A Guide to the Medieval Longsword • Sword Encyclopedia (2023)

During the Middle Ages, the medieval knights wielded their longswords against heavily armored opponents. Most recognized for its cruciform hilt, the longsword was light enough to use one-handed, but the long grip also allowed two-handed use. It suited the military strategies and social environment throughout Europe and eventually became a dueling weapon.

Let us talk about the history of the longsword, its medieval uses, and how it differs from the European greatswords.

What Exactly Is a Longsword?

Today, the term “longsword” refers to all swords lightweight enough to wield in one hand but has a long grip to accommodate two hands. However, the term longsword is relatively modern—not a historical term. Medieval writers used several sword terminologies that may mean differently to another writer. These included long swords, war swords or espée de guerre, and grans espée.

For convenience, modern historical fencers use the term longsword, as there is no specific term for the weapon. In German fencing texts, they are the kind of weapons used in the so-called “art of the long sword.” To German-speaking medieval fencers, it meant using the sword as a long range weapon rather than using a sword longer than other swords.

The longsword also served as a sidearm for armored fighting, implying that it was short enough to be able to draw from the belt. Many associate it with the hand-and-a-half sword or bastard sword, which appears in the medieval armory list. However, fencing master Joseph Swetnam described bastard swords as shorter than longswords but longer than the short swords.

Characteristics of Medieval Longsword

The distinguishing characteristic of the longsword was its longer grip rather than its long blade, though most of them had both.

Here are the unique characteristics of the medieval longsword:

Type of Metal

Medieval swords evolved as metallurgy improved. The ideal sword blade needed to be hard and resilient to resist bending and fracturing. However, early medieval technology made it difficult to produce even low-carbon steel to meet the requirements.

Early medieval ironmakers used the bloomery iron-smelting process in charcoal furnaces. Due to a lack of precise control and measuring equipment, medieval blades had varying carbon content and could not match the quality of modern steel.

Construction

Medieval swordsmiths often used slack quenching, where blades were drastically cooled. The process created less brittle but also less hard blades. Some longsword blades had steel edges forge-welded to an iron core.

However, longsword blades were not clay tempered as done with the Japanese katana. Japanese swordsmiths traditionally covered the blade in clay, so the cutting edge was hardened during quenching. In slack quenching, medieval swordsmiths used quenching media like molten lead, boiling water, or olive oil, which did not draw out heat as fast.

Blade Appearance

Longswords had symmetrical double-edged blades, which varied in tapering and cross-sections. Earlier sword blades were less tapered, suited for both thrusting and cutting. After the mid-14th century, blades became thicker and sharply tapered. These blades were better for thrusting against armor but less efficient for cutting.

Some had a fuller, which lightened the blade without compromising its structure. Others had diamond cross-sections that stiffened the sword blade. Most longswords must have been sharp along most of their blade length, though some featured a ricasso or unsharpened part of the blade nearest the hilt, allowing the wielder to slip his fingers over the crossguard for better control.

Size and Weight

Longswords typically have blades a few inches longer than modern single-handed swords but do not necessarily imply superior reach. The maximum length for longswords was generally limited by what could be drawn from a scabbard. Its blade length may range from 83 to 101 centimeters, while its hilt measures about 17 to 25 centimeters long. Most medieval longswords were reasonably light, weighing around 3 to 4 pounds.

Sword Mounting

The hilt consists of three parts—the pommel, the grip, and the crossguard—though some might have additional features.

Crossguard

The crossguard protected the hand from an opponent’s sword, though the wielder likely used it to strike opponents. Some 15th-century crossguards are bent into horizontal s-shapes. In Italy and Spain, some longswords supplemented the cross with finger rings, or side rings.

Grip

Instead of a full tang, longswords generally had a narrow tang, sometimes carved into the shoulders of the blade. It generally had a wooden grip, usually hollowed out for the tang. Commonly wrapped in leather and metal wire, the handle may also be polished horn or ivory.

Pommel

The pommel, at the end of the hilt, counterbalanced the weight of the blade. Most longswords had iron or brass pommel, but often not hard steel. Earlier pommels were flat and wheel-shaped, but 15th-century designs featured spherical and fishtail pommels. Some types of swords also featured silvered pommels, sometimes inlaid with decorative glass or enamel.

Scabbards

The knights carried the longswords in scabbard, attached to the skirt of the armor. Medieval art often portrays men carrying swords in their hands without sheaths, which may mean that they discarded them after drawing the sword. Early medieval scabbards were blocky, but by the 14th century, sheaths became slimmer and sometimes dyed or painted.

