Poisoned Blades: Fact and Fiction

Jim McDougall · 22nd July 2009, 11:39 PM

Good observations Gene, and while I cannot think of a blade with serpent suggesting poison as far as the marking, the Tanjore katars with the cobra projecting from the bottom of the hilt suggesting poisoned blade seems plausible.

The punji stakes are a grim example of rather crude, but effective use of biological poison. I think the term is SE Asian and these are known by about late 19th century, but of course notoriously known from Vietnam later.

In "Magic, Murder and Medicine" (John Mann, 1992, p.23) found more on what type of poison may have been used on medieval blades. It is noted that, "...aconite was also the most widely used arrow poison in medieval Europe, and was still in use in the Iberian Peninsula as late as the 17th c.".
Apparantly aconite was used as early as ancient Greece, and may have been the poison used as early as the arrow poisons described in the 'Rig Veda".

It seems the use of poisons on arrows was primarily for hunting, in tribal regions of South America, where the poisons used were from plant extracts that were not likely to be absorbed enough or in a manner to taint the meat. These seem to have been prepared in graduated measure, noted by one tree, two tree or three tree reference....the interesting use of the term tree indicating how many trees a wounded monkey could jump impacted by the poison. The three tree would enable live capture of the animal. These poisons seem to have been variants of curare, known to Europe esoterically by the 16th century, but certainly not widely known until latter 19th century. The poison is used in one of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

In Africa, there are deadly poisons such as strophanthus gratus , reported by Livingston that could 'stop an elephant', again a 19th century account.

It would seem that aconite may have been the poison present in the blades of late medieval to Renaissance Europe. Perhaps more research will tell more.

All best regards,
Jim

22nd July 2009, 11:39 PM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,284	Good observations Gene, and while I cannot think of a blade with serpent suggesting poison as far as the marking, the Tanjore katars with the cobra projecting from the bottom of the hilt suggesting poisoned blade seems plausible. The punji stakes are a grim example of rather crude, but effective use of biological poison. I think the term is SE Asian and these are known by about late 19th century, but of course notoriously known from Vietnam later. In "Magic, Murder and Medicine" (John Mann, 1992, p.23) found more on what type of poison may have been used on medieval blades. It is noted that, "...aconite was also the most widely used arrow poison in medieval Europe, and was still in use in the Iberian Peninsula as late as the 17th c.". Apparantly aconite was used as early as ancient Greece, and may have been the poison used as early as the arrow poisons described in the 'Rig Veda". It seems the use of poisons on arrows was primarily for hunting, in tribal regions of South America, where the poisons used were from plant extracts that were not likely to be absorbed enough or in a manner to taint the meat. These seem to have been prepared in graduated measure, noted by one tree, two tree or three tree reference....the interesting use of the term tree indicating how many trees a wounded monkey could jump impacted by the poison. The three tree would enable live capture of the animal. These poisons seem to have been variants of curare, known to Europe esoterically by the 16th century, but certainly not widely known until latter 19th century. The poison is used in one of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. In Africa, there are deadly poisons such as strophanthus gratus , reported by Livingston that could 'stop an elephant', again a 19th century account. It would seem that aconite may have been the poison present in the blades of late medieval to Renaissance Europe. Perhaps more research will tell more. All best regards, Jim