Oakeshott's Typology of The Medieval Sword

7/9/2015
Oakeshott'sTypologyoftheMedievalSword
ASummary
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EwartOakeshott(19162002)iswidelyregardedasthepreeminentscholaroftheMedievalsword.Hiscontributiontoour
understandingofthedifferenttypesandtheirtimeperiodswasgroundbreaking.
PickingupwhereJanPetersen'stypologyoftheVikingSwordleftoff,OakeshottclassifiedtheMedievalswordinto"types"
whichsharedthesamebasicbladeprofileandothercharacteristicsrelatedtoitsfunction.Coupledwithhisclassificationof
hiltcomponents,itispossibletoapproximatethetimeperiodofaparticularsword.
Tomakethismoreunderstandable,andinordertobeabletoexplainOakeshott'stypologytopeopleunfamiliarwith
swords,wehavebrokenitdownintothese9basiccharacteristics:ProfileCrossSectionAverageBladeLengthFuller
PointGripAverageWeightPrimaryPurposeandPeriod.
ThesourceofthedatarepresentedhereisnotonlyfromOakeshott'spublishedsources,butalsofromPeterJohnsson's
handsondocumentationofperiodoriginalsandthestudiesofothercraftsmenhereatAlbion.
Pleasekeepinmindthatthistypologyisamodernconstructandwouldhavebeenquiteforeigntoblademakersandcutlers
oftheperiod.Notallswordsfitneatlyintoagiven"type"somethingthatOakeshottfreelyadmitted.Thetypologyshould
beregardedasatooltoenhanceyourunderstandingoftheMedievalswordanditsintendedfunction,notafinalauthority.
TypeX
Profile:broadandmediumlength
Grip:singlehand,usually3.75"(910mm)
Crosssection:lenticular
AverageWeight:
http://www.albionswords.com/articles/oakeshotttypology.htm
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AverageBladeLength:31inches
Primarypurpose:cutting
Fuller:widefullerrunsalmosttheentirelengthoftheblade,
fadesoutaboutaninchbeforethepoint
Period:commonduringtheVikingage(9th10thc.),and
wellintothe12thc
Point:canbeacute,butisusuallyrounded
SubTypeXa
Profile:sameasTypeX,alittlelongerthanaverageTypeX
AverageWeight:
AverageBladeLength:around31inches
Fuller:samesasTypeX,fullermorenarrow
Period:inusefrom11thcto14thc
Point:canbeacute,butisusuallyrounded
TypeXI
Profile:longer,morenarrowthanTypeX
AverageWeight:
AverageBladeLength:37"
Fuller:narrowfuller
Period:earlytolate12thc
Point:oftenacute
SubTypeXIa
Profile:broaderandshorterbladethantypicalTypeXI
AverageWeight:
Fuller:narrowfuller
Period:earlytolate12thc
Point:oftenacute
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TypeXII
Profile:broad,flatandevenlytapering
AverageWeight:
AverageBladeLength:around32"
Fuller:2/3'softhelengthoftheblade
Period:13thand14thc.
Point:acute
SubTypeXIIa
Profile:broad,flatandevenlytapering
Grip:handandhalftotwohandlength,6"to10"
AverageWeight:
Fuller:2/3'softhelengthoftheblade
Period:GreatSwordorWarSword,inuseduringmuchof
theHighMedievalperiod,13thand14thc
Point:acute
TypeXIII
Profile:broad,flatandparalleledges
Grip:longerthanusual,singlehandtohandandahalf
AverageWeight:
Fuller:1/2ofthelengthoftheblade,canbemultiple
Period:middleofthe13thctothelatterhalfofthe14thc
Point:rounded
SubTypeXIIIa
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Grip:handandhalftotwohandlength,6"to10"
AverageWeight:
AverageBladeLength:32"40"
Period:GreatSwordorWarSword,inusefrommiddleof
the13thctothelatterhalfofthe14th
Point:rounded
SubTypeXIIIb
Grip:singlehand,usually4"(10mm)
AverageWeight:
Period:mid13thctolatterhalfofthe14thc
Point:rounded
TypeXIV
Profile:broad,flatandsharplytapering
AverageWeight:
Primarypurpose:cutandthrust
Period:late13thctomid14thc
Point:acute
TypeXV
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Profile:stronglytapered
Grip:singlehand
Crosssection:flatdiamond,somehollowgroundandsome
withareinforcedtriangularmidrib
AverageWeight:
Primarypurpose:thrusting
Fuller:none
