variant of the late medieval two-handed sword or the Scottish variant of the basket-hilted sword. The former is characterised as having a cross hilt of forward-sl ...
: late medieval Scottish
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Paramerion
The paramerion (Medieval Greek: Παραμήριον) was a saber-like curved sword used by the Byzantine military. The one-edged cutting weapon was primarily used by Byzantine cavalry and took inspiration from similar swords of the Middle East. ...
: Eastern Roman Byzantine sword
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Seax
''Seax'' (; also sax, sæx, sex; invariant in plural, latinized ''sachsum'') is an Old English word for "knife". In modern archaeology, the term ''seax'' is used specifically for a type of small sword, knife or dagger typical of the Germanic ...
: shortsword, knife or dagger of varying sizes typical of the Germanic peoples of the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages, especially the
Saxons
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
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peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country ( Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the No ...
, whose name derives from the weapon.
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Viking sword
The Viking Age sword (also Viking sword) or Carolingian sword is the type of sword prevalent in Western and Northern Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
The Viking Age or Carolingian-era sword developed in the 8th century from the Merovingian ...
or Carolingian sword: early medieval spatha
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Zweihänder
The ''Zweihänder'' () ( German 'two-hander'), also ''Doppelhänder'' ('double-hander'), ''Beidhänder'' ('both-hander'), ''Bihänder'' or ''Bidenhänder'', is a large two-handed sword primarily in use during the 16th century.
''Zweihänder'' ...
: 1500-1600 Germany
Modern Europe
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Cutlass
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. It was a common naval weapon during the early Age ...
* Early modern fencing
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Rapier
A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Impo ...
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Sabre
A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...
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Modern fencing (sport equipment)
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Épée
The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains ...
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Foil (fencing)
A foil is one of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing, all of which are metal. It is flexible, rectangular in cross section, and weighs under a pound. As with the épée, points are only scored by contact with the tip, which, in elect ...
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Sabre (fencing)
The sabre (US English: ''saber'', both pronounced ) is one of the three disciplines of modern fencing. The sabre weapon is for thrusting and cutting with both the cutting edge and the back of the blade (unlike other modern fencing weapons, the ...
North American swords
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U.S. regulation swords
This is a list of weapons served individually by the United States armed forces. While the general understanding is that crew-served weapons require more than one person to operate them, there are important exceptions in the case of both squad a ...
(sabres, and in some instances
fascine knives shaped like short swords)
See also
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Classification of swords
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 double e ...
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List of daggers
The following is a list of notable daggers, either historical or modern. A dagger is a knife with a sharp point designed for fighting.
Ancient daggers
* Acinaces
*Bronze Age dagger
* Parazonium
* Pugio
*Sica
European tradition
;High Middle Ages:
...
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List of premodern combat weapons
This is a list of historical pre- modern weapons grouped according to their uses, with rough classes set aside for very similar weapons. Some weapons may fit more than one category (e.g. the spear may be used either as a polearm or as a project ...
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Lists of swords
Lists of swords:
* List of historical swords
* List of Japanese swords
** List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts: swords)
** List of Wazamono
* List of mythological swords
* List of fictional swords
* List of types of swords
* Classification o ...
References
{{Swords by region
Type
Type may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc.
* Data type, collection of values used for computations.
* File type
* TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file.
* Ty ...
Swords
A sword is a cutting and/or thrusting weapon.
Sword, Swords, or The Sword may also refer to:
Places
* Swords, Dublin, a large suburban town in the Irish capital
* Swords, Georgia, a community in the United States
* Sword Beach, code name for th ...
swords
A sword is a cutting and/or thrusting weapon.
Sword, Swords, or The Sword may also refer to:
Places
* Swords, Dublin, a large suburban town in the Irish capital
* Swords, Georgia, a community in the United States
* Sword Beach, code name for th ...