The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-19
WEAPONS OF SCOTLAND.
CLAyYo1R. DIRK. AND TARGET TIE
HIGHLANDER LOVED TO CARRY.
D&vuf Lswiasaers swung the I've "a nS I'd
Sword ssd Leehsber Are-psrts and
epears of Primitive Tunes.

1ork SUI, D13catts that athoah
IT'S ssty years since" Scot
died. The spell Of the Wizard O
the North has lost none OF So pofency
ii also indicates that the interest h
aroused IN Scotland and Things SCOTTISH
Is as keen a. ever. for limited edition.
are only sod AZ . price which test -
love 81 the purchasers for what thei
contents describe. A description, there
fore q the weapons Which figure con
spicuously IN those magic volumes. via
q mention q these not 30 distinctly
Scottish. which the Gaels hac IN com
mon with other ancient nations, - time
TIE olarmore, perhaps. Is The distinct
lively National weapon Of Scotland
Nearly ali her victories which are most
famous ~ song and story were won by
'fbe hroaasWord n Scotland. the ola
ScOffsh br0a4sWoTd. Around the clay
more. too. are clustered more tales q
proves than are told Of almost any
Other weapon ~ what weapon can u
be said that Il sltw fourteen men be-
fore its doughty wielder nehung fen as
ID ClAfmore a. 1uLooent IL was
Gilles Machanes claymore and Camp
bells were iis victims
At Foltency q claymnre in the Ear -
OF Campbell belonging % TIE black
Watch Killed nine men before rs career
wa stopped - Us weloers LETT arm De
ing taken n by cannon ball
IT, the days when the claymore aid
some Of It's best work il was supplineni-
te by a diIk which ID grasp On VIZ
IN Staying power 90 The claymore Itself,
and rs a target which, because o. the
spike fixed in lis centre. often became
a means Of offence as vel a. o. proifc-
ton. With both clay whore and -ifk 10
Use. q Highlander was often good 20
deal ceaih with each hand al every
stroke he gave.
The large. or target. did such good
service even against such
modern weapon as The hayonet
that one wonders It's use was
ever abandoned. Tor on lis leather
Clad covering the Highlander received the
bayonef's point and then. with his ready
Claymore. cut 81 the bsyOnei owner
head. Thus even against q tflstnrc line
a. hayonets Highland charge was al
moss irresistible. The dirk came INTO
play when the claymore proved TOO -ong
for close quarters. and once within The
eDem-s line. the Highlander became
master q the situation
Although II has done good service since.
the claymOres last conspicuous victory
was won for the Pretender al Preston
pans ia la. the battle " as Won 10y the
clsynore. and the claymOre alone. u
five minutes time 2,N9 disciplined troops
were put 10 the rout by the charge Of
the Highlanders. VINO outnumbere3 them
but littie
The tIaymore or hroadsw0rd was
originally about three feet long. with a
two-edged blade one and one-quarter
inches wide. The best blades We're mace
10y Andrea "a Ferrara. one Of Tho famous
sword makers o. that town. who IS SAID
10y some 10 have settled in Scotland 81
the sixteenth century.
The guards Of the ClaymOre originally
consisted Of single cross piece. sener-
ally bent DOWNWARD. The basket nit -
Of more recent date. Some authorities
contend that the name claymore BELONGS
10 the original fWO-edged sword. ana
not 20 It's baskef-hllfed successor.
Inc use q the claymore was taught
in llirty lessons. There were seven
cuts. otlQue. horizontal. and diagonal.
one guard in which The sword Is held
VIBRATING as pendulum ready 10 turn
~ any direction. SO that the Bdversar.
g hssaned and the person protected.
Cudgels give good hroadsword racrce.
and Highland boys were early trained 70
their use
A iwo-ian8od sword was al one time
q f8Norite Scottish weapon. The blade
s. three feet six inches long and TWO
and one-third inches wide TIE hilt Is
eleven inches long Waslace's sword
or one tabled 10 have bene his. was
nearly twice - lonc. and two men could
scarcely lift H. a sword bearer Eener-
ally carried iwo-handed sword while
the claymore was worn at the side. as
ordinary swords are orr.
The dirk Of the Highlander was called
IL Gaelic hidaf cor rioaaFl. il was car
rie6 al the night side iu the bolt binding
the plaid. and so worn that u could De-
eAs drawn. In Cqmha- il was held iu
reverse position from thar n The
back handed A Highlander so melee
could. and doubtless often did. kin q
foe IN the rear with the dirk in his left
hand as he splits al antagonists head !
IN front with his claymore The sheath |
OF the tidag vas often orr amenied win /
metal IL sometimes contained Sits Cor /
81 knife and fork ITks ere worn hy /
The BLACK Watch until about century /
ago tut thoTe that have 81 TNiVcd outside /
OF collections and are not preserved as |
heirioons were Dong ago degraded 10 1
domestic uses
The Highland large was a round shield /
generally o. wood covered with leather.
and sometimes with silver, arranged |
In concsniric circles The targets OF
chiefs were Of metal often highly OTua-
menied. The Earl Of Mars shield. |
is o. steel ornamented with gold. The
target was grasped with a single hold 4
on tue inside. IN the centre on the out
side was a spike The dirk was some
times carried with The shield and used
with effect the weight Of The target
lending force 10 the blow. IN marching
the target WAS generally hung on TIE
left shoulder OF on the arm. A High
lander would not part with his target !
II be could help a. but il Was not cQnsil-
cred so disgraceful 10 lose The shield
as among TIE ancient Germans or ho-
mans.
The shields ~ the earlier Gaels were
sometimes raised IN bosses, which
,eing hollow, emitted sounds when struck.
% that the shield served the PURPOSE
4 a gong. The signal for the army
assembly. or for Joining battle. was gwen
recording 10 poetic authorities, by Sunk
ng such a shield with q spear.
only a small army could have been
assembled by this means. as the SOUND
hus made could scarcely Toe lOud enough
O Toe heard al any great distance
The Lochaber axe may be considered
distinctive Scottish weapon. Tor al
houeh aside from its name II differed
,ut little from other battle axes o. the /
ort its use was maintained by High
anders LONG after similar weapons mao
.een abandoned 10y The soldiers Of other
iations IL was called. in Gaelic TuaCh-
hAtna IL mad a point or hook behind !
% We'll as an axe ~ front SO that u
ould be used effectively either way. The
Iook was probably used IA dragging "a I
der from his horse The axe was
sualiy mounted on pole about I'VE
eet long.
Two members Of the Black Watch fought
efore George IL with Locha her axes as
ate as l7&- According 10 one account
'Olonel Gardiner was hlle1 al Preston
ans In l1s5 by Lochater axe IN the
Ancs OF a Highlander. Another account !
avs he was struck down ey a eiaymore.
he axe with which Robert bruce .
penea The battle Of Bannocsburn by
laying fhe bic EnEiish champion. II Of
ae Lobachber species, must have had
sforter handle, for II vas apparently
'ielded by one hand.
BEFORE the days o. nreSrms ana IN
eVc, until long after. the highianders ,
Sc darts and spears a. Wei as bows
no arrows Although individual in-
tances Of great eSpertness with the I !
ow were not uncommon, The Scotch.
= d rule. were IN use ln the Highlands 1
: late llse. anc were used even IL -
attic until about 1890
ne Scotchman carts had often
ollow ball q brass az The end containing / I
ethles whose railing frightened horses 4
I'd possibly Inspired terror in raen.
The ancient Scotch also used the long
bear and their bodies ~ sf.ear so.n /