List of Historical Swords
Here are some famous swords from history:
- Sword of Attila (Sword of Mars or Sword of God) was the sword of Attila the Hun. It was said that it have been sent by the gods. In time it became a sort of scepter representing Attila's right to rule.
- Legbiter was a gaddhjalt sword of the Viking King Magnus Barelegs (1073 - 1103), also known as Magnus III of Norway, Magnus Barefoot and Magnus Olafsson.
- Sword of Mercy is part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. It belonged to Edward the Confessor and is symbolically broken as to show the mercy of the sovereign and legend says that its tip was broken off by an angel to prevent a wrongful killing.
- Joyeuse is the sword of Charles the Great. One legend says that it has the Lance of Longinus within its pommel, while the other says that it is made from the same material as Roland's Durendal and Ogier's Curtana.
- Wallace Sword is a large Scottish Claymore that is said that it have belonged to famous Scottish patriot and knight William Wallace.
- Kusanagi -no-tsurugi is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It is allegedly kept at Atsuta Shrine but is not available for public display, and its existence cannot be confirmed.
- Zulfiqar is a sword of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. It also belonged to Islamic leader Ali ibn Abu Talib and later weilded by Husayn ibn Ali in the Battle of Karbala. Its name means “bifurcated”
- Honjo Masamune is the most famous sword made by Masamune, one of the best Japanese sword smiths. It is 800 years old and it was named a national treasure in 1939. At the end of Second World War it became the possession of an American colonel and its current location is unknown.
- Tizona and Colada are swords of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043 - 1099) called El Cid. He was Castilian nobleman and military leader in medieval Spain and the national hero of Spain. They exist to this day in Spain and are considered a national treasure.
- Szczerbiec is the ceremonial coronation sword that was used in crowning ceremonies of most kings of Poland from 1320 to 1764. It is said that it belonged to the King Boleslaus the Brave (Bolesław I Chrobry) (967 - 1025). It is now on display in the treasure vault of the Royal Wawel Castle in Kraków.
- Lobera (which on Spanish means "the sword wolf-slayer") was the symbol of power used by Saint Ferdinand III of Castile (1199 - 1252) who was the King of Castile from 1217, King of León from 1230 and King of Galicia from 1231.
- The Sword of Goujian is a broze sword of the Spring and Autumn Period (771 - 403 BC). It was found in 1965 in Hubei, China. Its scabbard was almost air-tight when it was found and sword had an untarnished blade, despite the tomb being soaked in underground water for over 2,000 years.