Period:endofthe13thc,morewidelyusedinthe14thand
15thc,endingintheearly16thc
Point:acute
SubTypeXVa
Profile:stronglytapered,morenarrowandslenderthan
TypeXV
Grip:handandahalf,from7"to9"(10"inafewcases)
AverageWeight:
Crosssection:flatteneddiamond,somehollowground
Fuller:none
Period:endofthe13thc,morewidelyusedinthe14thand
15thc,endingintheearly16thc
Point:acute
TypeXVI
Profile:broad,flatandsharplytapering
Grip:singlehand
Crosssection:flatteneddiamond
AverageWeight:
AverageBladeLength:28"to32"
Primarypurpose:thrustingwhileretaininggoodcutting
ability
Fuller:1/2+oftheblade
Period:early14thc
Point:acute
SubTypeXVIa
Profile:longandslowlytapering
Grip:handandhalf6"to9"
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Crosssection:flathexagonal
AverageWeight:
Primarypurpose:thrustingwhileretaininggoodcutting
ability
Fuller:1/3+oftheblade
Period:early14thc
Point:acute
TypeXVII
Profile:long,slenderandacutelytapering
Grip:handandhalf7"to9"
Crosssection:narrowandstouthexagonal
AverageWeight:
Fuller:shallow,1/4oftheblade
Period:betweenc.mid14thc.toearly15thc
Point:acute
TypeXVIII
Profile:fairlybroad(2"2")atthehilt,andtapersgracefully
toasharppoint
Grip:singlehand,4"
AverageWeight:
Crosssection:flatteneddiamond,oftenwithpronouncedmid
rib,somehollowground
Primarypurpose:cuttingandthrusting
Fuller:somehaveanarrow,shortfuller
Point:acute
SubTypeXVIIIa
Profile:somehwatslenderandtapersgracefullytoasharp
point
Grip:singlehandtohandandahalf,5"+
AverageWeight:
Crosssection:flatteneddiamond,oftenwithpronounced
midrib,somehollowground
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Point:acute
SubTypeXVIIIb
Profile:long,slenderandacutelypointed
Grip:handandahalf,10"11",usuallywaisted
midrib,somehollwground
AverageWeight:
Fuller:none
Point:acute,usuallyreinforced
SubTypeXVIIIc
Profile:broadandacutelypointed
Grip:handandahalf,6"+
AverageWeight:
Point:acute
SubTypeXVIIId
Profile:long,slenderandacutelypointed
Grip:handandahalf,10"11",usuallywaisted
AverageWeight:
Fuller:none
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SubTypeXVIIIe
Profile:longandacutelypointed
Grip:handandahalftotwohanded
AverageWeight:
Fuller:narrow,shortfullerinricasso
TypeXIX
Profile:notalwayssobroad,somearequiteslim,butalways Grip:singlehandtohandandahalf
aflathexagonalsectiont
AverageWeight:
Crosssection:flathexagonalwithchamferededges
Period:mid15thc.
Fuller:ricassowithnarrowfullerinupper1/3rdoftheblade
Point:sharpandspadeshaped
TypeXX
Profile:broad,almostparalleledgesgracefullytaperingtoa
point
Grip:handandahalf
AverageWeight:
Crosssection:lenticularoroctagonalwithshallowfullers
Fuller:shallowcentralfuller1/2oftheblade,withtwoshallow
parallelfullers
intheupper1/4,sometimeswitharicasso
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SubTypeXXa
Profile:tapersmoreacutelythanTypeXXandamoreacute Grip:handandahalf
point
AverageWeight:
Fuller:centralfuller1/2oftheblade,withtwoparallelfullers
intheupper1/4,sometimeswitharicasso
Point:acute
TypeXXI
Profile:broad,slowlytaperingtoanacutepoint
Grip:bothlonggrippedandsinglehand.Somebiggerones
areWarSwordsize
Crosssection:wideandflatwithmarkededgebevelsand
sometimesashallowmidrib,oritcanbewideandhexagonal AverageWeight:
Onsomebladesthecrosssectionisalmostlikeaflat
diamondsectionwiththefullerscutout,leavingthemidrib
andtheedgebevels
Period:late15thc.
Fuller:2wideandshallowfullersintheupperpartofthe
blade,or2fullersrunningalmosttheentirelength
Point:acute
TypeXXII
Profile:broad,flatblade,slowlytaperinggracefullytoan
acutepoint
Grip:bothlonggrippedandsinglehand.Somebiggerones
bordertotrue2handers
AverageWeight:
Fuller:2short,deepandnarrowfullers
Point:acute
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