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Wearing your sword under your armour

Started by Cantabrigian, December 22, 2022, 06:24:41 PM

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Duncan Head

I hadn't seen that before; interesting, thanks. A lot of the source illustrations are probably well known, but there are certainly some in there that are new to me.
Duncan Head

Imperial Dave

for me it makes sense. As someone who has tried to run with a 3-foot sword-in-scabbard hanging from a belt it isnt easy!
Slingshot Editor

Erpingham

Interesting.  Certainly a few there I hadn't seen.

Nick Harbud

Now, just to find the figures to update my Norman and Anglo-Danish armoured types....

BTW, I feel that Uhtred's method of slinging his scabbarded sword across his back is probably even more practical for running.

Nick Harbud

Cantabrigian

Ah Uhtred...  If you look carefully in the early episodes you'll see that he has the scabbard before he gets the sword to go in it. That's what I call forward planning...

evilgong

I wonder if it's to keep the belt inside the armour / clothes to deprive the enemy of a belt to grab in melee or to avoid having an exposed belt that might get tangled up in your kit, or perhaps the guy standing beside you.

One for the re-enactment people to comment on.

David F Brown

Erpingham

What is interesting is not everybody does it.  Most images show the sword hanging outside the armour.  So, presumably, the balance of pros and cons was not such that everyone leapt on the "new" style.

Peter Bone

There is a very good reason why no contemporary manuscripts show anyone carrying a sword across their back, like Uhtred: it is wildly impractical. To draw a sword with a realistic blade length you would have to have arms like an orang-utan.
And uhtred's sword is not even a good copy: hilt too long, blade distinctly poor quality, and the amber pommel is fantasy. I have a number of much better 9th century sword copies.