There has to be some slapstick vaudevillian comedy featuring a Landsknecht unwittingly taking out a company of men-at-arms with his zweihander over his shoulder whilst turning about looking for the battle.
Side note about other giant sword carrying : odachi were carried either by a "squire" or on a scabbard strapped on the back for travel. Chinese zanhmadao and other 130 cm or more sword were worn in a scabbard on the waist and drawed in two motion, first by drawing the blade out of the scabbard for about 40 cm, then grabbing the blade further down to fully draw it. A alternate way was to have a mate and to " cross draw" your swords with him to make things faster. Hope you find this interesting ^^
The odachi back carry is an interesting example, because the woodcut I've seen clearly showed how to tie a quick-release knot on the front, so you could easily drop sword and scabbard away from your body, then draw the sword free without worrying about arm length or anything.
well its not so unthinkable to carry a nihon-to on the back using the sageo to tie a loop on the scabbard for carrying. the knots you use are pretty quick to open. its just a bit annoying to carry a katana for example in your belt around on longer travels. if you "swagger" around in the city and show of, or need the sword prepared to draw, its fine but the 2 scabbards start to produce a lot of pressure on your body and hipbones, the way its carried is not absolutely stable unless you move in a particular way etc. that is my experience walking around the whole day on a "reenactment"/convention/medival fair in hakama with swords in your belt.
@Willie k regarding the information on the odachi, I found them from period depiction, mostly ukyo-e, but I recommend you to check Gunbai : ancient Japanese warfare/blogspot.com for more REAL INFORMATION on samurai, not the bs stuff we can found everywhere. Regarding the Chinese source, a Chinese by the name of Jack Chen actually translated in English military manuscript from the ming dynasty and is doing HEMA but with Chinese source, not Bs Kung fu. A wonderful blog that's easily my favorite is Great ming military. It describes every single piece of armor and unusual weapon in Chinese manual as well as every other aspect of warfare from the middle age to the 17th century. They all deserve high credit for their works.
Skallagrim created the first worldwide sword/pommel meme, Shadiversity is a walking meme maticholation machine, when Metatron wants a meme he can be funny. But only Easton can create a meme by just being cool. Man, I love all this youtube sword community.
Fun fact, some sources of the Italian wars state thet the one deciding factor for paying men who wielded Zweihänder more than their comrades was as compensation for the inconvenience and hindrance the sword provided while looting (which was an integral part of why people would join a war and heavily factored into their earnings).
@@arx3516 The enemies would run away the moment you start taking it out.... :) "if he can take something like that up the butt then what am i even gonna do with my shoddy spear" :P
hi Matt, I used to collect tonnes of pictures and period artwork of landsknecht and two-handers, and I can definitely say at least in the EARLY 16th century, these swords were carried around bare or in scabbards like what Tod had made for this sword. One of the best sources I know of are woodblock artwork from Albrecht Durer, and there are two or three pictures that explicitly show a line of soldiers with sheathed Zwei's marching in rows.
For a wealthier soldier or an officer during the 16th century, another popular alternative would have been child labor. Hire a young page or servant to follow you around carrying your longsword, pike, or heavy metal shield so that he can quickly hand it to you once you need it to go fight a battle or in the event of a surprise attack. And of course one other option would be to not carry it at all and just sort of leave it lying around. I have come across descriptions of early modern sieges where that mention greatswords along with poleaxes, heavy shields, etc. being left in the trenches or near the walls where they thought the enemy was likely to attack so that a defending soldier there could fight with a pike or musket first, and then when the enemy got close he could drop it and grab the nearby greatsword to fight with in the melee.
I saw a few drawings in a museum in Poland showing a (currently destroyed) arsenal which had racks of zweihanders, but also "trees" of zweihanders made by intertwining the hilts, kinda like a teepee tent.
Same in Graz in the Styrian armoury, they have a couple of racks of flamberge zweihanders or I suppose they are called flammenschwert. I recently had the chance to go there and took a ton of pictures. It's an interesting place to visit.
i think the back carry scabbard method , while unhstorical isnt as dumb as it might sound, the reason being is that a back scabbard method keeps the sword roughly in the same profile as your body for the purposes of getting through doors etc, as for 'you cant draw it quickly' i would genuinely argue that you wont need to, in extreme emergencies all soldiers had some sort of dussack or katzbalger or some other sidearm to defend themselves. and they can unsheathe their swords, taking the half minute or so to do that in the case of knowing that theyre going into a combat engagement \
I agree, and would argue that carrying such a long weapon on your back, even if it has to be taken OFF of the back before being drawn would perhaps be the best way of carrying it around during strategic maneuvers. Carrying it on your shoulder would be fine for tactical but would take one of your hands (and arms) away from carrying other things on a strategic maneuver. During Strategic Maneuvers you would most likely be carrying a tent, a change of clothing, a canteen full of water (or wine, or beer, or...) and a whole bunch of things that you would drop before entering actual combat. And that could easily include dropping the scabbard and straps that allow you to carry it on your back.
David Briggs That would make sense for smaller swords but for a sword that's as long or longer than you are tall, it's a bit impractical unless the scabbard is designed to ride high. Sure, it's out of the way on road march, but your legs are likely to bump into it constantly and it would also mean that you'll have to take it off every time you want to sit. Something as long as that zweihander would be best carried in a cart during a long road march then on the shoulder when closer to the action.
Your comment about how much of an irritation it would be to other people to wear that great big sword like a longsword reminds me of a story I heard a while back of, supposedly, how the Queen of England got tired of tripping over people's rapiers, and mandated a shorter blade for everyone by law so she wouldn't trip over them anymore. I kind of doubt the story, but it's worth a chuckle.
There might be a truth to it. I came across a reference, maybe 15 years ago, about how English nobles would dress up with stupidly long swords at court events, a bit like hats with overly large brims. A fashion piece, and not a practical thing. Obviously at some point it got to be too much for someone. That person being a queen isn't even unlikely as her perspective would be entirely on the impracticability of them.
@@UnintentionalSubmarine while it makes a good story, I have trouble imagining nobles at court being so unaware of a queens presence that she actually trips over their rapiers. That would be like the current queen mandating ballerina-shoes to be worn at Buckingham because the got tired of people stepping on her toes with those substantial british leather shoes.
