Post by Weiss Draconis on Apr 29, 2008 8:38:32 GMT -5
The Zweihander is a blade of Germanic origin, and is a two-handed sword used during the Renaissance. Zweihanders have also been called Bidenhanders and Bihanders, but the term zweihander is German for Two Hander.
The first zweihanders saw service during the 14th century, but gained renown during the formation of the Landsknecht, the mercenaries first formed during the 16th century by Maximillian l, as their hallmark weapon.
These swords, from pommel to tip, could be 1.8 meters long at maximum, with the blade on the Zweihander itself being from 1.2 to 1.5 meters long. There are smaller versions, though. Earlier forms were roughly 5 feet long.
A zweihander can vary in overall weight. A ceremonial zweihander could way up to 7 kilograms, with a functional one varying in weight from 2 kilograms to 3.2 kilograms. In short, these things are heavy, and that weight lends a significant amount of power to their capabilities. Ealier forms weighed as little as 1.5 kilograms.
Essentially a form of greatsword, these blades did have an advantage over their smaller counterparts, in that their length was comparable to that of a small halberd, and with the proper design, allowed for the user to have a crude defence against cavalry charges.
A legend arising from these swords was that their first use was as a counter to a pike formation, as the swords had enough weight that a swing from a strong man would be enough to easily lop through the shaft of the pike and then expose the pikeman to a further attack. Whether or not this is true is debatable. As another anecdote, soldiers who were trained in wielding a zweihander were often paid twice as much as those who could not, and given the title of Doppelsoldner, meaning Double mercenary.
The most famous usages or users of a zweihander in modern times has a decent list, including videogame characters such as Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7 and Siegfried Schtauffen from the Soul series. Other examples of contemporary uses are traceable, but mainly the zweihander became obsolete alingside the pike, with the inenvtion of the bayonet.
The first zweihanders saw service during the 14th century, but gained renown during the formation of the Landsknecht, the mercenaries first formed during the 16th century by Maximillian l, as their hallmark weapon.
These swords, from pommel to tip, could be 1.8 meters long at maximum, with the blade on the Zweihander itself being from 1.2 to 1.5 meters long. There are smaller versions, though. Earlier forms were roughly 5 feet long.
A zweihander can vary in overall weight. A ceremonial zweihander could way up to 7 kilograms, with a functional one varying in weight from 2 kilograms to 3.2 kilograms. In short, these things are heavy, and that weight lends a significant amount of power to their capabilities. Ealier forms weighed as little as 1.5 kilograms.
Essentially a form of greatsword, these blades did have an advantage over their smaller counterparts, in that their length was comparable to that of a small halberd, and with the proper design, allowed for the user to have a crude defence against cavalry charges.
A legend arising from these swords was that their first use was as a counter to a pike formation, as the swords had enough weight that a swing from a strong man would be enough to easily lop through the shaft of the pike and then expose the pikeman to a further attack. Whether or not this is true is debatable. As another anecdote, soldiers who were trained in wielding a zweihander were often paid twice as much as those who could not, and given the title of Doppelsoldner, meaning Double mercenary.
The most famous usages or users of a zweihander in modern times has a decent list, including videogame characters such as Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7 and Siegfried Schtauffen from the Soul series. Other examples of contemporary uses are traceable, but mainly the zweihander became obsolete alingside the pike, with the inenvtion of the bayonet.
