Part 2: Greatswords vs. pikes in battle:
https://youtu.be/ZhEkF9FV6AU
You can find some astonishingly huge swords in museums, and even a few that look like they came straight out of Monster Hunter or some other fantasy game. Were they made for exceptionally tall and strong warriors, or did they serve another purpose, outside of the battlefield?
Let's delve into a few examples to get an idea of just how humongous the biggest ones are. This video also contains a brief look at the historical origin of the greatsword / zweihander / montante / spadone, and what distinguishes it from a longsword.
[Update] Correction for
13:53: Apparently it's not a Naga sword but a "Waitlam" or "Waitsum" from the Khasi & Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya, North East India.
Time stamps:
00:00 -
00:46 Intro
00:46 -
02:57 Terminology and history
02:57 -
03:43 Flamberge style wavy edges
03:43 -
04:58 Sawfish blades!
04:58 -
05:52 Other bearing / processional swords
05:52 -
08:23 The legendary Grutte Pier
08:23 -
09:58 Weight & functionality
09:58 -
11:19 The Norimitsu Odachi
11:19 -
13:20 Real-life gigantism
13:20 -
15:15 Conclusion
15:15 -
15:32 Outro
Various ceremonial greatswords for display of wealth and status:
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-100-002-238-C&scache=2c9jj41q44&searchdb=scran
https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-122.html
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25077
Fully functional examples of zweihander:
https://www.metmuseum.org/search-results#!/search?q=two-handed%20sword&orderByCountDesc=true&page=1
https://florianfortner.com/portfolio/two-handed-sword-a473/
Kiribati weapon with sawfish teeth at the Brooklyn museum:
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/45838
Museum Mythbusting: No, this is not "The Sword of Grutte Pier"
https://imgur.com/gallery/rmXsPUG
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Pier_Gerlofs_Donia
https://collectie.friesmuseum.nl/?diw-id=tresoar_friesmuseum_D00185C
The Weighty Issue of Two-Handed Greatswords
http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html#.WWVwcENE3qA
The Norimitsu odachi, possibly the largest sword ever made:
https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/norimitsu-odachi-who-could-have-possibly-wielded-enormous-15th-century-021428
A great source for medieval depictions:
https://manuscriptminiatures.com/tags
The reproductions shown in this video:
https://www.kultofathena.com/product/hanwei-lowlander-two-handed-great-sword/?koa=259
https://www.kultofathena.com/product/albion-the-maximilian-sword/?koa=259
*** Music ***
Intro song:
"Illuminate" by Vindsvept
https://vindsvept.bandcamp.com/track/illuminate
Used with artist's permission
Outtakes:
"Little People At Work" by Horrorpen
https://opengameart.org/content/little-people-at-work-loop
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (CC BY 3.0)
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
https://theslantedroom.github.io/steve.yee/
Used with artist's permission
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