hpš Khepesh Scimitar
Scimitar = an oriental single-edged curved or crescent-shaped sword.
Sword = a general term for a hand weapon of metal, characterized by a
longish blade, and thus distinct from all missile weapons on the one
hand, and on the other hand from staff weapons - the pike, bill,
halberd and the like - in which the metal head or blade occupies only a
fraction of the effective length.
The handle of the sword provides a grip for the hand that wields it, or
sometimes for two hands; it may add protection, and in most patterns does
so to a greater or lesser extent. Still it is altogether subordinate to
the blade.
For want of a metal-headed lance or axe, which indeed were of later
invention, a sharpened pole or a thin-edged paddle will serve in lieu.
Notes 1
Arms and Armour
Shield:
24-856 A piece of defensive armour borne on the left arm or carried in the
left hand as a protection against missiles.
Varying in shape and form, it was the principal piece of defensive armour.
9-44 (Egyptian) Shields were covered with ox-hide and furnished with round sighting holes above the middle. (Arms and Armour) (W. M. F. P.)
9-860 (Etruscan) The chief weapons (besides bows ans arrows which bore flint and bronze heads) were few and simple, and were of bronze. Shields were of circular and oval shape.
2.583 (Arms and armour) Under this heading are included weapons of offence
(arms) and defensive equipment (armour). The history of the development of
arms and armour begins with that of the human race; indeed combined with
domestic implements, the most primitive weapons which have been found
constitute the most important, if not the only, tangible evidence on which
the history of primitive man is based.
Offensive weapons may be classified roughly, according to their
shape (i.e. the kind of blow or wound which they are intended to inflict),
and the way in which they are used,
2
as follows:- (1) Arms which are wielded by hand at close quarters. These
are subdivided into (a) cleaving weapons, e.g. axes; (b) crushing, e.g.
clubs, maces, and all hammer-like arms; (c) thrusting, e.g. pointed swords
and daggers; (d) cutting, e.g. sabres (such weapons frequently combine both
the cut and the thrust, e.g. swords with both edge and point); (e) those
weapons represented by the spear, lance, pike, &c, which deal a thrusting
blow but are distinguished from (c) by their greater length.
(2) Purely missile weapons, e.g. darts, javelins and spears. Frequently
these weapons are used also at close quarters as thrusting weapons; the
typical example of these is the medium-length spear.
(3) Arms which discharge missiles, e.g. bows, catapults, and fire-arms
generally.
The weapons in (2) and (3) are designed to avoid hand-to-hand fighting.
Defensive armour consists of body armour, protection for the head and limbs, and various types of shield.
Spear-heads and arrow-points - leaf-shaped <>, lozenge-shaped <>, tanged (point, projection, esp. part of chisel, etc., that goes into handle) nd triangular, with or without backs.
3
(The leaf-shaped sword)
The handle-plate and blade were cast in one piece, and the handle itself was formed by side plates of bone, horn or wood, rivetted through the handle-plates. There was no guard, and the weapon, though short, was well balanced, but more fitted for stabbing and thrusting than for cutting with the edge.
Instead of a handle-plate, it was furnished with a tang on which a round, flat-topped handle was fastened.
The grip reaches a length of ... inches.
The hilt is decorated ...
(Defensive armour) the cuirass and the shield
Greave, piece of armour for shins.
(Sword) of rigid bronze, and as long as ...
(Shield) of leather incurved like the section of a cylinder
(Full armour) shield, (?)greaves, (?)belt, cuirass,
(Arms).................
(Shield) Inner side: straps for the hand to grip and a long strap allowed the knight to hang the shield from his neck.
(September 25, 2008)
