The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-04
Weapon Whose Beginnings are Older
Than History.
DEVELOPED FROM THE WAR CLUB
Has Appeared the World over-Le-
Rends of Famous Feats Which
Have Been Performed With IL.
Some are Hard to Believe.

nings are older than hlalVis '"4 ~ mas
appeared in every part OF the world.
Some Of its forms. however, are very
different from those with winch VIC arc
familiar-so much so that We should
scarcely recognize the true Character Of
the weapon at first glance.
Indeed. the earliest swords were not
made Of any kind OF metal. but OF hard,
heavy wood style when mas prevail
ed among savages In remote regions until
very recent times. Such SWORDS are EVIL
IDENTIFY the result Of an attempt 70 I'M
prove upon the war CLUB. They are
more or less padde-shaped and are
brought 10 a keen edge which Is fire.
hardened. Their cleaving power in the
hands of a stalwart and skillful savage
Is far beyond what might be expected
and IS increased by the frequent use
of drawing cut" Still. wood IS easily
blunted and all sorts Of experiments
have been tried with a view OF getting
a more refractory edge. one device was
10 insert rows OF sharks teeth firmly
imbedded but this ugly fighting tool
was more like a rip-saw than true
sword. A better weapon was made BY
arming the edge with razor-hke fakes
Of flint set In the wood. These gave an
edge Ike broken glass. and every boy
knows how keen that may be. The best
example u this style Is the masqus-
huilt. formerly used BY certain Mexican
tribes. and with II. we are told. they
could sometimes sever a mans arm AZ
one stroke. II was the most effective
sword ever constructed out OF any ma
terial inferior 10 tempered metal
UNSATISFACTOR1
And really. the first swords Of metal
were not AZ all satisfactory. AS iron
was scarce and copper was altogether
too soft. bronze was used but this, II
made hard enough 70 cut became brittle.
Such were the swords 81 the early
Greeks and the stories Of the combats
I'm which they were used show that they
often shattered when a heavy blow was
struck against shield or helmet Yet
we are told that when Ajax was defend
ing his ships. almost single-handed by
thrusting back the TrojanS with a long
lance. one blow OF the sword of Hector
cleft the brazsn head from the tough
shaft-no easy task even for sword OF
steel. II Is not likely that any such feat
was ever performed with a blade ~
bronze. except in the heroic dreamland
OF the poets. The sword was never Of
much account among the Greeks. any
how. their weapon OF war was the spear
The Romans. however. were real
swordsmen. They wanted no titteen-foot
pole between themselves and the enemy
their chief desire was 20 come 70 close
siderable resemblance 10 the modern
bowie-knife They we're accustomed 10
strike with the point. which was broad
and keen. rather than 10 slash with the
edge. This. in general is the most eff
fective way for men on foot Experts
have remarked that a thrust kills. while
q slash merely wounds. but there are
notable exceptions, as we shall see.
These Roman weapons had well-temper-
81 .4F. = HrI
advantage over some Of their old enc
mies-as. for instance the iauls. who
often used iron so soft that the blade
bent I'm striking and had % be straight
ened with the foot" This, 7 suppose.
means that the soldier had 10 draw back
lay his sword on the ground and step
on It. After this operation had been
many times repeated the weapon must
have presented as wavy an outline as
a Malay creese.
WONDERFUL STORIES
II Is I'm the medieval period that we
find the most wonderful stories about
the sword. which was IN great favor
with the knights and plays all sorts Of
incredible pranks I'm the tales Of chiv-
airy. These famous capons had names
and pedigrees. and frequently were
scarcely less renowned than the war
riors who welded them Here belong the
lhrftliaAlUE IhlAfT at hNN F1If|-At i'N n tfil~
mum Arthur's "Excalibur" and many
another. II Is sometimes hard to dis
tinguish the true from tho false. When
we read that Roland with "a mighty
blow Of his sword "Duundal.' cleft
open the cliffs at Roncosyales. we see
al once that We arc dealing with n myth.
and are not convinced even by the fact
that the gap he cut I'm tine mountains
Is still on exhibition. nor are we much
ff.H al %
Hakon. which cut through milestone.
But other cases. standing IN the midst
Of what is accepted as authentic history
leave MS hOnpussed. For example. II Is
soberly related that At the siege Of An
tioch. at the time of the first crusade.
Godfrey Of Bouillon smote saracen
with sword stroke of such violence |
that it cleft the luckless inhdel from |
shoulder 10 haunch. so that half his body |
fell 10 tho ground. while the frightened |
horse galloped away with the remainder. |
Such a tale leaves as speeches., yet 10 |
Is not 10 be doubted that some tremen- |
dous blows were struck in those wars. |
and when keen and heavy blades were |
swung with the maximum OF skill and |
strength IL Is not easv 10 set exact |
limits 70 the effect. In Ike manner, Ro- |
bert Of Normandy Is said 20 have split |
an unbeliever like a billet Of wood. |
straight down through the head 10 the |
middle Of the chest
CRUSADERS SWORDS.
Tho swords OF these crusaders were for !
tho most part two-edged, straight and |
massive while the scimcter Of the Sara /
Gems was light much curved and OF more. |
than a ra7or's keeness and temper. The /
European sword was chiefly used for a |
stidight chop downward. but for the /
scimeter. what IS called a "slic.ns cut /
was preferred The characteristic diner- |
ence In the style and handling OF the |
two weapons IS well shown IN the fami- |
liar story Of the friendly contest between |
Saadin and King Richard. Tho latter |
laid a heavy mace on block and Sc |
Vered the thick steel shatt with one |
sweep OF his huge blade The deft Sara |
cen then drew the upturned edge Of his |
scimeter through a rossamer veil Heat |
ing I'm tho air and with n quick turn |
OF the wrist divided one Of the pillows |
living on the divan. Neither tool could |
possibly have done the work OF the 9TH
err.
In naval warfare to-day. as the thick |
ness OF the steel plates which guard the |
vitals OF orr battleships Is increased. II
Incomes necessary 20 use stronger can
non and heavier projectles. Just so, as
the vveioht Of the armor worn by men i
No, e,r,dnaIlv increased Il was found
necessary TO increase the W,lshl OF the
weapons used to cleaNe IT. ueh'e' aiohg
with the battleaX and mace huge TWO
handed swords came INTO Nogue-and
these ponderous implements. some or
which have been preserved MAKE US al