Edged weapons for women?

[CutlassCollector]

Are there any bladed weapons made specifically for or adopted by women? Not much springs to mind but perhaps the huge knowledge base on this forum can suggest a few.

The sword below is a modern parade sword, but it aroused my interest and inspired the above question as it was specifically made for a woman's army unit.
Unusual enough in modern times but very unlikely that there were historical examples so I'm thinking more of personal protection - concealed knives, augmented jewelry perhaps. Any suggestions?

[Roland_M]

I hope this will help: http://www.lothene.org/women/women.html

[Rich]

The Japanese had several weapons designed mainly for women; the kwaiken is the first that comes to mind. Also, short staff naginata. Probably others also.
Rich

[fernando]

Fantastic link, Roland. Thanks for sharing.
It looks like, CC that, the sabre in exhibition is not different than that for a man. What distinguishes it would be the fact that it was made to equip a women's army, but not a sword with women's specifications. Am i right ?
Also according to Roland's link the tendence for women performing battle actions would not imply in using female weapons, although on the other habd and as Rich says, some models were designed specificaly for women.
And you have one other area, that of weapons not specificaly designed but still preferred by women, those for protection as you well suggest; the favorite one being the dagger, easy to conceal inside the bodice or tied to the leg under the dress; or even inside the boot.
Amazing the name that the French gave to these weapons: dague de pute (whore's dagger).
The examples attached don't have to historicaly be woman's daggers but, that's how they were.
I hope i was of some use and not far from the topic .

.

[drac2k]

There have been many capable women warriors, especially in the field of piracy, perfectly capable of handling all sorts of weapons;Sayyida al Hurra, Queen Teuta of Illyria, Anne Bonney, Jeanne de Clisson, Ching Shih, Grace O'Malley, Jacquotte Delahaye, Lorena Bobbitt just to mention a few.

[carlitobrigante]

Originally Posted by drac2k

There have been many capable women warriors, especially in the field of piracy, perfectly capable of handling all sorts of weapons;Sayyida al Hurra, Queen Teuta of Illyria, Anne Bonney, Jeanne de Clisson, Ching Shih, Grace O'Malley, Jacquotte Delahaye, Lorena Bobbitt just to mention a few.

Lorena Bobbit! you almost made me spill my tea pmsl

[drac2k]

I was wondering if someone would notice ; she sure could handle a knife !

[Roland_M]

Thank you Fernando,

I can add, that the usage of a well balanced sword is more a question of technique than pure muscle power.

There were a lot of high skilled sword fighting woman in history, even in europe in the medieval.

I would say, the advantage of a woman is, that they have more sensitiveness and they were probably faster in their movements (without the heavy armor).


Roland

[Pukka Bundook]

This is an interesting topic!

If I may add another point;
It was mentioned above that technique in a weapon's use can be more important than muscle -power.
True, Very true!........But! we must also remember that the female part of the population in many parts of the world do the "Manual labour" and are Very likely stronger than the men!
In India we see little thin stick-like ladies carrying Huge bundles of firewood, or enormous loads of whatever on their heads, that we Western chaps could barely stagger with!
Same in Africa.
One girl I read of, in either N. Pakistan or Nepal, I forget now,..for a bet, carried a Piano up a mountain on her head.....with a baby strapped to her back!
Give such a lassy a weapon and the correct instruction in its use, and she could whip the socks off a good few of us. (unless she still had the piano on her head!!)
I recall dimly a Roman writer.....was it Tacitus?? said that the Gauls could easily be defeated If they left their women at home! This is terrible paraphrasing, but you see what I mean.
In India there were women warriors, well trained and in their thousands.
I would imagine their weaponry would be light, fast tulwars for the main part.
Must go, busy day!

Richard.

[GIO]

I believe that the weapons used by women in battles were the same used by men. Weapons made specifically for women for self defence are small daggers (including tantos in Japan and kerises in Indonesia) and, in more recent times, small pistols.

[David]

In some parts of Indonesia a smaller version of the keris known as a patrem is carried by women of certain social stature.