I'm a bit baffled by the definition of a sword's usage including "clubbing." Not even going into the modern definition of wearing tight vinyl clothing and spasming to techno in a dimly lit club...just...the sword has a blade. Blades are for cutting or piercing. Why would you bother using it for blunt trauma? It's like saying a gun's usage is for cold-cocking someone.
"I'm a bit baffled by the definition of a sword's usage including "clubbing." "
Heh It's been a while since I got to put my fencing geek on: :-) But that come from the way you use the blade, you don't always stabe/slash an oppenent if you mearly want to beat them into submission. Also a lot of early blades just weren't very sharp to begin with, so between that and the type of use; a lot of the damage a sword does is actually from the concussive forces.
Lastly it was also very common to thunk them in the head with the base of the handle which is where the term "pommeling them" comes from...
I think some of it has to do with the fact that until blacksmithing was refined enough to use compound metals, swords weren't a lot more that heavy metal clubs. With straight iron, as opposed to steel, it is very difficult to get a good edge to stay. Europeans were a bit behind on the curve when it came to figure out how to do that. Eventually we did learn how to fold other metals in to increase the strength of the blades and enable them to hold a true edge.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-02-04 04:52 pm (UTC)But...batleths are not terribly sword-like. Yes, I know that makes me a dork.
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Date: 2009-02-04 05:05 pm (UTC)Yes it's curved two handed sword that has an unusual hilt placement, but the definition of a sword is: a long edged piece of metal, used as a cutting, thrusting, and clubbing weapon.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 05:16 pm (UTC)I'll see your dorkiness and raise you by my geekiness... :-)
Hmm, I'm pretty sure this isn't a contest I should want to win...
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Date: 2009-02-04 05:19 pm (UTC)I'm a bit baffled by the definition of a sword's usage including "clubbing." Not even going into the modern definition of wearing tight vinyl clothing and spasming to techno in a dimly lit club...just...the sword has a blade. Blades are for cutting or piercing. Why would you bother using it for blunt trauma? It's like saying a gun's usage is for cold-cocking someone.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 05:27 pm (UTC)Heh It's been a while since I got to put my fencing geek on: :-)
But that come from the way you use the blade, you don't always stabe/slash an oppenent if you mearly want to beat them into submission. Also a lot of early blades just weren't very sharp to begin with, so between that and the type of use; a lot of the damage a sword does is actually from the concussive forces.
Lastly it was also very common to thunk them in the head with the base of the handle which is where the term "pommeling them" comes from...
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 11:22 pm (UTC)I think some of it has to do with the fact that until blacksmithing was refined enough to use compound metals, swords weren't a lot more that heavy metal clubs. With straight iron, as opposed to steel, it is very difficult to get a good edge to stay. Europeans were a bit behind on the curve when it came to figure out how to do that. Eventually we did learn how to fold other metals in to increase the strength of the blades and enable them to hold a true edge.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 11:23 pm (UTC)