@@raizumichin would you get tired of watching your utterly polite and self-inflated noblemen trip over each others rapiers? Remember these were the days before youtube fail-compilations :D
I didn't mean the specific part of the queen tripping, rather that they did wear annoyingly long swords. The tripping part is very likely an embellishment to the events. And it's logical enough, as it adds to the person's annoyance in the eyes of the audience (the queen might not even be the person, though it is a rather nice fit).
I can almost hear the Landsknecht grumbling about how annoying those things are to carry after 8 hours of marching. But hey, at least they got to wield the most badass weapon in history.
Fair enough. I made the mistake of comparing them to smaller swords in my head instead of the other battlefield weapons the rest of the army would be carrying. (Although based on my limited military experience, I'm sure they'd find an excuse to grumble anyway)
The most annoying weapons to carry when they had no wag ,was the pike ! reislaufer and landsknchete hated this weapons and often they got rid of them and take hallebard instead making furious their chief there a lot of source mentionning that
In my fantasy novel that I'm writing, there's a character who's a greatswordsman. My idea was that the character would have it in a scabbard with a strap and then he would sling it over his shoulder like a rifle. Then, when he needs it, he would just take it off and draw it out of the scabbard. Is that practical?
Nickolas Holmes You misspoke, I believe. Clearly you meant a zweihander, Roman scutum, Maximilian plate AND a 1796 light cavalry sabre clenched in your teeth.
An ancestor of mine carried what's been termed a "slaughter sword" which is basically a rehandled version of a zweihander brought to Scotland in the 16th century. Apparently he just wrapped a leather cloth and a wool blanket around it and cinched a belt around that, then tied it to his horse's saddle.
As for back scabbards with large swords, I'm a fan of the hinge-frog style. Use a hinge to enclose the scabbard around the blade, and as you draw the blade, it pulls the pin out of the hinge (as the pin is attached via a leather string or whatever to the crossguard,) opening it. This way you don't have to actually draw the blade, but simply draw it a little, and the hinge opens.
Some of these huge 2.2 m swords are transported by horseback sometimes. While polearms and giant swords should not be used on horseback, some cavalry forces like the gendarmes did. And they were monstrously effective. A scabard is good for keeping the blabe clean and far away from rust.
I think it would be MASSIVE COOL to ship a sword like that in a coffin shaped box that could also serve as a display case (the interior padded and lined with a silky cloth).
The Zeughaus in Graz hosting dozens of Zweihänder is in Austria indeed, but *not* in Vienna, Matt. You're triggering a lot of Styrians with this slip-up! :D
Now I don't _know,_ but I am quite convinced that they would be carried in the supply wagons like all the pikes and halberds, and then when taken from them they would just be worn on the shoulder, like the woodcuts show, just before the battle.
Good gravy that this is an absolute piece of art. Crushingly gorgeous. Break my heart here, the purchase price on that thing has got to be what, about ten grand (GBP)? Absolutely worth every penny, without question.
Went to tod's website BEAUTIFUL work. Not at all surprised he's sold out on almost everything. At some point I would like to have the money to buy one (or many) of his pieces.
OH GOD. 2:42 This reminds me we need a Matt Easton/ Karolina Żebrowska collab about 18th century Civilian and military fashion. This has to happen, for us to have the ultimate historical meme video.
Viedma and Godinho both talk about carrying them and when to have them sheathed (in the home) and not. Viedma talks about the method to carry them about town. (on the left shoulder, straight up.).
Maybe you could use the back scabbard that Shadiversity made? That kind of design would allow you to sheathe weapons that you'd normally carry in hand: greatswords (like your zweihander), pollaxes, lucerne hammers, short spears (that are roughly as high as you are)
In one of his treatises Godinho (a master of the montante) tells you to not carry the montante on your back at night (for various reasons) "as many people do it", so I could imagine it was carried, or more so, transported on the back. Yes, you can't draw it, but it is much easier than in the hand.
Godinho («Arte de Esgrima», 1599) actually mentions: «... the Montante should not be taken while wearing a cape, but without, and the scabbard should be loosened, and you should test that beforehand.» [67v] «... if you are going out at night, carry the montante naked [i.e. without scabbard] or at lesat with the scabbard loosened...» [110v] He also insists a lot that you should not leave your scabbard (or your cape, or your hat) in the street after a flight, because those can be used by the authorities to identify you (yes, Godinho seems to have been quite a brawler). That scabbard there is a generic (he advices that for rapiers too), but given the previous indications, it also applies to the montante. «...[and so as not to leave scabbards or garments behind as proof that the fight has happened] is why I insist that at night the montante should be carried naked, and the bearer should wear no cape, and the montante should be carried «terciado», and not on their back, as many carry it». [111r] «Terciado» there means resting on the arm (there are similar expressions, for example, to wear a cape «terciada», etc). He is not advocating exactly the same form of carry we often see for Landsknechten in period imagery (lying on the shoulder). Godinho probably means that you should hold the grip of the montante with one hand and have the blade rest on your upper arm, so your arm is almost extrended downwards, but not quite, somewhat bent. This allows to start using the weapon very quickly. It is unclear what he means about many people wearing it «on their back». The original expression is «a costas», which is not proper spanish, but Godinho was portuguese trying to write in spanish. In portuguese «as costas» is «the back» or «at your back« or «on your back», so it could mean «behind you». It is unclear how the montante would be carried at your back, however. Possible still in the scabbard (since he mentions you should take it «naked», it means people did take it with the scabbard at least sometimes), perhaps slung over the shoulder with a baldric of some form. This would make it nearly impossible to start using the montante quickly, hence his advice. But «de costas» in portuguese means «backwards» («caminhar de costas» = «to walk backwards»), so he could actually mean that you should not wear the montante inverted, i.e., point down, although this would be a strange use of the expression. A third option is that «a costas» means «on your shoulders». It wouldn't be literal, but «a costas» has a loose meaning of carrying something like a burden, like you would carry, say, a sack of grain -- that is, probably on your shoulder. So there.
it would seem that some people did carrie them on their backs, for instance Domingo Luis Godhino says of the montante in his 1599 fencing treaties "because of this (its length) i suggest that at night, the montante is carried without a sheath, and the wielder without a cloak, and the montante in the left hand, tilted diagonally, and not on the back as many carry it"
Idk how it was done, but I can think of ways it could / should be done. Best might be a long scabbard with a slit down one side, or part way down one side. You could safely wear it on the shoulder (or waist, I suppose) and you could draw the blade out "sideways," or partly sideways partly straight. Add a long, narrow flap to keep out weather.
