I love how I've gained a genuine interest in historical weponary, warfare and defence strategies from just stumbling upon a Skyrim Castle review one day, shad your an absolute hero. edit: I genuinely can't play a game that includes a castle without an internal vocie tuttng and saying "shad would NOT be happy with this"
I don't believe it is perspective. It's much more likely that Shad can shrink and grow magically and he uses that ability to make fun at the expense of gullible viewers! Well, some of us aren't fooled so easily, Shad!
Shadiversity A Witch! Burn him! Although maybe we should first see if Shad weighs as much as a duck to be fair. how do you call a male witch anyway?A warlock?
@@JaxdoesArt I don't care what people do with their own body. I just don't believe in the gender spectrum. You either have XX or XY chromosomes. No amount of surgery can change that.
I feel sorry for the Bastard sword. So often forgotten from history. Isolated. Standing in when the regular folks can't be risked. Trying to earn a reputation to call their own. All because his parents weren't married.
Samuel Steed Well I'm gonna admit it: I never read or watched or played or really even touched anything in the Game of Thrones universe... so I wouldn't really know
Dragon HearthX Well I know a slight bit about it because it's impossible to avoid since EVERYBODY except me watched Game of Thrones. But to be honest your second reply I didn't really get...
In Game of Thrones, or at least in the books, arming swords are called longswords, longswords are called bastard swords, and warswords and greatswords are called greatswords. So the terminology is a bit different.
dear shad, after your videos, I became the most boring and critical person to talk about armor and weapons, you have ruined all my favorite medieval games and movies (also my friendships), thank you. ps. if you are feeling a little remorse, and want to patch things up, I totally recommend you doing a video about polearms (names, functions and origins), nobody gives attention to these beasts, just because they're not as stylish as swords are. thnxs man, loving your vids (did you make you chair out of your wall? why is it strangely the same material?)
Yeah, I hate how overshadowed polearms are in movies and video games. Realistically if I _had_ to fight in a medieval battle I'd take any polearm over a sword 90% of the time.
I did not know that about Bastard Swords and was absolutely wondering about it last night. It was like you read my mind from afar. Thanks for clearing some of that up for me.
My experience and research is the most accurate classification taking in all the various sources is: Arming Sword/Sword - Conventional knightly sword. Bastard Sword - Intermediary between arming swords and longswords in length, these were NOT a transitional sword, but instead first appeared in the early Renaissance (c. late-15th, early-16th centuries). Greatsword/War Sword - Early longswords of the later 12th and early 13th centuries with some later examples from the end of the Middle Ages, IE the Oakeshott Type XX. Evolved in response to improvements in armor protection by growing larger with a handle long enough to accommodate both hands. The blade is heavy, broad, and focused on the cut over the thrust. Longsword - True longswords first appearied in the 14th century. The blades are better balanced between the cut and thrust. Epitome of this philosophy was the Type XVIIIb with its convex profile, allowing both a broad cutting edge through the center of percussion, yet a very slender, awl-like point. The handles are generally a good deal longer than the earlier Greatsword (again, as typified by the XVIIIb). Dopplehander/Zweihander - Large two-handed swords as much as six feet in length of the later Middle Ages and early Renaissance, generally wielded half-sword like polearms.
As near as I can figure that was the actual period term, (correct spelling: Doppelhänder) with Zweihander being a more modern invention. The German term would be most appropriate since they were primarily used by the Landsknechts in the latter Middle Ages.
Thank you so much Shad! This video was _perfect_ and exactly what I've been looking for all these years. When I was little, I was always so confused over different sources' descriptions of bastard swords, longswords, great swords, and two-handed swords because they seemed to contradict, but these reference books I looked at would never go into detail. They would also give the labels and make them seem indisputable rather than acknowledging the varying interpretations behind them.
