Scottish backsword

Claymore fighting style
Rapier hilts
Why were rapiers used

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Clan MacDonald: The Lord of the Isles

Description

The Lordship of the Isles dominated the Western Isles of Scotland during the middle ages. Emerging from the fusion of Gaelic and Viking cultures under Somerled, the Lords of the Isles descended from Somerled (d.1164). They utilised the iconic Birlinn, an adaptation of the old Viking Longships, although with an additional rudder. The Lordship was extinguished in 1493 by James IV. From Somerled and the Lords of the Isles descend the famous Macdonald, Macdonnell, Macrory, Macalister and Clan Macdougall.
McIan describes his illustration thus: "The figure represents one of the Lords of the Isles sitting in judgment on the Tom Moid, or law hill, in Eillean Gomhairlich, with his barons around him. He wears the habergeon, or shirt of mail, which an old writer describes as being "side almost to the heels." This was the usual defensive armour of the Highlanders, who continued its use until a late period. It is called Lurich, and it is observable, as an etymological fact, that the Lorica of the Romans, a similar body armour, is said by Yarro

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Basket-hilted sword

Sword with basket-like hand protection

"Broadsword" redirects here. For other uses, see Broadsword (disambiguation).

The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages. This variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword, though this term may also be applied loosely and imprecisely to other swords.^[1]

The basket-hilted sword was generally in use as a military sword. A true broadsword possesses a double-edged blade, while similar wide-bladed swords with a single sharpened edge and a thickened back are called backswords. Various forms of basket-hilt were mounted on both broadsword and backsword blades.

One of the weapon types in the modern German dueling sport of Mensur ("academic fencing") is the basket-hilted Korbschläger.^[4]

Nomenclature

The designation "broadsword" is ambiguous, and can refer to many different types

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Well placed observation Ward, there are distinct similarities in many of the tamgas, which rather than alphabetic characters are more of a 'brand' type concept. These were Turkic based symbols used throughout the steppes tribes and became well established in many cultural groups of Eastern Europe.
The Polish people take a great deal of pride in thier ancestries from many of these groups, including the Sarmatians, whose tamgas are often seen in the devices in Polish heraldry.

I believe however, that the runic type symbols are more in vertically situated geometric linears, and many of these medieval symbols that developed into the type marking used in the Masonic and other guild and individual marks may have some degree of similarity. These marks were customized to other family members and associates often by the addition of simple marks in strategic location on subsequent marks. I think was much in the way coats of arms developed in compexity as more charges and devices were added.

The tamgas are really a fascinating subject, just like heraldry and other types of symbolism. I re