Facts About the Medieval Longsword

In medieval weaponry, the term longsword refers to all European swords lightweight enough to use one-handed but with grips long enough to allow the use of two hands if needed. It initially developed for armored fighting but eventually became a dueling weapon.

Here are the things you need to know about the medieval longsword:

Medieval states rarely restricted the right to own longswords and other weapons.

Several cities in Italy, Germany, and other regions in Europe depended on citizen militias for defense and required their citizens to equip themselves properly. In some German cities, the average citizen’s skill with longswords was impressive, and every guild member owned several weapons.

The longsword had a longer hilt than an arming sword.

The longsword might have had longer blades than the arming sword, also called the knightly sword which was designed purely for single-handed use, but not necessarily. The difference was the longsword’s longer grip that allowed two-handed use. However, these swords were generally shorter than the German two-hander or zweihander, which was not light enough for single-handed use.

Many refer to short longswords as bastard swords.

Fencing master Joseph Swetnam described bastard swords as longer than short swords but shorter than longswords. Also known as a hand-and-a-half sword, the bastard sword is generally more than single-handed but somewhat less than a two-handed sword.

The bastard sword is not a legitimate member of the family, hence the name. The swordsman primarily used it with one hand, but he could still grasp the grip with two or three fingers from the left hand to deliver more powerful blows. It also had a plain crossguard and a long, straight blade.

Medieval blade designs adapted to military tactics of the time.

With the emergence of improved armor, medieval swords eventually focused on the blade strength in the thrust rather than the cut. Historian Ewart Oakeshott created the standard typology of medieval swords based on blade form.

Generally, the type XIIIa is not an uncommon longsword blade during the late 13th century. It usually had a fuller and limited tapering, making it ideal for cutting. On the other hand, the type XVa blade of the early 15th century featured a diamond cross-section and was sharply tapered to a thrusting tip.

Training with the longsword began at an early age.

Some medieval writers suggested that boys must train with the longsword aged 12 to 14, alongside other knightly skills and courtly manners. Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince, fought when he was 16, while King Edward VI of England practiced fencing when he was 13. There were also professional fighting schools where students learned how to use the longsword for an average of five months.

Medieval fight books or fechtbücher served as symbols of wealth and status.

Most fight books—called fechtbücher or singular fechtbuch—were written in German and Italian, often handwritten by professional scribes on parchment. These books served as wealth and status symbols, reflecting the owner’s interest in prestigious knightly activities. Johannes Liechtenauer, the famous German master of the longsword tradition, even wrote using secret and hidden words so not everyone would understand it.

The longswords served as deadly weapons in judicial duels.

The trial by battle or judicial duel, was the earliest form of dueling and a means to settle accusations of crimes. Several medieval manuscripts portray judicial duels using the German longsword, spear, and spiked shields. Fencing master Hans Talhoffer is known for his lavishly illustrated fight books, widely reproduced in modern times.

Fighters demonstrated longsword techniques with federschwerter.

The federschwerter, German for feather swords, were practice swords associated with the German Fechtschulen sport fighting. By the 16th century, the middle class who were unlikely to own armor used it as a sports weapon. These swords had thick edges and blunt or foiled tips, but could also cause injuries or death. Fighters demonstrated longsword techniques with federschwerter, usually until one participant bled or was blinded.

Unarmored combat was the foundation of longsword techniques.

Several fight books teach several sets of longsword techniques suited for fighting unarmored, fighting in armor, and fighting from horseback. The bare fighting or blössfechten refers to an unarmored combat technique that remained a martial sport into the 16th century, even after the longswords disappeared from the battlefield.

Longsword vs. Greatsword

Unlike the longsword, the greatsword is too large to be worn on the belt. The term greatsword may mean different things to different cultures, but it generally had a massive blade length roughly the height of a man. The ones used on the battlefield usually weighed around 3 to 7 pounds.

The most popular greatsword is the zweihander or bidenhander of the German Landsknechts. These German two-handers had an overall length of about 150 to 175 centimeters. So, the Landsknechts carried them over the shoulder like a halberd.

Unlike the medieval longsword, the zweihander was not a combat weapon. The doppelsöldner used it against the opposing pikes to create a gap in the enemy’s formation. Also, the longsword is a medieval weapon, while the zweihander is a Renaissance weapon.

Is Claymore a Longsword?

The Scottish claymore, particularly the Highland claymore is actually a great sword, from the Scottish Gaelic term claidheamh mór. It derived from earlier medieval Scottish and Irish longswords. The Scots traditionally carried the sword on their backs, often using a shoulder sheath. Still, claymores were shorter and lighter than the German zweihander.

