Polska szabla husarska - special for Radu

[wolviex]

Thank you Radu for supplement to short history of sabres, now we know in synopsis how sabre appeared in Europe and in Poland. You're generally right but I would like to add some notes to fill it up.

Batory wasn't initiator of hussars in Poland in literal sense, because this formation existed in Poland since 1501 year, and it looked very similiar to the formations of Mathias Corvinus, so to Serbian light horsmen (please correct me if I'm wrong). They were even called in Poland: Racowie (in Polish - this was Hungarian name for Serbians), which praise the way of fighting with lance and shield - also very characteristic for early 16th century and later formations of hussars. What was the Batory's merit, that's significance reorganization of Polish hussars, which began to transform into a heavy cavalry. Since then, officers (rotmistrz - captain of horse) should be wearing Hungarian costume, with armour (cuirass) on the top, lance, sword, carbine at a saddle and of course feathers for splendour and fear the enemy -all of this was only arrangment. Till then every horseman with lance and shield was serving as hussar, sometimes with ridiculous armament making a fight impossible . The feathers (later wings - which use is another long story full of legends) were in use all the time after the example of Turkish deli (correct me if I'm wrong again). But it was after death of king Batory, around 1600, when real, Polish style hussars appearing, with characteristic armament developed in Poland.

And to fill up the name of the sabres: beside batorowka, zygmuntowka, janowka and wolviexowka ( o boy! I like it!) there were also Augustowka sabres (August II the elector of Saxony).

Feel free to bring tables you mentioned, if any help needed, you don't need to beg, I'm ready!

Best regards

[fernando]

bump

[Samik]

Since fernando bumped the thread and I have not posted for a very long time I'd like to chime in with something new. Although this thread is primarily on Polish weapons I do think you wont mind if I share some stuff from KOH with you. Almost a year ago I bought a splendid book by Tibor Kovács on the topic of Hungarian hussar weaponry: Huszárfegyverek a 15-17. században (Martin Opitz Kiadó, 2010).

Although written in Magyar I still highly recommend it since it covers a lot of previously unexplored areas including early sabers from 15th century. It appears that (at least within the sector of east-central Europe)the period was full of great experimentation. Besides the "classic" Turco-mongol designs one can encounter saber blades mounted on messer and schiavonesca style hilts.


Late 14th century sabre:




Messer hilts with sabre blades (mid/second half of the 15th c.) :



Schiavonesca hilts with sabre blades (mid/second half of the 15th c.) :



The only example of late XV/early XVI. Hungarian sabre I know of - so called "Gothic saber" with an acorn shaped pommel :



Duo of mid XVI c. sabres:



All of the above comes from Kovács' book. Of course there is much more in it including all the other offensive weapons as well as harness of hun. hussars. Interestingly enough I have spotted a similar depiction of a "Gothic" sabre on one of our altars back here in Bardejov, Slovakia (former KOH, IIRC early XVI. c). Note the acorn shaped pommel and a wrist loop(?):



closeup:



Cheers,
Samuel

P.S:
In case the moderators feel that I have infringed any copyrights by posting parts of the book please do modify/erase my comment if necessary.