6/12/2023 0 Comments Hook swordsSoldiers trained in the use of the sword were granted the title of Meister des langen Schwertes (lit. Zweihänders were also used for guarding bridges or certain routs, because of the large circular movements that using them are often associated with have high area of control and denial. There are some accounts of Zweihänders cutting off pike heads. Zweihänder wielders fought with and against pike formations. The Black Band of German mercenaries (active during the 1510s and 1520s) included 2,000 two-handed swordsmen in a total strength of 17,000 men. However, the Swiss outlawed their use, while the Landsknecht kept using them until much later. The weapon is mostly associated with either Swiss or German mercenaries known as Landsknecht, and their wielders were Doppelsöldner. Some Zweihänders had wavy blades and were called Flammenschwert.ġ548 depiction of a Zweihänder used against pikes in the Battle of Kappel A sword did not necessarily have both features. Later examples had Parierhaken ("parrying hooks") at the top of the ricasso as well as side rings on the hilt. Zweihänders above 4 kg are considered to be more ceremonial than practical.Įarly Zweihänders were simply larger versions of hand and a half swords. ĭue to their size and weight - typically at least 1.4 m (4 ft 7 1⁄ 8 in) long and with a weight of over 2 kg - Zweihänders require two hands as such they require at least 25 cm (9.84 in) for the grip. Some ceremonial zweihänder, called "bearing-swords" or "parade-swords" (Paratschwert), were much larger, weighing about 10 pounds. By the second half of the 16th century, these swords had largely ceased to have a practical application, but they continued to see ceremonial or representative use well into the 17th century. Consequently, it is not carried in a sheath, but across the shoulder like a halberd. In its developed form, the Zweihänder has acquired the characteristics of a polearm rather than a sword. These swords represent the final stage in the trend of increasing size started in the 14th century. The Goliath Fechtbuch (1510) shows an intermediate form between longsword and Zweihänder 1519) and during the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The Zweihänder swords develop seamlessly out of the German "Langschwert" ( longsword) of the Late Middle Ages, and they became a hallmark weapon of the German Landsknechte from the time of Maximilian I (d. This is in comparison with other large swords that can be used with two hands, but also can be used with one. It is a true two-handed sword because it requires two hands to wield it.
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