"tears of the wounded" swords...

[chevalier]

im referring to swords with small metal balls or beads that roll back and forth in their fullers. they seem to be widespread in asia as ive seen examples from persia, china and india. they where called "tears of the wounded" in india and i forgot what they where called in china. i still have no idea what the purpose of the beads/balls serve.............

[Queequeg]

chevalier,

The popular explanation is that, like the "steel apples" on European blades, the balls add a bit of momentum via centrifugal force by sliding forward during a swing.

More about these:
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...ight=afflicted
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...hlight=chevron

Apparently there is debate on whether or not these balls actually serve a practical or decorative purpose.
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...ight=afflicted

Hope this helps in some way.

[ariel]

I guess that the mechanical purpose would only be fulfilled if the cut-outs went almost all the way to the point and the balls were of a substantial weight. A little jiggling at the ricasso would not be effective. I remember some quaddaras with a thin string going along the 3-5 inch long slit in the middle of the blade and tiny plastic( coral?) beads on it. Obviously decorative.

[Pukka Bundook]

Jens knows more about this than I ever will, but i'd say decorative,...just to show what can be done by a clever fellow making a blade.

Now, if it's Momentum you want, a small hole drilled in the blade near the tip, with a short chain, and a lump of lead attached............(!)
(but wouldn't it play havoc with the handling?!)

[Lew]

I think it was mostly hype in the heat of battle with hundreds of swords and shields clanging about I doubt you would be able to hear the sound of the sword. I did see an example of a Roman spear head that had a hole purposely punched through it so when thrown it would make a whistling sound that would strike fear in the enemy ranks.

Lew

[Jim McDougall]

This is truly a fascinating topic, and it has developed some great discussions over the years. Jens does indeed have the key knowledge on this somewhat mysterious feature, but pending his notes I wanted to say what I can recall.

This feature is of course entirely decorative, and Philip Tom suggested that the open channels holding these 'pearls' or bearings would ultimately compromise the integrity of the blade, therefore noted that these swords were probably parade or ceremonial in purpose.

The sound making effect is also likely associated with jingles and rattles as often seen in the votive weapons of temples and associated with religious ceremony, particularly in Buddhist and Hindu tradition. The pierced fretwork on the blade supports of Hindu khandas and firangi may represent the holes that were often on ceremonial weapons to attach jingles and various festoons also important as protection from evil and demons during these proceedings.

I recall some research years ago concerning a weight and sliding ball allegedly being part of a huge claymore acting to enhance the force of cut on the weapon. This clearly romanticized notion I found had appeared in some other 'heroic' literature, but research and discussions revealed no useful purpose for such a feature , in fact seemed quite the contrary, with a sliding weight most likely to pull the sword right out of the wielders hands. I think my first clue should have been the writers description of the weight being of ten pounds! on a claymore that would have been ludicrous!
While I found some reference to 'steel apples' on European blades (I believe that term and description was in a book on the Bowie knife, and fell along with the use of meteoric iron in fashioning 'the Iron Mistress') I have not ever discovered supported evidence of blades with sliding weights. This mysterious concept even appeared in the bizarre case of the 'Hollow Sword Company' where these blades allegedly contained mercury intended to move in the direction of the cut, within the blade for ostensibly the same purpose.

The closely connected spheres of Persia, India and China are the only soundly repesented instances I found of this feature, and its purpose seems to have been primarily apotropaic followed by traditional symbolism.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by LOUIEBLADES

I think it was mostly hype in the heat of battle with hundreds of swords and shields clanging about I doubt you would be able to hear the sound of the sword. I did see an example of a Roman spear head that had a hole purposely punched through it so when thrown it would make a whistling sound that would strike fear in the enemy ranks.

Lew

Psychological warfare was used far more than realized by many. The same whistling concept was found in India, where tribesmen notched thier bullets to achieve the same effect. Arrows were often altered to also accomplish the fearsome sounds that weakened the resolve of the enemy.

Concerning the sounds of battle, I think the most resounding descriptions I have ever seen were in Keegan's "The Face of Battle". In this,describing Waterloo, and the horrendous carnage of this epic battle,it notes the constant din of bullets clanging against armor cuirasses, sword blades and helmets against so many other sounds that would accompany the clash of thousands of combatants fighting to the death.

[Andrew]

Here's a good thread on this topic from the "Classics":

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=tears

[Jens Nordlunde]

Swords with ’tears of the wounded’/’tears of the inflicted’ have been made in several countries, in India they were often made in connection with a chevron pattern blade. In few the bearings were pearls, which would have been rather unpractical, as pearls are very soft, and would soon be worn to a smaller size and they would fall out of the fuller. I have heard of rubies used, but only in daggers, and that would make sence when it comes to the name, but these types must have been court weapons only. Someone told me, long ago, that the swords with steel/lead balls were used in battles, they may have been, and they may not have been used. I can’t say, other than most of there swords are stronger than one would think. The sound when you swing such a sword is like very heavy rain outside, ’Shhhh’ (not translated into English), so it would not be heard in a battle.

The chevron patter on a blade can be made in two ways, either the chevrons are made in wax, and the blade is etched. This is not regarded as being a ’real’ chevron blade, as the hole blade is watered. The other way to do it is to make the chevrons one by one, first using watered steel, and the next by using mono steel, and in the end forge them together. The last method is, of course, much more difficult, and so much more expensive.

[Jim McDougall]

I forgot about the chevron pattern Jens. I seem to recall something about the dark and light coloring of the alternating chevrons representing the two key rivers in India, Ganges and Yumaji(?)
I think the tears of the wounded concept applied in Chinese swords was from imported swords or diplomatic gifts from Safavid Persia or Mughal India.

I still wonder what that description is intended to mean, tears of the wounded (or afflicted?).

All the best,
Jim

[Jens Nordlunde]

Ganga-Jamni. When gold and silver are used together in a decoration, is called Ganga-Jamni. It is supposed to imitate the manner in which the muddy stream of the Ganges and the pure waters of the Jumna flow for some time together, side-by-side, but unmixed, at their junction below the fort at Allahabad.

I don’t know if the two different colours on the chevron blades have the same meaning, or if the meaning is different.

[ward]

Only seen terars of the wounded with metal balls I think they're just deocrative maybe to show the smith's skill

Ward