Renaissance executioner sword from Germany

Matchlock · 7th April 2011, 09:51 PM

Hi Steve,

And welcome here!

Jasper, engraved symbols (gallows and Catherine/breaking wheel) were very common on such blades.

See attachments, from top:

- woodcut of a decapitation, early 16th c.

- various torture and execution styles, 1509

- various torture and execution styles, mid-16th c.

- marker at a historic South Bavarian place of execution, Aholming, early 16th c.

- three Swyss executioners swords, 16th to 19th c.

- 3 details of them

- sword, 17th c.

- sword, ca,. 1530, inscription 18th c.
- detail

- sword, 17th c., Mus. Aholming, Bavaria

- 4 details of 17th c. swords in the Museum Erfurt, Thuringia

Enjoy, and best,
Michael

Matchlock · 7th April 2011, 10:13 PM

- 4 details of a 17th c. executioners sword and a few hewn off delinquents' hands, Museum Erfurt, Thuringia

- a breaking wheel with heavy iron blade, 17th-18th c.

Matchlock · 7th April 2011, 10:21 PM

Hi there,

One basic thought for discussion.

Actually I have never quite understood why executioners swords are generally ranked among weapons. Strictly speaking, they are tools of justice, after all ...

Best,
Michael

fernando · 7th April 2011, 10:22 PM

Let's hope the package is now complete !!

JUSTICESWORDS · 8th April 2011, 01:32 AM

Known examples of justice swords bearing the name of the executioner who owned/used the sword do exist.

The same goes for select execution axes.

But it is not common.

I have not seen any research that proves used justice swords were thrown into a river to put an end to the sword's thirst for human blood.

In fact, I am inclined to believe the following:

1) The swords actually used for beheadings bore fewer engraved symbols than is commonly believed. Usually just the wheel image and perhaps a simple engraved saying. Th executioner was a poor tradesman who was payed a very meager wage. He likely would not have had the spare funds to be able to hire a master swordsmith to engrave his weapon with anything more than the basic elements he felt he needed.

2) That once a beheading sword was "decommisioned" it was then that the 3 holes were bored into it's tip to release the pent up bad energy of the evil people it had killed, and,

3) Once decomissioned and used for ceremonial pursposes it was then that images of the Lady Justice figure and other more elaborate engravings were added to the blade.

I should state that the above 3 points are merely theories of mine but they do seem logical.

Of course, many things about these curious tools are lost to time and all we have to work with are examples to compare as well as written information from the time period to base our theories upon.

Oh yes, and perhaps the most important ingredient of all... good old fashioned common sense!

Cheers, Steve

Matchlock · 8th April 2011, 04:12 PM

Hi Steve,

Oh yeah, there are so many sayings about justice and beheading swords ...

We should keep in mind that they are not the same. Justice swords were just symbols of justice and had no practical use.

Also, the three holes sometimes found in the tips of beheading swords are just a stylistic decorative relict of the Gothic period when they were used as the utmost simplification of the trefoil (Dreipass) ornament. In traditionally made tools the obsolete Gothic style lived on thru the periods, over the 18th to the 19th c. when the Neo-Gothic style reenlivened those traditional forms. We also find the trefoil decoration on many later axe heads, first drilled and in later times just punched.

Best,
Michael

7th April 2011, 09:51 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Steve, And welcome here! Jasper, engraved symbols (gallows and Catherine/breaking wheel) were very common on such blades. See attachments, from top: - woodcut of a decapitation, early 16th c. - various torture and execution styles, 1509 - various torture and execution styles, mid-16th c. - marker at a historic South Bavarian place of execution, Aholming, early 16th c. - three Swyss executioners swords, 16th to 19th c. - 3 details of them - sword, 17th c. - sword, ca,. 1530, inscription 18th c. - detail - sword, 17th c., Mus. Aholming, Bavaria - 4 details of 17th c. swords in the Museum Erfurt, Thuringia Enjoy, and best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 7th April 2011 at 10:22 PM.

7th April 2011, 10:13 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	- 4 details of a 17th c. executioners sword and a few hewn off delinquents' hands, Museum Erfurt, Thuringia - a breaking wheel with heavy iron blade, 17th-18th c. Attached Images

8th April 2011, 01:32 AM	#5
JUSTICESWORDS Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 5	Swords bearing names, etc. Known examples of justice swords bearing the name of the executioner who owned/used the sword do exist. The same goes for select execution axes. But it is not common. I have not seen any research that proves used justice swords were thrown into a river to put an end to the sword's thirst for human blood. In fact, I am inclined to believe the following: 1) The swords actually used for beheadings bore fewer engraved symbols than is commonly believed. Usually just the wheel image and perhaps a simple engraved saying. Th executioner was a poor tradesman who was payed a very meager wage. He likely would not have had the spare funds to be able to hire a master swordsmith to engrave his weapon with anything more than the basic elements he felt he needed. 2) That once a beheading sword was "decommisioned" it was then that the 3 holes were bored into it's tip to release the pent up bad energy of the evil people it had killed, and, 3) Once decomissioned and used for ceremonial pursposes it was then that images of the Lady Justice figure and other more elaborate engravings were added to the blade. I should state that the above 3 points are merely theories of mine but they do seem logical. Of course, many things about these curious tools are lost to time and all we have to work with are examples to compare as well as written information from the time period to base our theories upon. Oh yes, and perhaps the most important ingredient of all... good old fashioned common sense! Cheers, Steve

8th April 2011, 04:12 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Steve, Oh yeah, there are so many sayings about justice and beheading swords ... We should keep in mind that they are not the same. Justice swords were just symbols of justice and had no practical use. Also, the three holes sometimes found in the tips of beheading swords are just a stylistic decorative relict of the Gothic period when they were used as the utmost simplification of the trefoil (Dreipass) ornament. In traditionally made tools the obsolete Gothic style lived on thru the periods, over the 18th to the 19th c. when the Neo-Gothic style reenlivened those traditional forms. We also find the trefoil decoration on many later axe heads, first drilled and in later times just punched. Best, Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 8th April 2011 at 08:21 PM.

7th April 2011, 10:21 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi there, One basic thought for discussion. Actually I have never quite understood why executioners swords are generally ranked among weapons. Strictly speaking, they are tools of justice, after all ... Best, Michael

7th April 2011, 10:22 PM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Let's hope the package is now complete !!