For centuries, these curved, single-edged blades were the preferred weapons of the samurai, the noble warriors who served Japan’s feudal lords and followed a strict code known as Bushido. “They make many boasts of their prowess and skill in taking human life, and one of their proudest feats is to sever the head from the body with a single blow.” The fearsome blades later saw action during World War II, and they remain a common weapon in Filipino martial arts.įew images from Japan’s medieval history are more iconic than that of the lone swordsman holding a gleaming katana. “Their principal weapon is the long, broad-bladed, vicious-looking knife called the bolo, with which they do their deadly work,” an American serviceman named Ira L. Despite being severely out-gunned, these “bolomen” often used their knives to gruesome effect. The machete-like blades originated in the Philippines, where native guerillas used them as improvised arms in the Philippine Revolution, the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. The bolo knife was originally an all-purpose tool used for clearing brush or harvesting crops, but in the hands of revolutionaries, it became a formidable weapon of war. Some historians suggest the Ulfberhts were made from steel imported from the Islamic world, where metalworking was more advanced, while others contend they were forged from an ore deposit located in Germany.įilipino Bolo knife. have been recovered from archaeological sites, but since blades of a similar quality did not reappear in Europe until the Industrial Revolution, their origins have been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Some 170 Ulfberhts dating from around 800 to 1000 A.D. These “Ulfberht swords”-named the signature present on each of their blades-were forged from high-carbon crucible steel and were renowned for their superior strength, flexibility and sharpness. While only a select few of the Scandinavian marauders carried swords, evidence shows that those who did often possessed finely crafted blades that were centuries ahead of their time. Ulfberht Swordīeginning in the 8th century A.D., the Vikings terrorized Europe with their ferocious raids on coastal settlements and cities. (Credit: Soeren Stache/Picture-Alliance/DPA/AP Images) 4. Ulfberht swords featured in a vikings exhibition in cooperation with the Danish National Museum and the British Museum. According to some historians, the sword’s effectiveness in close combat may have played a role in Hannibal’s crushing victory over the Romans at 216 B.C.’s Battle of Cannae. The falcata is most famously associated with the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who equipped his African troops with it during the Punic Wars against Rome. Crafted from high-quality iron or steel, its distinctive blade was single-edged near the hilt and double-edged near the point and was designed to combine the chopping power of an axe with the slashing ability of a sword. The falcata was a curved, two-foot-long sword that was used by Celtiberian warriors in ancient Spain. To this day, the kukri remains a standard issue Gurkha weapon and serves as the emblem of Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas, which consists entirely of Nepalese recruits. The Gurkhas went on to establish themselves as one of the world’s toughest military units, and their service knives became prized for their distinctive shape, balanced blades and superior chopping and slashing power. The locals’ prowess with the blades-including their ability to lop off limbs or disembowel a horse with a single blow-persuaded the British to enlist them as volunteer troops in their army. Europeans first became fascinated with the kukri in the early 1800s, when the forces of the British East India Company clashed with Nepalese Gurkha warriors in a bloody war. Kukriįor centuries, this short, inwardly curved blade has been a traditional tool and weapon in Nepal. The khopesh was eventually abandoned in favor of more traditional swords around the 12th century B.C., but not before it had become one of the most iconic weapons of ancient Egypt. The boy pharaoh Tutankhamun, for example, was entombed with two sickle swords of different sizes. The khopesh also came to have ceremonial value and was often depicted in art or included in the tombs of prominent Egyptians. During the New Kingdom period, they became a common military weapon and were prized for their gruesome slashing ability in close-quarters combat. Sickle-shaped swords were typically cast from bronze and were believed to have made their way to Egypt via the Middle East. One of the most influential of the early swords that arose during the Bronze Age, the khopesh was an ancient Egyptian weapon that featured a hooked blade sharpened on its outside edge.
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