The History of the Long Sword

Long swords have been around for thousands of years, although their length was not as pronounced until the middle ages. The sword has been around since the bronze age. During Medieval times it was called sweord, and it was known in other languages as well. The Germans, the Norse, Saxon, Middle Dutch and others used the sword and referred to it often.

Originally the long sword had a double blade, but later there were other swords that were made with only a single sharp edge, and were called swords because of their length. Studies show that the long sword has been around since the bronze age and by the iron age its use had extended well into all of Europe.

The Greeks, the Hittites, and other civilizations seemed to use the long iron sword because it was stronger compared to the Bronze swords. However, it was the Romans who brought the sword to the world, and thus other nations began to adapt it and make it their own.

The Medieval long sword became popular due to the efforts of the Romans. The most famous of these swords was called the Spantha. As man developped new technologies, so did the sword evolve. In medieval times the sword was actually made by several craftsmen. One would create the blade, while another would polish the sword, and still another would make the hilt. Some swords were extremely well made while others were not and this was largely due to a lack of knowledge in metal chemistry.