1:24 I want to see if a Shadiversity Back-Scabbard (AKA Shabbard!) would still work with a Zweihander. Might not be very practical, but I think it should still work reasonably well for walking about etc.
Considering the limited roles it would've filled, keeping it in an armory until needed sounds logical. Kind of like the naval cutlass on ships; safely out the way, oiled up on racks. Then again, factoring in the level of showmanship in such a massive sword, could it possibly have been on display when not being used? For all the time, effort & resources put into it, seem like something one would have out for people to see even when not carried on the shoulder of their best fighter.
Can you not have it in some kind of scabbard and have it slung over your back from one shoulder to the opposite hip? That would be my first guess, but it wasn’t mentioned at all so I assume there must be something wrong with that method. What would be wrong with it?
Now I want to see a historical movie with a guy dragging a coffin into a town, then opening it to reveal a zweihander that he goes on to get bloody revenge with.
I can think of so many bad oneliners for that scenario. "This isn't a coffin. Right now it's storage for my tools of art and once my performance in this town is over, it will house the art itself."
I wonder if back scabbard for a longsword that you can draw from created by Shad of Shadiversity channel (a "shabbard") could be modified for a zweihander...
I always thought wearing these types of swords on the back would be best, not drawing it from that position mind, just carrying it in a shieth slung on the back. when you need it you first unsling the sheathed sword and then remove the shieth. it isn's as quickly available as a hip warn sword but it is far more available than on the cart, and it permits much more freedom of action than on your shoulder.
Landsknecht: pulls out sword and rest it on his shoulder* now where the hell if the battle field at? Look around* Group of polls: * gets beheaded by the swinging of the zweihander Landsknecht: hears bodies fall and looks back* aw what the hell the battles already over! What did I come for?
There's some spanish source that talks about walking around with the montante and when drawing it to basically pull the sheath off and leave it on the ground. Might be Godhino.
At 2:28 that looks like the tip of the zweihander in the picture has a part scabbard that then only covers the blade edge but not the blade itself further down. I suspect that once the tip had cleared the enclosed part of the scabbard the blade would be free to pop out sideways. more likely a single swing of the sword would cause the covering to fly off dynamically.
So you are saying that blade has a rivet at way out close to the tip. Nope that only makes sense of it is a scabbard. A hole or rivet at that location called the "weak" would fundamentally compromise the blade. Also the blades fullers end in a squared off manner I have never seen on any blade never mind a huge sweihander, makes total sense that this is representing the edge of a scabbard or tip sheath. The tip is almost blunt, indicating a scabbard tip not a blade tip. All logic says scabbard.
@@kyphe. There are plenty of swords with similar fullers. Arguably it would make more sense with larger swords (because of the weight reduction). The indentation, or rivet, is hard to to tell what it is. I would´t draw any conclusions based solely on it. To me, this just seems like a sword carried on the shoulder, like most of the other similar depictions you can find.
Can someone who doing sparrings with melee weapons answer me this: if you have zweihander/montante/spadone, what would be a best tactic against spear in 1v1 scenario? Against shieldman - attack legs. But against spear, beat it aside or what? Rush while half swording? Assuming you successfully bind it, will your greatsword keep enough force to damage opponent, or not, swing will be needed anyway?
While I can't give you any concrete answers, you might want to look for Lindybeige's recent RUclips video in which he oversees some field tests including greatsword vs. spear during Matt's Fightcamp 2018. There are some interesting observations to make there.
Good question. Personally, I would avoid trying to use it like a polearm: there is no point in playing the polearm game against a polearm with something that isn't, you only get stuck in the face. You could try to capitalize on the fact that a spear is only dangerous at its head, while a greatsword cuts all along its blade, so once you pass the spearhead your opponent is not dangerous anymore (or not as before) while you still are, but it's risky work.
@@talscorner3696 Yeah using it as spear or doing "figures" in air are propably bad ideas. Eh the only sparring of greatsword vs spear I saw on net is on "Greg Fasolino" yt channel, I would like to see more
"Cant ship that in cardboard" FUN FACT: Triple wall corrugated offers similar protection to 1/4 Inch Plywood! You can absolutely ship that in corrugated!
If you were transporting it, it'd be on your back, not for use in combat. If you weren't, you were probably a specialized guard holding it point down 'til trouble brewed up OR it's a parade float and it's being waved like a banner. Or so I assume.
I think even with that it'd still be incredibly difficult, its just too long! I guess if you were like some 6`6 giant with massive arms it might work...? 😅
The weight will pose a problem. You can't lift it with one hand like Shad does with his Longsword so you'll need to use two hands, which reduces the distance you can pull it out of the shabbard, in turn meaning that the bottom part, that's actually enclosed can only be maybe 20-30cm long. After pulling it out you put the (thankfully blunt) ricasso on your shoulder and leverage it off your back and in front of you. Actually the more I think about it, the more possible it appears. I don't think it'd be too big of an issue to have the enclosed part of the shabbard be only 20-30cm long. If the fit is close enough it'll stay in. Though I can't imagine there being a way to put it back in without taking the shabbard off your back. I think we need Shad to do another followup vid creating another shabbard, but for a greatsword this time.
That's a good question. On the top of my head, I'd say they faded away when armor did and people started using guns for self defence or having to worry about a potential assailant using a gun rather than a blade
Basically what finally finished them off in practical uses were Gustavian infantry reforms in the 30 years war. The improved firearms and military intelligence of the Swedish king led to the rise of new line infantry tactics that proved to be effective against shot-and-pike formations. That was an important point. A spear or a pike is a better weapon against cavalry for infantry formations, whereas greatswords are more suitable to infantry melee than cavalry hunting. As the new situation was that infantry was good enough at shooting each other to render pike formations as the military backbone obsolete, the massive melee engagements that characterized pike armies grew fewer in number as well. Less need for specialized shock infantry as spears, partisans, halberds, and later on bayonets, did the job well enough. It's also notable that due to the strength of the pike formation in melee, 30 years war cavalry engaged in melee relatively rarely, opting in pistols and carbines instead. This is a part of the reason why the more conventional Swedish light cavalry and Polish heavy cavalry achieved some remarkable successes when they were able to surprise enemies with unexpected old fashion.