Ah, sword ownership. I've owned a sword for about 16 years, but currently it's stuck somewhere overseas with someone else. Why? Because I managed to move to the ONE state in Australia that doesn't just say you can't walk around with a thing like that, but that you can't even own one. And where did I get this sword anyway? A shop in Dubbo where you could just walk in, no questions asked, point at a sword and say 'I'd like that one please'. So now I'm stuck with still technically owning this thing, but not knowing what to do with it, because I can't bring it to the place I live, which is where I've had that sword most of that time. I took it on an aircraft in checked luggage at least 3 times, took it through 4 different countries, and had it on my wall in various places in Australia and England... Even once when some police and earlier some ambulance services needed access to my place due to one of my neighbours. It was never once a problem, but no, I manage to move to the one place where legally speaking it's harder to own a sword than a gun. Go me. XD
Good video, Shad. Thank you for that. But, if I may, could you put your sources of studies in the videos? I am a medieval warfare researcher, and I really approuve your videos, but it would be great if you could link the studies from where you take your knowledge. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, MAN!
Brokenbob13 Saddly it's probably the best in the game. I say saddly cause i already went there to look around to see things I learned from Shads videos and saw a few irritating things. Still want a video though cause I didn't do a very detailed search of the castle.
Your shirt promotions are one of the few I actually watch completely. They're hilarious! Edit: I just had the most awesome idea. In about a decade or so, when I finally have my blacksmith career up and running, all of the historical youtubers and such should start a gofundme campaign to build.... You guessed it... A castle!! I think that eventually, especially considering the rate some of these youtube channels grow, we could amass that mass amount of money to fund the construction of such a thing.
So simply put, while classifications we use today are useful and make speaking about swords easier in real life history none of these terms were exactly set in stone, there was no clearly defined lines what made long sword a long sword and not a bastard sword or war sword and so on. Names used could also be very situational. IE what we call war sword today could have been called a great sword back in the day and not be wrong. Especially by a person of small stature a big war sword was truly great in size for him. :)
actually given my state's laws, the part about the shirt is wrong. walking around with a sword would be perfectly legal. Assuming you don't do anything illegal with it.
I never really knew about the warsword or arming sword classifications before I started watching you channel, so I would just use one handed sword, bastard sword, longsword, big longsword, greatsword.
Shad I think I've watched the vast majority of videos on your channel. Do you have any recommendations of your videos that not a lot of people watch or aren't easy to find?
+Shadiversity Is there any chance we could see Valdek's Dark Fortress(Lego), Castle of Morcia(Lego), Nanda Parbat(DC comics), Castle Acorn(Sonic the Hedgehog), or the Royal Palace of Eternia(MOTU 200x) for your series on castles? Also could you do a medieval weapons video on Gargoyle, Fauns, Naga/Lamia, and Nymphs/Fairies/Pixies.
Roby the MythosMan Let's take a look at function- soldiers of the day wore arming swords as battlefield weapons, and it was illegal for peasantry to own or carry. And yet, people did own them. So- conceivability? Or to sell the idea that this isn't a sword?
Hey Shad, I know it's been more than half a year, but I was wondering if you could do a part 2(or in the Imperial City's case part 3) and fix all the fantasy castles(since not a single one can classify as a city). Just a suggestion, great work
I wonder from where you get the notion that longsword was in period for what we now called rapier and rapier referred to sidesword? George Silver and Joseph Swetnam both wrote "long sword or long rapier", indicating that these are similar swords but doesn't explain the difference. Swetnam also mention the "long sword" being used with a dagger, so it referred to a one-handed sword. Silver also seems to use "long sword" in opposition to the "short sword", the latter which seems to be synonymous with (or the term included) the basket-hilted backsword. I've seen people suggest that "long sword" in this period could mean longer sword regardless of it being one- or two-handed. I don't know if this is true, but it would fit with Swetnam's statement that: "The Bastard Sword, the which Sword is some-thing shorter then a long Sword, and yet longer then a Short-sword"
Fair point, standardization is a relatively new concept, quick wikipedia search says that we only got the metric and imperial systems in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and those are just standards on measuring things much less describing weaponry.
So Shad, where did the use of "Claymore" come into play when referring to Two-Handed Swords and which was the common sword that had this name (Warsword vs Greatsword essentially )
@Shadiversity, I don't know if you'll see this but do you have any suggestions for literature on the bastard (longsword)? I'm trying to help my son with a research project on the subject.
