The Armour Archive

can anyone tell me the name of the two-handed sword seen in this image from the Mac Bible?

http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/ ... otm3va.gif

the footsoldier in the center of the image with the two handed sword raised over his head??

thanks
Will

AFAIK, it doens't have a name. MRL markets it as a the medieval chopper. Most folks call it a Maciejowski chopper.

It has a name
Falxart or Faussart. It was firstly used by Dacians:
"The nasty "halberd" specified for Dacians is the Falx, probably best identified with their Thracian ancestor’s Rhomphaia."
Rome’s Enemies 1 Germanics and Dacians, Osprey Men-At- Arms Series #129, London, 1982.

The form of Dacian Falx and weapon from Maciejowski Bible is almost the same. The name "Falxart" is mentioned in XII century lists of weapons. I don't know if Falxart is descendant of Falx in straight line - there is no information about it between II and XII century.

In the attachment another view of Falxart from Maciejowski Bible.

Hey William, if you search back on the archive, I have pics I got off of here of how to do one of these in rattan for combat (both the one with flanges and without). Let me know if you would like a copy. Sorry to all if you were the one to post them as I didnt write down who originally posted them, but I didnt come up with these.

And 2 quotes from description of battle in Bouvines (1214):

In this battle the King's enemies made use of a type of weapon which had never been seen before. They had long and slender knives with three sharp edges from the point to the guard, and they were using these in the battle as swords and glaives.

But he, with his single-edged sword, which he held with both hands like a billhook, was dealing unfendable blows all around him.

for some reason the word "warbrand" is stuck in my mind. maybe thats a brand name or some thing totaly wrong, but i think thats what braught that sword up on ebay when i baught a couple of them last christmas.

patric

How does this differ from what's typically termed a "falchion?"

Oswyn,

I found the thread you were talking about and the links let me here:

http://www.companyofoutremer.com/sir_bran/chopper1.gif
http://www.companyofoutremer.com/sir_bran/chopper2.gif

their web page refers to it as a chopper, 12-13th c Fuassar, Godenac, Fuas, Fuassal or a "pre-Falcion"

so I guess the difference is a hundred years??? Then the same type of weapon became a falchion.

Outremer does give some good directions as to how to make one and I think I'll put one together for laughs (and cause a guy in a Norman rig with a rattan katana just looks stupid ). I'll take pictures as I go along and post them once it's completed.

Then I'll drive to Cleveland and hit Gwydion with it .... hey, I got to find SOME reason to come to Cleftlands and hit a practice (no pun intended!).

Quote:
But he, with his single-edged sword, which he held with both hands like a billhook, was dealing unfendable blows all around him.

again a flaw in the SCA rules system because this leads us to believe that crushing a shield with one of these weapons would put it through the shield and still damage the person hiding behind it.

Don't take that the wrong way, I love fighting in the SCA and think it's a great sport.... I just can't bring myself to refer to it as a reanactment any more now that I've become more ed-u-ba-cated.....

thanks all
Will

William Freskyn Murray wrote:(snip)I think I'll put one together for laughs (and cause a guy in a Norman rig with a rattan katana just looks stupid ). I'll take pictures as I go along and post them once it's completed.

Then I'll drive to Cleveland and hit Gwydion with it .... hey, I got to find SOME reason to come to Cleftlands and hit a practice (no pun intended!).

Dude - bring it!!

But if you want to hit ME with it, you'll have to do it before April 3...that's when the elbow surgery is scheduled...

And if you come after 2/22, call or e-mail me first, 'cause we're changing meeting/fight practice sites as of 3/1, and I don't know how quickly that'll hit the baronial web page.

Looking forward to meeting/hitting you...

i am unaware of any 2 handed falchion, but that could basicly be what they are

again a flaw in the SCA rules system because this leads us to believe that crushing a shield with one of these weapons would put it through the shield and still damage the person hiding behind it.

Don't take that the wrong way, I love fighting in the SCA and think it's a great sport.... I just can't bring myself to refer to it as a reanactment any more now that I've become more ed-u-ba-cated.....

Thank god that we don't have SCA here in Poland

William Freskyn Murray wrote:can anyone tell me the name of the two-handed sword seen in this image from the Mac Bible?

http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/ ... otm3va.gif

the footsoldier in the center of the image with the two handed sword raised over his head??

thanks
Will

I've always called it "Horror Weapon No. 1". ("Horror Weapon No. 2" is the one shown in Drogomir's attached picture.)

and now to shuck another spanner in the works....

http://www.manningimperial.com/item.php?item_id=259


top weapon on the right.
ive used one of these at ancent arts fellowship training and it is a dream to use and bizarely light