As far as I've read, the use of the Zweihander didn't last long. It began in the end of the 15th century, and only lasted until halfway through the 16th century. So only around 60 years or so. Not too long for an entire category of medieval weapons. (Or renaissance to be precise)
Could these things be carried like muskets? Where you're holding it with your arm parallel to your body and the blade pointed upwards and resting against your shoulder? I swear I've seen images from texts where they were being carried that way....
I always thought an easy solution is that you attach it to the back, but not as a "quick draw" solution. A belt you'd have to take off before battle but which would allow carry. I don't see why that wouldn't work here and I swear I've seen images like that (though I cannot produce them now)
I don't know much about manuscripts but I've seen a hema video that alleges some exist discussing sheathed great swords and how to draw them. The sword is carried on the shoulder with a sheath, apparently the manuscript recommends just throwing the sheath as you pull it off the sword to get it out of the way. Here's the link to the video. ruclips.net/video/ca0NBLDtRjU/видео.html He names the people who apparently wrote this at 27 minutes in.
Where do these pictures of Zweihander soldiers come from? They look pretty aspirational. Is it possible these documents were aimed at promoting a lifestyle? "Join the army become a Zweihander."
If you had a scabbard that just cliped on your belt that you could then take off of your belt and then with one hand grab the blunt part of the blade of the zweihander and with the other hand grab the Scabbard and pull it off the zweihander then clip the scabbard back on your belt I bet that could work
@@KonguZya I could see 2 reasons for doing something like what I said. If you wanted to seem less threatening to townsfolk or your going into a treaty situation and your lord or king said he wanted you to have your weapon. The second reason is if you needed to have both your hands free like for a bow or you needed to carry something or someone. But those are 2 very specific reasons so for the average person carrying a zweihander you can just have it on your shoulder
A question I have is were they wide spread enough to really have a "standard" solution? In a fahnlein of around a hundred, would there be a dozen? less?
The blade does seem to have quite a flex to it, though. Doesn't this incredible length have a negative effect on cutting power? I mean, the sword is probably cutting well just through its weight alone, but...just being curious.
Used against to cut off the head of pikes in a swirling techniques due to longer reach and great momentum and were commonly utilized by Landsknecht Mercenaries which were paid highly.
Question...what are the differences between European and Japanese greatswords, that allow the Japanese ones like the Nodachi to be carried in scabbards and drawn from the hip? The Nodachi should be near enough the height of the wielder and I've seen plenty of people carry and draw them without any trouble
I wept a little every time you either picked it up a little and then drilled the tip into the ground, or spun it around on the tip, on the ground.on wood or not, ouch.
There has to be some slapstick vaudevillian comedy featuring a Landsknecht unwittingly taking out a company of men-at-arms with his zweihander over his shoulder whilst turning about looking for the battle.
With a thin one and a large one having an argument, and inadvertently destroying the regiment around them.
if there isn't Matt & Lindybeige should make one.
@@williamchamberlain2263 Laurel and Hardy as landsknechts would be awesome.
Stan&Olli ladder and bucket routine like. Yeah, I can imagine that.
Side note about other giant sword carrying : odachi were carried either by a "squire" or on a scabbard strapped on the back for travel. Chinese zanhmadao and other 130 cm or more sword were worn in a scabbard on the waist and drawed in two motion, first by drawing the blade out of the scabbard for about 40 cm, then grabbing the blade further down to fully draw it. A alternate way was to have a mate and to " cross draw" your swords with him to make things faster. Hope you find this interesting ^^
The odachi back carry is an interesting example, because the woodcut I've seen clearly showed how to tie a quick-release knot on the front, so you could easily drop sword and scabbard away from your body, then draw the sword free without worrying about arm length or anything.
Facinating. Where did you aquire this knowledge? I want to know more.
Ey, I have seen the cross draw in a book with two nodachis and it is an interesting idea.
well its not so unthinkable to carry a nihon-to on the back using the sageo to tie a loop on the scabbard for carrying. the knots you use are pretty quick to open.
its just a bit annoying to carry a katana for example in your belt around on longer travels.
if you "swagger" around in the city and show of, or need the sword prepared to draw, its fine but the 2 scabbards start to produce a lot of pressure on your body and hipbones, the way its carried is not absolutely stable unless you move in a particular way etc.
that is my experience walking around the whole day on a "reenactment"/convention/medival fair in hakama with swords in your belt.
@Willie k regarding the information on the odachi, I found them from period depiction, mostly ukyo-e, but I recommend you to check Gunbai : ancient Japanese warfare/blogspot.com for more REAL INFORMATION on samurai, not the bs stuff we can found everywhere. Regarding the Chinese source, a Chinese by the name of Jack Chen actually translated in English military manuscript from the ming dynasty and is doing HEMA but with Chinese source, not Bs Kung fu. A wonderful blog that's easily my favorite is Great ming military. It describes every single piece of armor and unusual weapon in Chinese manual as well as every other aspect of warfare from the middle age to the 17th century. They all deserve high credit for their works.
2:42 Matt gifts us with another brilliant GIF
This just cracked me up, mate! Easton Meme Machine
Skallagrim created the first worldwide sword/pommel meme, Shadiversity is a walking meme maticholation machine, when Metatron wants a meme he can be funny. But only Easton can create a meme by just being cool.
Man, I love all this youtube sword community.
Yes, the historical/sword community is frankly the best on youtube
Fun fact, some sources of the Italian wars state thet the one deciding factor for paying men who wielded Zweihänder more than their comrades was as compensation for the inconvenience and hindrance the sword provided while looting (which was an integral part of why people would join a war and heavily factored into their earnings).