Martin Madsen Dragons come in several standard species, of which there are many variations. They break into two tradition families, True Dragons and Dragon-Kin. True Dragons always feature six limbs- four legs and two wings. True Dragons often carry pouches of toxic chemicals that ignite when mixed with oxygen. The chemicals are fed from pouches in the upper jaw, much like venom in a serpent. The Dragons' teeth are as hard as steel, ignition can come from a combination of grinding teeth and forceful exhalation. Many dragons have toxic blood- or "impenetrable" scales, can see best in twilit conditions and pure darkness, can track prey on a month old trail, and can see an average distance of twenty miles in the largest species. True Dragons almost never have a maximum size smaller than the average human home, and have the potential to fly at a year old. Dragon-Kin come in every other form, Including, but not limited to Wyrms, Lindwyrms, Orobourus, Drake, and Wyvern. Wyvern are smaller than true Dragons, on average about the size of a horse, though at least one example was found to be approximately the size of a head car of a train. They have a single set of legs for walking, and are incredibly awkward while grounded, having to use their wings as a form of movement. They are typically unable to breathe fire or have any individual characteristics, except for the power of their flight and broad range of camouflages. Drake are very similar to Dragons, except they come in the size of a large horse, have four limbs, and noticeably lack wings. Strangely, Drakes may or may not feature fire breath. Why this is unclear, but may stem as a defect from True Dragons simply not growing wings within the eggs after birth. Wyrms and Wyrmkin are very large, carnivorous, Dragons that typically feature no limbs, or a single set of wings. Sometimes, a Wyrm may feature both legs AND wings, and this distinction creates a Lindwyrm. Unable to breath fire, they appear rather non threatening. Except, for the fact that they appear the size of a house, or a small cave, and feature a head strongly resembling that of a true Dragon's, of course. Imagine "Tremors", but bigger, sleeker, and more dragonlike. Here's hoping it helps~ from a Pagan.
Hey Shad, can you or someone else here tell me a bit about the reliability of Darksword armory? I see you have their ranger sword from your intro, and I was thinking of getting it too. However, I've heard that they had many problems in the past with extremely slim tangs that can snap during cutting. Can you or anyone confirm weather this is still an issue? I'd also like to know what is an acceptable weight for a bastard sword, as the ranger sword from Darksword armory is a hefty 4lbs 11 ounces.
I would love to hear your opinion on weapon damage in games and tabletop RPGs. Should it be a constant damage value like in Fire Emblem or variable like in D&D? (Like 2d6 vs a constant 12)
You didn't ask for my opinion, but here it is anyways. Consistent damage is more strategic, but more predictable, whereas variable damage can make things more tense, but often produces results that are underwhelming or anti-climactic. I actually really like how Pokemon does damage. You take a move's base power, then multiply and divide it by a bunch of factors such as attack, defense, STAB, weakness/resistance, etc. You get a result that will basically "feel" right given the factors at play. It then multiplies that value by a random amount between 75% and 100%. I think this hybrid system is best, which is why I'm doing something similar with my own game. You'll get results that are consistent enough to let players make strategic decisions, while also having that bit of randomness that makes things interesting without feeling arbitrary.
In the Czech Republic, the sword can be worn of course, it is subject to certain rules... :-) Great video, finally people will understand the terminology (One and half hand sword vs Bastard sword), thanks to you man... My big thanks for this video.
Comment left before watching. My understanding is that the bastard sword is a subtype of longsword , and is generally smaller because it is made with both one handed and two handed use in mind. A kind of middle ground between longsword and arming sword but still technically a longsword.
So as a speaker of 5 different European languages, i find it difficult to find a fit for the Two-Hander = Longsword category. You are correct in all the others although its more period related (arming sword might be called a longsword in the early middle ages) English also seems to be the most inconsistent of all the languages, in Italian,Spanish, German and Czech the names and definitions overlap very well. Could you provide an example of the longsword=gretasword equivalency? thanks!
Mannfred McMann Ew. Just looking at it makes me kind of sick. It appears to fall in the Greatsword category. There isn't a name for that monstrosity... maybe "Falchion", but that... is way too big...
The "Great swords of war" historically refers to the transitional arming sword-to-longsword Oakeshott types xiia and xiiia, the ones you describe at 05:35
Shad, i have noticed that when looking up dimensions of sword its always about the length. All fallus jokes aside. Where does one find more information about thickness of historicly accurate swords?
