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Originally Posted by Akanthus
In comparison to the highly functional form of a 16th.or 17th.century european Executener Sword this Gleve seems to me unsuitable for the mentioned purpose.Form follows function as you can see in many other examples of egded weapons.I could assume ,that the story of the poor christian deliquents fits to romantic 19th.century ideas of the unknown orient.
But : Nothing is inpossible at the end .....
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Thank you, Akanthus. I understand your point regarding the specialized form of the traditional European executioner’s sword, but I think there is an important distinction to be made here. This glaive was not originally designed as an executioner’s weapon; according to its history, it was subsequently repurposed for that use.
Having handled the weapon, I think its appearance in photographs can also be somewhat deceptive. The blade is quite substantial, rigid and considerably more formidable in the hand than its profile might suggest. With its broad cutting edge and considerable mass, it is certainly capable of delivering a very powerful chopping cut.
We also do not know precisely how executions were being carried out in Algiers with this particular weapon. I don’t think we should necessarily assume the technique was identical to that associated with the specialized European executioner’s sword. There are also interesting historical parallels. Mastro Titta, the executioner of the Papal States, is associated with an executioner’s blade of a broad, pointed form that likewise differs considerably from the familiar Germanic executioner’s sword.
Of course, none of this by itself proves the account preserved on the scabbard, and establishing that history independently remains part of my research. But I would hesitate to dismiss the stated use simply because the weapon does not conform to the conventional European executioner’s sword form. A weapon originally designed for another purpose and subsequently repurposed would not necessarily be expected to do so.