Can you provide more info about this? I am really interested in knowing more about this source you mention. Thanks
Conceal carry is the best zweihander carry. Prove me wrong.
Zap Carry.
It worked in Highlander.
Rectal carry!
@@arx3516 The enemies would run away the moment you start taking it out.... :) "if he can take something like that up the butt then what am i even gonna do with my shoddy spear" :P
Hiding it inside the cockpiece has always worked fine for me.
That zweihander is beautiful! 👍
In fact the most beautiful Zeihänder I've seen so far. Only think to improve it would be to make it a flamberge
@@TimmyTurner421 👎👎👎
indeed!
Can we get a "To be continued" meme of 2:42?
"in a future video"
*Yes - Roundabout plays...*
Jojoooooooooo
Fancy hat comes down on his head
Big bushy beard comes up to his face
"Knecht Life"
hi Matt, I used to collect tonnes of pictures and period artwork of landsknecht and two-handers, and I can definitely say at least in the EARLY 16th century, these swords were carried around bare or in scabbards like what Tod had made for this sword. One of the best sources I know of are woodblock artwork from Albrecht Durer, and there are two or three pictures that explicitly show a line of soldiers with sheathed Zwei's marching in rows.
Can you please link those images, I couldn't find them
For a wealthier soldier or an officer during the 16th century, another popular alternative would have been child labor. Hire a young page or servant to follow you around carrying your longsword, pike, or heavy metal shield so that he can quickly hand it to you once you need it to go fight a battle or in the event of a surprise attack.
And of course one other option would be to not carry it at all and just sort of leave it lying around. I have come across descriptions of early modern sieges where that mention greatswords along with poleaxes, heavy shields, etc. being left in the trenches or near the walls where they thought the enemy was likely to attack so that a defending soldier there could fight with a pike or musket first, and then when the enemy got close he could drop it and grab the nearby greatsword to fight with in the melee.
I saw a few drawings in a museum in Poland showing a (currently destroyed) arsenal which had racks of zweihanders, but also "trees" of zweihanders made by intertwining the hilts, kinda like a teepee tent.
Same in Graz in the Styrian armoury, they have a couple of racks of flamberge zweihanders or I suppose they are called flammenschwert. I recently had the chance to go there and took a ton of pictures. It's an interesting place to visit.
i think the back carry scabbard method , while unhstorical isnt as dumb as it might sound,
the reason being is that a back scabbard method keeps the sword roughly in the same profile as your body for the purposes of getting through doors etc, as for 'you cant draw it quickly' i would genuinely argue that you wont need to, in extreme emergencies all soldiers had some sort of dussack or katzbalger or some other sidearm to defend themselves. and they can unsheathe their swords, taking the half minute or so to do that in the case of knowing that theyre going into a combat engagement
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I agree, and would argue that carrying such a long weapon on your back, even if it has to be taken OFF of the back before being drawn would perhaps be the best way of carrying it around during strategic maneuvers. Carrying it on your shoulder would be fine for tactical but would take one of your hands (and arms) away from carrying other things on a strategic maneuver. During Strategic Maneuvers you would most likely be carrying a tent, a change of clothing, a canteen full of water (or wine, or beer, or...) and a whole bunch of things that you would drop before entering actual combat. And that could easily include dropping the scabbard and straps that allow you to carry it on your back.
David Briggs That would make sense for smaller swords but for a sword that's as long or longer than you are tall, it's a bit impractical unless the scabbard is designed to ride high. Sure, it's out of the way on road march, but your legs are likely to bump into it constantly and it would also mean that you'll have to take it off every time you want to sit. Something as long as that zweihander would be best carried in a cart during a long road march then on the shoulder when closer to the action.
Your comment about how much of an irritation it would be to other people to wear that great big sword like a longsword reminds me of a story I heard a while back of, supposedly, how the Queen of England got tired of tripping over people's rapiers, and mandated a shorter blade for everyone by law so she wouldn't trip over them anymore. I kind of doubt the story, but it's worth a chuckle.
There might be a truth to it.
I came across a reference, maybe 15 years ago, about how English nobles would dress up with stupidly long swords at court events, a bit like hats with overly large brims. A fashion piece, and not a practical thing. Obviously at some point it got to be too much for someone. That person being a queen isn't even unlikely as her perspective would be entirely on the impracticability of them.
@@UnintentionalSubmarine while it makes a good story, I have trouble imagining nobles at court being so unaware of a queens presence that she actually trips over their rapiers. That would be like the current queen mandating ballerina-shoes to be worn at Buckingham because the got tired of people stepping on her toes with those substantial british leather shoes.
@@Feldscher1039 Maybe she was tired of seeing other people tripping over them instead?
@@raizumichin would you get tired of watching your utterly polite and self-inflated noblemen trip over each others rapiers? Remember these were the days before youtube fail-compilations :D
I didn't mean the specific part of the queen tripping, rather that they did wear annoyingly long swords. The tripping part is very likely an embellishment to the events. And it's logical enough, as it adds to the person's annoyance in the eyes of the audience (the queen might not even be the person, though it is a rather nice fit).
I can almost hear the Landsknecht grumbling about how annoying those things are to carry after 8 hours of marching.
But hey, at least they got to wield the most badass weapon in history.
Fair enough. I made the mistake of comparing them to smaller swords in my head instead of the other battlefield weapons the rest of the army would be carrying.
(Although based on my limited military experience, I'm sure they'd find an excuse to grumble anyway)
The most annoying weapons to carry when they had no wag ,was the pike ! reislaufer and landsknchete hated this weapons and often they got rid of them and take hallebard instead making furious their chief there a lot of source mentionning that
I don't think people back then complained about such things.
They just killed the enemy.
Now THAT's a sword.
Or a knife.
In my fantasy novel that I'm writing, there's a character who's a greatswordsman. My idea was that the character would have it in a scabbard with a strap and then he would sling it over his shoulder like a rifle. Then, when he needs it, he would just take it off and draw it out of the scabbard. Is that practical?
Yes… I Think so. This is exactly what my mind zoomed to while watching the first two Minutes.
Yes it is practical. I would recommend that he also have a shorter blade at his side for a quick draw in the event of an ambush.