"lange Schwert" is actually pronounced like this: Lange is pronouced like lung, but with the e at the end is pronounced like the a in land. For the pronounciation of Schwert you can listen to this: de.forvo.com/word/schwert/
I remember searching for what kind of sword Anduril/Narsil (Aragorn's sword) was. There's apparently a quote that says it was a "long sword", so people assume it was supposed to be a longsword. But I'm thinking, based on what Tolkien knew, it was more likely some kind of Viking-esque sword, or more generally an arming sword, just perhaps a longer than average one. It's too bad Tolkien isn't around to answer such questions.
Quick note on (modern) French pronunciation; the _d_ (or _de)_ at the end of a word is usually either softly pronounced or silent, particularly when the word ends in _ard_ (or _arde)._
You know what I really love about the sword community? We're OK telling people "yeah, terminology is fucked and it was kinda fucked back then, too." Because you know that on TV they just threw often inaccurate terminology around so they looked like they were educated on the subject. At least they did back when I watched TV back in 2009.
Koyomi Araragi Guess what? They still look like uneducated twats. Asking a Stunt Coordinator what weapons were called and how they were used!?!? They can fuck right off.
Except now the sword community will turn around and attack the nearest movie for saying broadsword saying it was unhistorical while quietly discussing the bradswurd of ancient language because they thought the sword looked broad and did not care.
i just fought "why did you put video in about midnight", and then i realise, australia, and time, and stuff. Well then, greetings from Poland, we can cary longsword here with no problem :D
TheBeastWithin Yeah well many states had different laws before 2014-15, even in Texas and the Southeast. I remember when we had a 4-inch limit on knifes and automatic mechanisms were practically illegal to own unless it was an antique for a collection. And a lot of the country lives in places like California.
Regarding the German "Lang Schwert", I think it's interesting to look at the fight-book by Andre Paurñfeyndt in which he writes: "... the long sword, which is used with both hands, such as the battle sword, riding sword, estoc, and many others". Note: battle sword (Schlachtschwert) is what is what they called greatswords in German at the time. So it seems that "Lang Schwert" meant any type of two-handed sword.
Great definitions. I've come to the conclusion (helped out by one of your previous videos) that the proper name for a given sword is how it is meant to be used. A 51" longsword properly made for me is still a longsword even when a 7' tall or 4'9" tall person is wielding it. A properly made 61" great sword for me is likewise still a great sword no matter who gets a hold of it. (I'm sure with the right combination you could find people who's dimensions could possibly make it so an arming sword made for one person could be used by them as a longsword but I'd think those would be extreme cases.)
You didn't make it too much clearer, I'm afraid. Is that a green screen behind you with digital swords? Or are those actual (wooden) swords? I can't tell.
Tall AMEK guy Short, Arming, Bastard, Long, War, and Greatsword, in that order. A majority- at least seventy percent- of our community use this system.
Say I'm writing a medieval-esque high fantasy novel, what sort of terminology would be best for both a bit of stylised-authenticity and communicating a clear vision to the reader?
Definitely the standard terminology, unless you made it a feature that swords are called different things between cities and regions that confuse the heck out of a character for comedic effect. "That's it, I'm calling this swords a dinglehopper you the rest of you can go to hell!"
Your swords could just happen to be in a time period were their loose classifications line up with the modern stuff. You could also explain the sword through a non-sword-user's eyes so the qualities of the sword can be explained past the classification, and use one which makes the most sense. Little things can increase authenticity, for example if there is only one type of sword used in some chatacters' eyes, it would probably be called "sword" rather than anything fancy, though different characters calling different weapons swords might get a bit out of control.
Four years later, I believe what really sets the bastard sword apart from longsword is the length of the grip. Most bastard swords, you can fit a finger or two in between your hands when using it two handed. An actual longsword, you can fit four fingers or a bit more in between you're gripping it two handed. Why? I'm guessing it's for those times when you want to use a sword mostly from horseback, but if you had a need for a bit more leverage, you could use two. I've found that even with a 32" blade with a two-handed grip, it's much more awkward to use it one handed than a bastard or arming sword. This for the modern age where we have so many damn styles of sharpened iron bars that we need over twenty different names to keep them clear.
Why everybody thinks that longsword refers to the length of blade? It is as much plausible that name longsword came from the length of hilt. Sword became long, when the hilt has enough space to comfortably accommodate both hands.
Shad did you know in Decatur Illinois in the USA swords can be carried as long as you dont conceal them . thay only restrict knife lingth not swords in Decatur Illinois in the USA
