Mediaeval Sword Resource Site containing information about antique European swords and other medieval edged weapons from the Dark Ages, the Viking Age, the Crusades and the Age of Chivalry (500 to 1500 AD). The usual home page for this site requires a browser which supports frames. This menu will direct you to the various sections of this site without needing the frame panels. It is suggested that you navigate using this page as a hub in conjunction with your browser's back or previous page feature as some intrasite hyperlinks in the text, particularly those to footnotes and references, are linked to framesets; at least in Netscape Navigator 3.01, following these links opens a new window on top of the preceding one. Subpage contents at the tops of the pages and links outside this site, such as those to museums and dealers should be safe.
The text from the main title page includes site information and plans along with the usual array of disclaimers and copyright information.
An illustrated Glossary explains terms related to the components of the European medieval sword
The Collector's Guide includes an assessment of the antique medieval sword marketplace, a discussion of the problem of fakes, sections on buying from dealers and at auction to include hyperlinks and a section on modern interpretations and replicas of medieval swords.
The Events section is a calendar of selected upcoming events associated with medieval swords and lists upcoming arms fairs as well as auctions known to include at least one medieval sword.
The Forum is a section where relevant topics and opinions may be posted for discussion and includes photographs and descriptions of swords submitted by readers for comments. Please visit, and if you have an insight or something to add, please share it.
The Museums section includes hyperlinks to the official home pages of museums having especially significant holdings of medieval swords and includes short descriptions of what is on display.
The Virtual Museum includes overall and detailed photographs and descriptions of Viking swords and later medieval swords.
The Documents section presently only has an article on pattern-welding beginning with its origins in Celtic swords and tracing the development of pattern-welding through swords of the Migration Period into Viking swords and the last vestiges of pattern-welding as inlay in swords from the time of the earliest crusades. Many more additions are planned.
The Bibliography section includes listings for works cited on this site as well as broader listings of works pertinent to the study of medieval swords along with capsule descriptions.
A Links section is provided to point you toward further resources elsewhere on the web.
Your comments, corrections and additions are most welcome, as are submissions on the subject of medieval swords and related subjects.
Lee A. Jones ~ medsword@aiusa.com ~ 3 July 1998