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types of swords

{{short description|Bladed weapon}}

{{further|Classification of swords|List of premodern combat weapons#Swords}}

{{Dynamic list}}

{{more citations needed|date=November 2022}}

This is a list of types of swords.

The term sword used here is a narrow definition. This is not a general List of premodern combat weapons and does not include the machete, macuahuitl or similar "sword-like" weapons.

African swords

=Northern African swords=

=Eastern African swords=

=Western African swords=

=Central African swords=

Asian swords

=Eastern Asian swords=

==China==

{{main|Chinese sword}}

==Japan==

{{main|Japanese sword}}

==Korea==

{{main|Korean sword}}

=Southeastern Asian swords=

Swords and knives found in Southeast Asia are influenced by Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and European forms.

==Indonesia==

==Myanmar==

==Philippines==

==Thailand==

=Southern Asian swords=

==Bhutan==

==Bladed weapons of the Indian subcontinent==

==Sri Lanka==

=Western and Central Asian swords=

  • Acinaces (Scythian short sword)
  • Chereb ({{Script/Hebrew|חֶרֶב}}, modern Hebrew khérev): ancient Israelite sword mentioned 413 times in the Hebrew Bible.{{Cite web |title=Strong's Hebrew: 2719. חָ֫רֶב (chereb) -- a sword |author= |work=biblehub.com |date= |access-date=3 November 2022 |url= https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2719.htm}}

The Ancient Greeks and Romans also introduced various types of swords, see #Ancient Europe.

==Post-classical period==

All of the Islamic world during the 16th to 18th century, including the Ottoman Empire and Persia were influenced by the "scimitar" type of single-edged curved sword. Via the Mameluke sword this also gave rise to the European cavalry sabre.

Terms for the "scimitar" curved sword:

European swords

=Ancient European swords=

  • Bronze Age European swords
  • Harpe: mentioned almost exclusively in Greek mythology
  • Iron Age European swords
  • Falcata: one-handed single-edged sword – blade {{convert|48|–|60|cm|abbr=on}} – with forward-curving blade for slashing
  • Falx: Dacian and Thracian one-handed or two-handed single-edged curved shortsword for slashing
  • Gladius: Roman one-handed double-edged shortsword for thrusting (primary) and slashing, used by legionaries (heavy infantry){{cite encyclopedia |title=Romeinse Rijk §3.1 Landmacht |encyclopedia=Encarta Encyclopedie Winkler Prins |date=2002 |publisher=Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum |language=nl}} and gladiators, and late Roman light infantry. 3rd century BCE Roman Republic – late Roman Empire.
  • Kopis: one-handed single-edged sword – blade {{convert|48|–|60|cm|abbr=on}} – with forward-curving blade for slashing
  • Makhaira: Greek one-handed, single-edged shortsword or knife for cutting (primary) and thrusting
  • Pugio: Roman dagger
  • Rhomphaia: Greek single-edged straight or slightly curved broadsword – blade {{convert|60|–|80|cm|abbr=on}} – for slashing (primary) and thrusting
  • Spatha: Celtic/Germanic/Roman one-handed double-edged longsword – blade {{convert|50|–|100|cm|abbr=on}} – for thrusting and slashing, used by gladiators, cavalry and heavy infantry. 3rd century BCE Gaul/Germania – Migration Period.
  • Xiphos: Greek one-handed, double-edged Iron Age straight shortsword
  • Xyele: The short, slightly curved, one-edged sword of the Spartans.[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0062%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DX%3Aentry+group%3D1%3Aentry%3Dxyele-harpers Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Xyele]
  • Migration Period swords
  • Spatha: continuation, evolved into
  • Ring-sword (ring-spatha, ring-hilt spatha), Merovingian period
  • Viking sword or Carolingian sword
  • Krefeld type

=Post-classical European swords=

{{main|Oakeshott typology}}

=Modern European swords=

North American swords

See also

References

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{{Swords by region}}

Type

Swords

swords