What is a Claymore? - An Introduction to Scottish Swords
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2019
- Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of 4 family admissions to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (deadline September 6):
docs.google.com/forms/d/1PQjZ...
www.warmuseum.ca/
This time I wanted to clear up the confusion around the term "claymore", which is most often incorrectly applied to two-handed swords with the characteristic quatrefoil tipped quillons. The word more accurately refers to the basket-hilted broadsword (or backsword in case of a single-edged blade) which became popular later in Scotland's history.
So next time someone calls something a "claymore" that is not a baskethilt sword you can go full nerd and be like "akshually...". ;)
Sources:
Henry Walker, The Broadsword: A Curatorial Discussion (2016)
www.academia.edu/30898699/The...
Cyril Mazansky, British Basket-Hilted Swords: A Typology of Basket-Type Sword Hilts (2005)
amzn.to/2GWSfaz
Support the channel, get bonus content and other rewards:
/ skallagrim
www.subscribestar.com/skallagrim
/ @skallagrim
For one-time donations:
streamlabs.com/skallagrim1
www.paypal.me/SkallagrimYT
Books about history and/or martial arts, swords, knives, video/audio equipment, and other stuff I recommend:
US - amzn.to/2jAc0MB
Canada - amzn.to/2l7GHcr
Kult of Athena, my favorite online store for reproductions of historical arms and armor, fantasy swords, etc:
ww4.aitsafe.com/go.htm?go=kult...
Where to get HEMA gear and practice swords:
www.woodenswords.com/?Click=1799
Get in contact or see a list of my video uploads:
/ skallagrimyt
/ _skallagrim_
Channel-related shirts and other merch:
skallagrim.spreadshirt.com/
teespring.com/stores/skallagrim
My side channel (for rambles, vlogs, opinions, gaming, etc):
/ @skallhalla
Knives on Gearbest:
www.gearbest.com/knives-tools...
Intro song:
"Illuminate" by Vindsvept
vindsvept.bandcamp.com/track/...
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom.weebly.com/
#Claymore #Historical #Scotland
Skallagrim: "When you hear Claymore, what comes to mind?"
Me: the explosive device
Skallagrim: "Not the explosive..."
Me: ARGH
Imagining someone kill someone in a shooter with a big, fuck-off sword sounds hilarious to me. Always died laughing at that
A claymore mine is just a bunch of pommels being thrown at a high speed for maximum rightly endings
Me too.
m.blacktree
Trash Bin Foxtrot Tango Whiskey
Trash Bin
My question is...
If i gather Pommels for you, will i get a chance ta kill englishmen?
I think you're misunderstanding, when we said Claymore for "Greatsword", what we meant was "It kills English easily, so it's a great sword!".
In gaelic "more" is more likely to mean big. Whenever there's a mountain range the biggest is always referred to as more. I think it's more accurate to call it a big sword.
Gordon, but “mór” has more than one meaning.
Just as the English also came to call the two-handed swords “greatswords”, it is just as likely that the Scots Gaels, in our logical way, adopted the same name - and the Gaelic for “great” is the same as the Gaelic for “big”, namely “mór”.
Actually they were mostly for killing other Gaels more than the "English"; in my clans case mostly Campbells, MacLeans and McLeods. Next most were probably Lowlanders... as we were against the Scottish king (as we were a conquered people) we actually allied with England on numerous occasions.
Saying that... Lowlanders are Englishmen really. Hence we used to call them Sasannaich... sometimes stupid Lowland Sassanachs use the derived word "sassanach" thinking it only meant people from England rather than all linguistically and culturally Anglo-Saxon peoples.
@@Beorgast Fool. Sassenach is Gaelic for Saxon.
Is this whole video technically a disclaymore?
goddamnit
Boo, hiss
idk but you're a damn furry so stfu.
a pommel for this man...!
Guys relax, leave the furry insults behind. We are all here united by a love of weapons and bad puns.
"When you hear claymore, what come to your mind"
My brain: "FRONT TOWARD THE ENEMY"
Correction: "Point towards enemy"👍
Roomba
Yah, they used to paint that on the chest of the Berserkers, too. Sometimes, just to be smartasses, they'd put "Point other side towards foes" on our backs, and "Run Away! Run Away!" on the front. Due to limited literacy, the instructions were sometimes not as effective as intended, and sometimes much more so. Still, it was said soldiers all the way to the Rome had learned to recognize the elder Futhark for "Flee!" done in blue finger-paint.
This way up ^
Or my personal favourite, "This is a pin. Throw the grenade."
"When you hear claymore, what come to your mind?"
Me: Metal Gear Solid
FACT: Prolonged bagpipe exposure is what caused berserker rage
😂😂😂 killer
Lul
I listened to Celtic/Bagpipe music all morning, and I haven't painted myself blue yet. Maybe I haven't hit the magic number of hours.....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wrong! prolonged bagpipe exposure is in fact the only known method of causing real beserkers to run for home shouting "Mummy! make it stop!"
Why'd you think we use bagpipes? Drives the enemy insane and drives our spirits forward.