@@JohnWilson-zh3il Thanks. The character does normally carry a longsword at his side.
Zweihander AND a roman shield, the ultimate combinations of arms! XD
Maximilian plate, Roman scutum, and Zweihander, I believe was the combination you were referring to. :^)
Nickolas Holmes You misspoke, I believe. Clearly you meant a zweihander, Roman scutum, Maximilian plate AND a 1796 light cavalry sabre clenched in your teeth.
sound like dark souls ;)
And why not carry a pike in the same hand of the scutum?
If by "ultimate" you mean "unwieldy"…
An ancestor of mine carried what's been termed a "slaughter sword" which is basically a rehandled version of a zweihander brought to Scotland in the 16th century. Apparently he just wrapped a leather cloth and a wool blanket around it and cinched a belt around that, then tied it to his horse's saddle.
That poor customer is never going to get his sword
As for back scabbards with large swords, I'm a fan of the hinge-frog style. Use a hinge to enclose the scabbard around the blade, and as you draw the blade, it pulls the pin out of the hinge (as the pin is attached via a leather string or whatever to the crossguard,) opening it. This way you don't have to actually draw the blade, but simply draw it a little, and the hinge opens.
Thanks so much for answering this question!
I found this real funny, for some reason I saw two little men holding a regular sword instead of two normal men holding a huge sword.
Lolololol love the ganster zoom and pause look!
Some of these huge 2.2 m swords are transported by horseback sometimes. While polearms and giant swords should not be used on horseback, some cavalry forces like the gendarmes did. And they were monstrously effective. A scabard is good for keeping the blabe clean and far away from rust.
Back-scabbards and spadroons, what everyone is talking about!
What about a spadroon with a back-scabbard, it would be the ultimate weapon!
@@death31313 - I think we don't need a video on this, but a really truly *feel* like we need a video on this :D
I think it would be MASSIVE COOL to ship a sword like that in a coffin shaped box that could also serve as a display case (the interior padded and lined with a silky cloth).
All I know is that I would've personally wet myself facing a bunch of guys with these swords...
Me too, Landsnechts were bad-asses!! That is a gorgeous sword!
What a massive piece that is.
Love the zweihander coffin!
The Zeughaus in Graz hosting dozens of Zweihänder is in Austria indeed, but *not* in Vienna, Matt. You're triggering a lot of Styrians with this slip-up! :D
Excellent video!
Now I don't _know,_ but I am quite convinced that they would be carried in the supply wagons like all the pikes and halberds, and then when taken from them they would just be worn on the shoulder, like the woodcuts show, just before the battle.
Good gravy that this is an absolute piece of art. Crushingly gorgeous. Break my heart here, the purchase price on that thing has got to be what, about ten grand (GBP)? Absolutely worth every penny, without question.
Went to tod's website BEAUTIFUL work. Not at all surprised he's sold out on almost everything. At some point I would like to have the money to buy one (or many) of his pieces.
Matt is a Skellige greatswords deck main
Gosh that sword is beautiful, I really want one
OH GOD. 2:42
This reminds me we need a Matt Easton/ Karolina Żebrowska collab about 18th century Civilian and military fashion. This has to happen, for us to have the ultimate historical meme video.
Viedma and Godinho both talk about carrying them and when to have them sheathed (in the home) and not. Viedma talks about the method to carry them about town. (on the left shoulder, straight up.).
You could perhaps carry it on your back if you used Shadivirsity's Shabbard design but it would be mad heavy.
Maybe you could use the back scabbard that Shadiversity made? That kind of design would allow you to sheathe weapons that you'd normally carry in hand: greatswords (like your zweihander), pollaxes, lucerne hammers, short spears (that are roughly as high as you are)
Would you please do more Highland fighting videos? Maybe stuff about barehanded or knives?
In one of his treatises Godinho (a master of the montante) tells you to not carry the montante on your back at night (for various reasons) "as many people do it", so I could imagine it was carried, or more so, transported on the back. Yes, you can't draw it, but it is much easier than in the hand.
The glorious Bass Cannon
Godinho («Arte de Esgrima», 1599) actually mentions:
«... the Montante should not be taken while wearing a cape, but without, and the scabbard should be loosened, and you should test that beforehand.» [67v]
«... if you are going out at night, carry the montante naked [i.e. without scabbard] or at lesat with the scabbard loosened...» [110v]
He also insists a lot that you should not leave your scabbard (or your cape, or your hat) in the street after a flight, because those can be used by the authorities to identify you (yes, Godinho seems to have been quite a brawler). That scabbard there is a generic (he advices that for rapiers too), but given the previous indications, it also applies to the montante.
«...[and so as not to leave scabbards or garments behind as proof that the fight has happened] is why I insist that at night the montante should be carried naked, and the bearer should wear no cape, and the montante should be carried «terciado», and not on their back, as many carry it». [111r]
«Terciado» there means resting on the arm (there are similar expressions, for example, to wear a cape «terciada», etc). He is not advocating exactly the same form of carry we often see for Landsknechten in period imagery (lying on the shoulder). Godinho probably means that you should hold the grip of the montante with one hand and have the blade rest on your upper arm, so your arm is almost extrended downwards, but not quite, somewhat bent. This allows to start using the weapon very quickly.
It is unclear what he means about many people wearing it «on their back». The original expression is «a costas», which is not proper spanish, but Godinho was portuguese trying to write in spanish. In portuguese «as costas» is «the back» or «at your back« or «on your back», so it could mean «behind you». It is unclear how the montante would be carried at your back, however. Possible still in the scabbard (since he mentions you should take it «naked», it means people did take it with the scabbard at least sometimes), perhaps slung over the shoulder with a baldric of some form. This would make it nearly impossible to start using the montante quickly, hence his advice.
But «de costas» in portuguese means «backwards» («caminhar de costas» = «to walk backwards»), so he could actually mean that you should not wear the montante inverted, i.e., point down, although this would be a strange use of the expression.
