Good info for Medieval Romances

Status
Not open for further replies.

nevada

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Messages
2,590
Reaction score
697
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I found this on Miss Snark and it's fascinating. Totally throws away the cliche of the woman grabbing the man's sword and not being able to lift it. Funny how misinformation sneaks into usage and people just repeat it and repeat it without ever checking back to the original source, i.e. going to a museum and actually holding a sword.

http://www.thearma.org/essays/weights.htm
 

Deleted member 42

Actually, no it's not that good.

It very much depends on the person, the sword, and when and why the sword was made.

The swords you see in most museums are late; they are not medieval, and they are not the working swords used by people in fighting. Those get ruined by said fighting.

And being able to lift it . . .lift it how? I used to have hellacious upper body strength from tossing around hay bales. I was very much able to lift a twelfth and a fifteenth century sword over my head and wave it.

I couldn't now.
 

Rizzo

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
138
Reaction score
8
Location
Somewhere in Ontario
This is still very interesting, but I'm going to keep Medievalist's warning close to mind when I do read it. Thanks for posting this :)
 

Deleted member 42

Talk to someone in the SCA who really really knows medieval weaponry; there are some top notch sword makers and teachers.
 

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
5,363
Reaction score
1,763
Location
Getting blitzed at Gillhoughly's Reef, Haleakaloha
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.