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#1 |
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Join Date: Jan 2021
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Hi there!
I saw this picture of a Katzbalger in a Skallagrim video, and I was wondering, if any of you know the source? I know its a long shot, but just wondering.. Thanks a bazillion! Simon ![]() |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
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Saw the video on yootoob, he doesn't give ant references for the museum photos of the real weapons. You might try leaving a comment on his katzbalger video asking which museum they come from. (the ones he waves about are repros from Kult of Athena mongst others, but we do not talk about those here.
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2020
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https://en.langenscheidt.com/german-...algerei#sense-
Katzbalgerei" English translation Katzbalgerei f <Katzbalgerei; Katzbalgereien> scrapping squabbling, wrangling The er ending is the sword that does the activity. Katzbalger Regards, Peter Hudson. |
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#4 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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There are various explanations for the term 'katzbalger', in which the term 'katz' seems typically of course to refer to cat, and while balger seems to refer to fight in varied senses there seems to be a version tenuously suggesting these swords were worn held by a cats skin (balg=fur).
More likely the term alludes to the 'cat fight', the vicious combat of feral cats, and the ferocity of same with warriors wielding these swords. With this it is tempting to align the distinctive 'cats head' pommel of the schiavona, the basket hilt fighting swords associated with Croatian (Dalmatian) origins in Italy with the 'cat fight' analogy. It is often interesting to discover the symbolic associations in weaponry and warrior image in many cultural and ethnic contexts. The hilt of the katzbalger in the OP here strongly resembles one sold on ebay and only described as 'early Germanic' without further detail. As there are wide variations of these it is often hard to define, but most common is this 'figure eight' guard. This seems to be basis for the development of branches/arms added in other forms of this type sword. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 3rd December 2022 at 05:30 PM. |
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#5 | |
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But the other day I was thinking... it could be a double meaning? Maybe like a pun? So it both means something with the scabbard and also "Catfight"? Dunno! ![]() I just never saw a Katzbalger like that before, but it resembles the Landsknecht Daggers a lot, so it makes sense. Whats the one on ebay? ![]() |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Black Forest, Germany
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If you ever have seen a real catfight,you saw a very dense and narrow fight of two animals face to face when often parts of their coats are pulled out and fly through the air. This is the way cats fight normally and in German language this is a "Balgerei" - their "Balg" , (their coat) is mostly heavily damaged. This short distance of fight is the reason for the name of a Katzbalger, whose blade is really very short in comparison to other sabres and enables to be used in a very near fight.
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#7 | |
Arms Historian
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Location: Route 66
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It is interesting how much descriptive metaphor and image became associated with the landsknechts. For example I have understood that they often wore deliberately tattered clothing which resembled the torn and damaged wear that men had after battle. This in effect suggested the wearer was well seasoned in battle, therefore a formidable foe . |
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#8 | |
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Where is that sword from? Must be from a museum, right? |
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#9 |
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Location: Black Forest, Germany
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jan 2021
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Thats ok
![]() If I look at the old Danish manuals, a scabbard in the 19th century lasted 7 years on average before it needed to be replaced. I dont imagine that scabbard were better in the 16th century than in the 18th/19th century. |
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#11 | |
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post #48 |
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