A third option is that «a costas» means «on your shoulders». It wouldn't be literal, but «a costas» has a loose meaning of carrying something like a burden, like you would carry, say, a sack of grain -- that is, probably on your shoulder. So there.
it would seem that some people did carrie them on their backs, for instance Domingo Luis Godhino says of the montante in his 1599 fencing treaties "because of this (its length) i suggest that at night, the montante is carried without a sheath, and the wielder without a cloak, and the montante in the left hand, tilted diagonally, and not on the back as many carry it"
That scabbard tying spot makes me think what if the winged spears were used to tie pouches on when they were marching.
2:33 ... the legend... he was real... *shakes self to sleep*
Idk how it was done, but I can think of ways it could / should be done.
Best might be a long scabbard with a slit down one side, or part way down one side. You could safely wear it on the shoulder (or waist, I suppose) and you could draw the blade out "sideways," or partly sideways partly straight.
Add a long, narrow flap to keep out weather.
@Michael Smith oh. I guess not all of us saw it.
Now I'm glad I didn't run out and patent it.
Makes me wanna power up my bass cannon. #thelegendneverdies
So a zweihander is a like a tank. It's made to hurt people and it doesn't care who
1:24 I want to see if a Shadiversity Back-Scabbard (AKA Shabbard!) would still work with a Zweihander. Might not be very practical, but I think it should still work reasonably well for walking about etc.
Considering the limited roles it would've filled, keeping it in an armory until needed sounds logical. Kind of like the naval cutlass on ships; safely out the way, oiled up on racks.
Then again, factoring in the level of showmanship in such a massive sword, could it possibly have been on display when not being used? For all the time, effort & resources put into it, seem like something one would have out for people to see even when not carried on the shoulder of their best fighter.
Imperial Greatswords carry them on the shoulder, pointed upward. Duh!
For Ghal Maraz, etc.
2:43 that caught me off guard
Can you not have it in some kind of scabbard and have it slung over your back from one shoulder to the opposite hip? That would be my first guess, but it wasn’t mentioned at all so I assume there must be something wrong with that method. What would be wrong with it?
Now I want to see a historical movie with a guy dragging a coffin into a town, then opening it to reveal a zweihander that he goes on to get bloody revenge with.
I can think of so many bad oneliners for that scenario.
"This isn't a coffin. Right now it's storage for my tools of art and once my performance in this town is over, it will house the art itself."
2:43 Best moment
I wonder if back scabbard for a longsword that you can draw from created by Shad of Shadiversity channel (a "shabbard") could be modified for a zweihander...
Hi, i'm looking for a functional zweihander 180cm lenght, similar to your in video. Can you help me?
I always thought wearing these types of swords on the back would be best, not drawing it from that position mind, just carrying it in a shieth slung on the back. when you need it you first unsling the sheathed sword and then remove the shieth. it isn's as quickly available as a hip warn sword but it is far more available than on the cart, and it permits much more freedom of action than on your shoulder.
Landsknecht: pulls out sword and rest it on his shoulder* now where the hell if the battle field at? Look around*
Group of polls: * gets beheaded by the swinging of the zweihander
Landsknecht: hears bodies fall and looks back* aw what the hell the battles already over! What did I come for?
"They must have had ways of storing these." Big wooden boxes that nobody remembered to put them in, hence why they are always carried on the shoulder
There's some spanish source that talks about walking around with the montante and when drawing it to basically pull the sheath off and leave it on the ground. Might be Godhino.
At 2:28 that looks like the tip of the zweihander in the picture has a part scabbard that then only covers the blade edge but not the blade itself further down. I suspect that once the tip had cleared the enclosed part of the scabbard the blade would be free to pop out sideways. more likely a single swing of the sword would cause the covering to fly off dynamically.
There´s no scabbard in that picture, just the sword on his shoulder.
So you are saying that blade has a rivet at way out close to the tip. Nope that only makes sense of it is a scabbard. A hole or rivet at that location called the "weak" would fundamentally compromise the blade. Also the blades fullers end in a squared off manner I have never seen on any blade never mind a huge sweihander, makes total sense that this is representing the edge of a scabbard or tip sheath. The tip is almost blunt, indicating a scabbard tip not a blade tip. All logic says scabbard.
@@kyphe. There are plenty of swords with similar fullers. Arguably it would make more sense with larger swords (because of the weight reduction). The indentation, or rivet, is hard to to tell what it is. I would´t draw any conclusions based solely on it. To me, this just seems like a sword carried on the shoulder, like most of the other similar depictions you can find.
Can someone who doing sparrings with melee weapons answer me this: if you have zweihander/montante/spadone, what would be a best tactic against spear in 1v1 scenario? Against shieldman - attack legs. But against spear, beat it aside or what? Rush while half swording? Assuming you successfully bind it, will your greatsword keep enough force to damage opponent, or not, swing will be needed anyway?
While I can't give you any concrete answers, you might want to look for Lindybeige's recent RUclips video in which he oversees some field tests including greatsword vs. spear during Matt's Fightcamp 2018. There are some interesting observations to make there.
I would try to hack at it and damage it at a safe distance with circular attacks, or just use it like a spear.
Good question. Personally, I would avoid trying to use it like a polearm: there is no point in playing the polearm game against a polearm with something that isn't, you only get stuck in the face. You could try to capitalize on the fact that a spear is only dangerous at its head, while a greatsword cuts all along its blade, so once you pass the spearhead your opponent is not dangerous anymore (or not as before) while you still are, but it's risky work.
@@talscorner3696 Yeah using it as spear or doing "figures" in air are propably bad ideas. Eh the only sparring of greatsword vs spear I saw on net is on "Greg Fasolino" yt channel, I would like to see more
Throw the sword like a javelin. Then run away. Your enemy will either be dead or pick up the extremely expensive sword and be unable to chase you.
2:44 You forgot adding the shades 🕶️
Wow such a Beauty 😍
Neil Melville
Two Handed Sword: History, Design and Use
Have you hard of this book ?
"Cant ship that in cardboard"
FUN FACT: Triple wall corrugated offers similar protection to 1/4 Inch Plywood! You can absolutely ship that in corrugated!
My god, it's the Buster Sword
If you were transporting it, it'd be on your back, not for use in combat. If you weren't, you were probably a specialized guard holding it point down 'til trouble brewed up OR it's a parade float and it's being waved like a banner.
Or so I assume.
