Espada Ancha: Frontier Swords of New Spain

[Jim McDougall]

As I enter the deserts of Arizona, once again I am compelled to think of the fantastic cultural history of these regions, from the time of the Conquistadors through the Spanish Colonial era and the closely related and colorful history of Mexico.

I have always found the rugged and innovative weapons created by the relatively few swordsmiths and more typically, the presidial blacksmiths, incredibly fascinating. The most distinct of these is of course, the hanger known as the espada ancha, which literally means loosely ,large or heavy bladed sword. Many of these swords, which reflect the influence of the stylish hunting type hangers worn by the fashionable gentry in England and parts of Europe from the 17th century and well through the 18th, did indeed have such heavy blades. Many of the forms that seem to be from the larger presidios or posts seem to have had the 'dragoon' type broadsword blades.

I'd like to discuss more on these frontier swords, and am attaching some examples from Lee Jones' outstanding article to establish the form. For those interested in these, this article presents an excellent summary of the history of these weapons, and is one of the very few works ever written in them.

Hopefully we can see more examples from members and readers out there, and perhaps see if we can determine some regional or period characteristics.

1. Unusual silver mounts, the upper part of the knuckleguard removed as well as the shellguard which would have curved from guard over blade forte.. The blade appears of hexagonal military form.

2. Latter 18th century with vertically grooved shield shaped guard rather than more commonly seen striated clamshell type guard over forte. The blade is one of the c.1760's 'dragoon' type military broadsword blades.

3. Probably early 19th century example which truly represents the frontier 'espada ancha', with extremely heavy blacksmith type blade, again with guard missing.

4. Another frontier example which reflects the associations between these and the machete, much needed in traversing the incredibly thick vegetation of Sonoran desert. This is stated probably latter 19th century and blade is fashioned from heavy steel stock, with hilt of traditional form.

[Gonzalo G]

I think Espada Ancha could be translated as 'Wide Sword', and the adjective is related to the width of the blade (as in 'broadsword'), which, as you know, is related to the spanish military broadswords and machetes used from the 18th Century to the 19th Century, the former with some models in a bilobated garnment, and very diferent to the narrow bladed civilian swords as the rapier. In this case, the guards are simplier due to the conditions those swords were made. I think the long blades were not neccessary as the main weapon for the soldier was the spear-lance or the fireweapon, and the nothern land is usually arid, with only bushes (sometimes heavy bushed) and some desert trees as the mezquite and the huizache.

I don't think the clamshell or the equivalent were strictly defensive guards, but scabbard protections, and also an element helping in securing the sword inside the scabbard, and protecting it from the climate.

It is correct to associate this type of sword to the machete and its role as working tool and as a weapon. Still today some machetes are mounted with a knuckleguard, but longer blades, and a pommel in the form of an eagle head, but they have become mostly a tourist item.

There were no specific regulations concerning the dimensions and other characteristic for this swords, and this, complemented by the isolation of the presidios along the centuries in a dilatated territory with a broken geography, produced the variety of forms we know today.

I personally do not have information about this local variants.
Regards

Gonzalo

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent observations Gonzalo, and its good to hear your comments as these weapons were of course from the very regions where you live. I agree, the chamshells certainly were for the purpose of langet to secure the sword in the scabbard, when used, or perhaps in a waist sash or belt in some cases. I have seen some espadas with the hooked over projection at the back of the crossguard for perhaps this kind of placement, while the clamshell was at the front.

It seems that even after certain regulations were emplaced during the 18th century, they were rather loosely enforced, especially among quasi military units in the remote regions near smaller presidios. During the 19th century, especially toward the later part, frontier forces, particularly those such as the well known 'rurales', wore all manner of swords and reserviced weapons. Often unusual composites developed with components from various forms of weapon and interesting embellishments were used. I have what appears to be a M1840 US cavalry sabre, the guard badly bent, but with a barely discernible centavo or peso hammered onto the pommel.

It seems that the rugged, often violent, and always intriguing history of America's frontiers, seldom recognizes the concurrent history of Mexico, which was in so many ways very much an important part of our own history.
I think these many of these weapons reflect these important cross influences, and many times Spanish or Mexican weapons have been assumed from various events from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. This was because of the often blacksmith type presence of many of these fashioned in order to meet immediate needs much in the same way as with these frontier weapons of Mexico.

I am hoping to hear from others who either have examples of these weapons, whether from the Spanish Colonial period, or from any time in Mexico's history.
Hopefully readers out there might know of examples, collections or museums that might hold such items.

All best regards,
Jim