1352 Two handed Danish Sword

The history of Denmark is filled with tumultuous periods of war and strife, conflicts driven by the same political and religious factors that were widespread throughout Medieval and Post-Medieval Europe. Smaller kingdoms were swallowed up by larger, and larger kingdoms splintered apart. Due to this fairly colorful history, the Danes became known for some distinctive weaponry, of which this Danish Two-Handed Sword is an example.

This sword is classified as an Oakeshott Type XVIIIe, a very unusual member of the Type XVIII group. It features a long, stiff diamond shaped blade with an extremely long handle, making it suitable for cut and thrust swordplay as many other swords were in the later 15th Century. However, this sword also has a long unsharpened ricasso that can be gripped to shorten up the blade for closer work. This option to fight with the “half sword” makes the Danish Two-Handed Sword an incredibly versatile weapon.