What type of sword is used in I.33?

Throughout the history of martial arts, we see how the evolution of technology changes systems and techniques. For example, military sabre fencing in the early 19th century leaves the sword forward while defending against attacks, a technique far more risky without the assistance of the extra hand protection sabres had. In the case of I.33, it is likely that the techniques recommended are impacted by the weapons they are using.
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Today, we will be analyzing what swords may have been used in the I.33 manuscript. This is not a post to say only these swords can be used with I.33 techniques. After all, I have used I.33 techniques with a baskethilt sword. Instead, this post is designed to add context to the time period of I.33 which could support the exploration of sword limitations by category in a future post.

​Analyzing Swords Popular in the 13th and 14th Century

Researchers and sword enthusiasts alike have tried to categorize swords of all periods to communicate what type of sword they are referring to. One of the most famous researchers on the categorization of swords is Ewart Oakeshott, who defined medieval sword categorization in his book Records of the Medieval Sword.

In his book, Oakeshott creates a list of different typologies to define medieval swords. The catalog of swords described in Records of the Medieval Sword lists examples of swords from Type XII, XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI dated from 1250-1350. This creates quite a range of potential sword typologies available in the time period of I.33.

These typologies are described as the following:

Type XII: “…the blade should have a noticeable taper, and an acute point, sand the grip should be quite short”. This type of blade has a fuller that runs two thirds down the blade and narrows to a gradual point.

Type XIII: “…a blade whose edges run very nearly parallel to a rounded point… very large blade 32”-40”…”. This type of blade would have a fuller that runs about half way down the blade. The length of the blade would also be substantially longer than some of its contemporary counterparts.

Type XIV: “…precise life-span between c.1275-1340. Its characteristics are a short grip and comparatively short blade which is broad at the hilt and tapers strongly to a sometimes very acute point.”. This type of blade would have a fuller about half way down the blade. The broad blade characteristics would allow for strong cuts while the acute point would allow for devastating thrusts.

Type XV: “The general outline, or silhouette, of this type is very much like that of Type XIV, but the section of the blade is totally different.”. Instead of having a fuller, the blade itself would be diamond shaped to allow for strong cuts while still being stiff enough to deliver thrusts.

Type XVI: “…sometimes impossible to distinguish whether such a blade is a XVI, or in fact a XIV… its lower blade tapers strongly, though it is flat, but it has a very stout diamond section reinforced point.” The main distinguishing factor between the Type XVI and the Type XIV is that the XVI blade is generally narrower than its broader counterpart, the Type XIV.
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All of the above potential candidates of sword typologies listed above fit the functional characteristics of the I.33 sword. This creates a variation of potential medieval arming swords shown in I.33.

​Identification of the Sword in I.33 Illustrations

The art in I.33 leaves much to be desired when it comes to accurately identifying the medieval sword typology used in the manuscript. It is possible that the variation is due to artist skill or even that multiple swords were used as reference when the illustrations were created.

The blade shown in I.33 changes in length from image to image. Interestingly, there is a line that is sometimes present in the middle of the blade, possibly indicating a fuller was on the blade or that it was diamond shaped like the type XII or type XV. However, this detail is not consistently drawn throughout I.33 as shown in figure 3.

In many of the images of I.33, the blade appears to narrow to a distinctive point. Sometimes the blade is shown broader or narrower. The narrow blades could be an example of a type XV or a type XVI while the more broad swords could be the type XIV. In some cases, the fuller is excluded which could be an artistic limitation, or it could be an example of a type XV being used.

The pommel on the sword in I.33 also appears to differ in some images. In Figure 4, an acorn shaped pommel is displayed instead of the common disk-shaped pommel shown predominately in I.33. An acorn shaped pommel was more common with older sword typologies such as the type XII. 
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This supports the proposed Oakeshott typologies to the historical examples found in the Records of the Medieval Sword.

Closing Thoughts

​When I.33 was created, they had a specific sword in mind. Let's take the art literally and assume different swords were used throughout the manuscript, possibly the priest's and student's personal swords. A plethora of typologies are used. The early 14th century was also a turning point for armor, where plate became more common. This also drove the design of different swords based on the use case. There was also the practice of sword inheritance, which may have had fencers using older swords than what was popular at the time.