2:45 made me lol
See Shadiversity's back-scabbard or "Shabbard" for a useful back-drawn great sword scabbard. :P
I think even with that it'd still be incredibly difficult, its just too long! I guess if you were like some 6`6 giant with massive arms it might work...? 😅
@@fasckira I agree. Still i would love to see peer review for Shad's work
the question is why would you carry a zweihander for something that isnt war
@@kyomademon453 For adventuring into dungeons and fighting dragons, of course!
The weight will pose a problem. You can't lift it with one hand like Shad does with his Longsword so you'll need to use two hands, which reduces the distance you can pull it out of the shabbard, in turn meaning that the bottom part, that's actually enclosed can only be maybe 20-30cm long. After pulling it out you put the (thankfully blunt) ricasso on your shoulder and leverage it off your back and in front of you.
Actually the more I think about it, the more possible it appears. I don't think it'd be too big of an issue to have the enclosed part of the shabbard be only 20-30cm long. If the fit is close enough it'll stay in. Though I can't imagine there being a way to put it back in without taking the shabbard off your back.
I think we need Shad to do another followup vid creating another shabbard, but for a greatsword this time.
When did the Zweilhander fade away and why?
That's a good question. On the top of my head, I'd say they faded away when armor did and people started using guns for self defence or having to worry about a potential assailant using a gun rather than a blade
Basically what finally finished them off in practical uses were Gustavian infantry reforms in the 30 years war. The improved firearms and military intelligence of the Swedish king led to the rise of new line infantry tactics that proved to be effective against shot-and-pike formations.
That was an important point. A spear or a pike is a better weapon against cavalry for infantry formations, whereas greatswords are more suitable to infantry melee than cavalry hunting. As the new situation was that infantry was good enough at shooting each other to render pike formations as the military backbone obsolete, the massive melee engagements that characterized pike armies grew fewer in number as well. Less need for specialized shock infantry as spears, partisans, halberds, and later on bayonets, did the job well enough.
It's also notable that due to the strength of the pike formation in melee, 30 years war cavalry engaged in melee relatively rarely, opting in pistols and carbines instead. This is a part of the reason why the more conventional Swedish light cavalry and Polish heavy cavalry achieved some remarkable successes when they were able to surprise enemies with unexpected old fashion.
As far as I've read, the use of the Zweihander didn't last long. It began in the end of the 15th century, and only lasted until halfway through the 16th century. So only around 60 years or so. Not too long for an entire category of medieval weapons. (Or renaissance to be precise)
Graz in Austria ;)
Zum Glück net der einzige getriggerte Steirer!
What/how about carrying a Zweihänder on/with a horse?
Would it be feasible to store it along the side of the horse for example?
I kind of think its to long for that. it might work with a packhorse.
Could these things be carried like muskets? Where you're holding it with your arm parallel to your body and the blade pointed upwards and resting against your shoulder? I swear I've seen images from texts where they were being carried that way....
I always thought an easy solution is that you attach it to the back, but not as a "quick draw" solution. A belt you'd have to take off before battle but which would allow carry. I don't see why that wouldn't work here and I swear I've seen images like that (though I cannot produce them now)
I don't know much about manuscripts but I've seen a hema video that alleges some exist discussing sheathed great swords and how to draw them. The sword is carried on the shoulder with a sheath, apparently the manuscript recommends just throwing the sheath as you pull it off the sword to get it out of the way.
Here's the link to the video.
ruclips.net/video/ca0NBLDtRjU/видео.html
He names the people who apparently wrote this at 27 minutes in.
Where do these pictures of Zweihander soldiers come from? They look pretty aspirational. Is it possible these documents were aimed at promoting a lifestyle? "Join the army become a Zweihander."
Would a sling like the one God of War had Kratos's axe hung on work? (IMO the best backsling / backdraw rig I've ever seen)
I would imagine you would have a squire carry it around for you.
If you had a scabbard that just cliped on your belt that you could then take off of your belt and then with one hand grab the blunt part of the blade of the zweihander and with the other hand grab the Scabbard and pull it off the zweihander then clip the scabbard back on your belt I bet that could work
Would that be worth it though, compared to carrying it over the shoulder? Given how cumbersome that would be on your belt.
@@KonguZya I could see 2 reasons for doing something like what I said. If you wanted to seem less threatening to townsfolk or your going into a treaty situation and your lord or king said he wanted you to have your weapon. The second reason is if you needed to have both your hands free like for a bow or you needed to carry something or someone. But those are 2 very specific reasons so for the average person carrying a zweihander you can just have it on your shoulder
2:45 my new wallpaper
A question I have is were they wide spread enough to really have a "standard" solution? In a fahnlein of around a hundred, would there be a dozen? less?
The blade does seem to have quite a flex to it, though. Doesn't this incredible length have a negative effect on cutting power? I mean, the sword is probably cutting well just through its weight alone, but...just being curious.
Hey buddy can you make video on two handed indian swords???
What were used for primary weapons? Spears?
Used against to cut off the head of pikes in a swirling techniques due to longer reach and great momentum and were commonly utilized by Landsknecht Mercenaries which were paid highly.
Matt Easton when the screen went grayscale...
The modern warrior has the gun sock. Perhaps the medieval warrior had the sword sock?
Shall I see myself out?
What are the dimensions of this sword, hilt and guard?
Question...what are the differences between European and Japanese greatswords, that allow the Japanese ones like the Nodachi to be carried in scabbards and drawn from the hip?
The Nodachi should be near enough the height of the wielder and I've seen plenty of people carry and draw them without any trouble
Would an individual soldier have a particular sword, or would they be issued on a as you come basis?. This is when all are loaded on a wagon.
I wept a little every time you either picked it up a little and then drilled the tip into the ground, or spun it around on the tip, on the ground.on wood or not, ouch.
I heard Zwihanders where wrapped tightly with cloth when stored
it was said that Germans from long ago were actually big and tall like Barbarians
how about a `halfway box` that would only enclose the blade? the hilt could be wrapped in cloth if need be.
Here's a challenge. You are going to a reenactment event and you don't have a mate with a van. How dou get it there by bus, train and taxi?
Specially trained teams of Dashunds
How strong did those men have to be, to use this type of weapon?
What is the size of this sword?