The longsword had a long hilt that allowed the use of two hands, but it was lightweight enough to wield with one hand. On the contrary, the Highland claymore is a two-handed sword, measuring about 120 to 138 centimeters long.

The term claymore also applies to the Scottish broadsword or basket-hilted sword, measuring about 100 centimeters long. However, these swords are one-handed and their basket hilts won’t allow two-handed use, hence not a longsword.

Uses of Longswords in Medieval Times

The knights used the longswords in wars and tournaments, while commoners utilized them in judicial duels. These swords lost their practical use on the battlefield in the late 16th and early 17th centuries but continued as sporting weapons.

On the Battlefield

In 1471, the Burgundian Abbeville ordinance recommended the longswords and daggers as backup weapons for the cavalry. The spearmen and armored knights needed the sword in case their polearm broke, and the archers also needed it when the enemy reached his line. However, the Swiss preferred the short sword while the English utilized the sword and buckler—a small shield used as a parrying weapon.

In Tournaments

Early tournament weapons were longswords and armor used in actual warfare. During these combats, individual knights or groups challenged specific individuals to fight with sharp weapons. Most foot-combat events utilized the longsword and spears, though competitors wore full armors. By the 14th century, the tournament weapons included blunted swords and lances.

However, tournaments were not necessarily bloodless as several combatants fought to the extreme or à outrance until one party surrendered, was incapacitated, or dead. On the other hand, combat à plaisance showed the skills and bravery of participants without causing serious injury, though many still fought with sharp weapons.

In Judicial Duels

Originating from the early medieval trial by battle, the judicial duel was part of the legal process, usually fought over serious crime. In 1306, the French ordinance allowed judicial duels when a serious crime was punishable by death and there were no witnesses or documents to prove or disprove the matter.

Commoners often fought with longswords, clubs, or shields and wore fighting suits made of greased leather. However, most of them were between craftsmen or townsmen. The elderly, children, women, and clergymen were generally exempted from fighting. Nobles often fought from horseback with lances and on foot with longswords.

In Honor Duels

The honor duels, similar to the classic post-medieval duels fought with rapiers or smallswords, were rarely fought to the death. Medieval nobles engaged in duels when they felt their honor was slighted. These duels were fought in armor, on horseback or on foot usually with spears, longswords, or axes. It was initially legal and public, though some also fought privately.

History of the Longsword

The longsword gradually evolved from the Viking sword and adapted through time. Earlier examples were designed for heavy cutting strokes, while later longswords were more tapered for thrusting into armor. It also became longer both in grip and blade.

In the Late Antiquity

During the Migration period, from the fall of Rome to about the year 1000, the Roman cavalry sword spatha – a straight sword with a small crossguard remained in use. Eventually, it evolved into the Carolingian or Viking sword with a short handguard and a wide, heavy blade. The Carolingians used the sword for slashing, thrusting, and dealing against armor.

In the Middle Ages

By 1000, the Carolingian or Viking swords evolved into the classic knightly sword with longer crossguards and disk-shaped pommels. These swords also had sharper points to fight chainmail armor better. Knights generally fought from horseback, and single-handed swords functioned as backup weapons next to their lances.

Around 1300, the improvements in metallurgy resulted in better-armored opponents which also required better swords. Some single-handed swords evolved into so-called arming swords or knightly swords with sharply tapered blades efficient for thrusting against armor. Other single-handed swords developed into single-edged falchions with heavy blades efficient for cutting.

The Rise of the Longswords

Longswords appeared around the 1250s, likely to counter better armor, but became most popular from 1370 to 1440. Unlike the single-handed arming sword and the unbalanced falchions, the longsword could be used in one hand while on horseback and the knight could also use it two-handed on foot if necessary. By the 14th and 15th centuries, the longsword became the usual weapon alongside improved armor and rivaled single-handed swords for popularity in art.

The Decline of Longswords

As swords became impractical on the battlefield, they became part of sports fighting and civilian life. Early tournaments and honor duels utilized longswords. When the armor was no longer practical, the rapier became the civilian dueling weapon.

Early rapiers emerged as cut-and-thrust weapons with broad, double-edged blades. By the 16th century, the rapier was developed for swordplay, featuring long and thin blades. Since they featured an elaborate hilt, they also became fashion items and were worn as part of the civilian dress before being replaced by the smallsword.

Conclusion

Long enough to be gripped with both hands, the medieval longsword was an efficient weapon in armored fighting in battlefield, judicial dueling, and tournaments. Unlike greatswords, the longsword was surprisingly light and suitable for thrusts and cuts. Today, it remains one of the most popular weapons associated with knights and battles of the Middle Ages.