Longswords

Edged Weapons → Swords — Subcategory

Overview

The longsword — sometimes called the "hand-and-a-half sword" or "bastard sword" — was the primary military sword of the late medieval period (roughly 1300–1550). Its defining characteristic is a grip long enough to allow a second hand to be placed on it, enabling greater power, leverage, and control than a one-handed sword while remaining lighter and more maneuverable than a dedicated two-handed sword.

Characteristics

• Blade length — Typically 85–115 cm; total length 115–145 cm
• Grip — 15–20 cm; long enough for two hands, usable one-handed by a strong fighter
• Cross-section — Varies by purpose: broad and hexagonal for cutting swords; narrower and diamond for thrusting (armor-piercing) swords
• Point — Acute; capable of thrusting into armor gaps
• Weight — Typically 1.1–1.8 kg; well-balanced; not as heavy as popular imagination

Fighting System

Unlike the cut-and-slash sword fighting of Hollywood, medieval longsword technique was a sophisticated combat system:

German School (Liechtenauer tradition)

Johannes Liechtenauer (14th century) codified a comprehensive fighting system (Fechtkunst):

• Five master cuts (Meisterhau) — Zwerchhau, Zornhau, Schielhau, Krumphau, Scheitelhau; each designed to defeat specific attacks
• Half-swording (Halbschwert) — Gripping the blade with the gauntleted hand for close-quarters control and thrusting into armor gaps
• Murder stroke (Mordschlag) — Reversing the sword and striking with the pommel or crossguard as a hammer against armored opponents
• Extensive wrestling and grappling as part of the system

Italian School (Fiore dei Liberi, Filippo Vadi)

Fiore's Flos Duellatorum (c. 1410) documented a parallel Italian tradition with different techniques and organization but similar core principles.

Historical Context

The longsword's development paralleled the development of plate armor:

• As chainmail gave way to transitional and then full plate armor, swords needed to thrust into gaps rather than cut through mail
• The longsword's acute point and the half-swording technique addressed this directly
• By 1500, as plate armor declined and firearms rose, the longsword was increasingly replaced by the rapier for civilian dueling and the basket-hilted broadsword for military use

Two-Handed Swords (Zweihänder / Spadone)

True two-handed swords — with blades of 120–160 cm and grips of 30+ cm — were a related but distinct category:

• Used by specialist Doppelsöldner (German mercenary double-pay soldiers) who received extra pay for their dangerous frontline role
• Tasked with breaking enemy pike formations by cutting off pike heads
• The Flamberge (flame-bladed) two-handed sword; wavy blade created vibration in parried weapons

This article is a stub. Contributions covering specific longsword examples, masters, and historical use are welcome.