I like bagpipes, it reminds me of Christmas.
He's not wrong.
@@arx3516 interesting.
So basically the Scottish would just troll their enemies with music?
Works against non europeans, but for folk with musical sophistication: theyu form a skirmish line fix bayonets and stab their smelly armpits. Then start a clearance. :)
How nice to know that in the Original Series episode where they fought Klingons with swords, Mr. Scott reached for the correct sword as he exclaimed in awe, "a Claymore!" Thanks for the education.
That’s what brought me here lol
Scottish kilts originate back to the 16th century, when they were traditionally worn as full length garments by Gaelic-speaking male Highlanders of northern Scotland. They were referred to as a léine, Gaelic for “shirt” and typically, the garments were draped over the shoulder or pulled over the head as cloaks. The wearing of Scottish kilts was common during the 1720s, when the British military used them as their formal uniforms. The knee-length kilt, similar to the modern kilt of today, did not develop until the late 17th or early 18th century.
I thought kilts were originally called fèidlidh?
A leine was not a plaid, it was a linen shirt
You can still hear the Bagpipes, can't you...
I hear bagpipes whenever I see the word "bagpipes".
And you think if you can explain what a Claymore is, you can make them stop, don't you?
...and nothing else.
Only if he is lucky. ;)
A montage of scenes from the Scottish games rolls, and Metalica's One stars playing... A bagpipe cover of it.
DONMAGLAS!
-Highlander
Ahhhh clan maglas....by far the most mainstream clan ever in exsistence thanks to that gigantic bastard
Gotta say though aint had this much fun main-ing a character in Forever HL is a Beast!
Kick
Kryfja hann!
FJÄLLA BROTUR
1000X folded steel Katana
-Conner Macleaud, Clan Macleaud...The Highlander
ugh, sorry
As an Italian, hearing Skall say "spada a due mani" really hitted my mental sanity
The Basket-Hilted sword has a _lot_ of trouble with identity theft, huh?
GlowstickOfDestiny You mean the Spanish, Scottish, fantasy made in China....oh crap there's too many!
3:01, 8 hours of bagpipes are always needed on sword tournaments. To weed out the weaklings, since if they can't handle the bagpipes, they'll definitely can't a sword.
Is using my sword to mow down the bagpipers a viable technique or is it considered foul play?
*Irish Steven is laughing maniacally somewhere, somewhen...*
M6nst6r6 truer words never spoken...
Oh damn that Narwhal reference brought be back quite a few years!
Yeah, and now it's stuck in my head so I have to look it up again.
The song's been on repeat in my head since that point in the vid.
Skall: *pops up random Narwhal thing*
Me: What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu......
..at least there wasn;t any Badgers, Snakes, Mushrooms or Llamas involved...
TBH, the Narwal tune briefly clipped, sounds worse than any of those I mentioned.
S : When you hear Claymore what do you think of?
Me : Only my Dark souls 3 New game 10..........
I see you're a man of culture
Hey Skall, Scotsman here. I'd be interested to see what your references for saying the two handed sword wasn't called a Claymore. Granted my Gaelic is more than a bit rusty but I can't see why it wouldn't be referred to as a "great sword" in its day since... Well it was rather big. Like in English how we might call a two handed sword a greatsword and use the terms interchangeably.
My understanding was that in their day they were both known as great swords since in context they were both big.
You're entirely correct. It's a descriptive term, not a specific name for a particular design. It's like broadsword, people with a little bit of knowledge love to correct that it's only used for the basket-hilted type, but 'broad sword' is a perfectly acceptable term for, say, type X, XIV, or XV swords.
The basket hilted sword is NOT a claymore, but a claybeg (claidheamh beag - Gaelic is a very logical language). A wee sword, not a great sword. Anyone who has seen or handled both those weapons could never believe that any Highlander over the age of 12 would refer to the claybeg as a “great sword”!
@@richarddeckard9804 Nope. "Claybeg" was never used historically, it's a retrospective gaelic word based on the assumption that "claymore" referred to the two-handed sword.
JonMacFhearghuis utter rubbish, from a man who is not even a Gael.
The term exists in letters and journals - written by Gaels, not by English speakers - dating back to the time of the Jacobite Rebellion, so you are clearly as well informed about that as you are about your Gaelic spelling.
@@richarddeckard9804 Source?
"When you hear Claymore, what comes to mind?"
Blond women with silver eyes.
I see your a man of culture yourself...
I thought so as well
Is this a Fate series reference?
@@kannonball5789 No, a Claymore reference.
Just don't maker her angry.
Clay More. It's more than regular clay.
what's a claymost look like?
@@michelleburridge3964 saturated
Like a ClayMoist but without the letter "i" in it
*The More You Know*
@@danielhogan6255 Like moist of the comments down here are jokes?
Y'all really claymbered for those jokes
I’m sorry, I don’t usually take issue with things like this, but as a Scot, a Highlander AND a Gael, I have to say, you are choosing one of two extant sides of an argument which has been going on for many years.
Claidheamh da laimh is a term applied not by the Highlanders or Gaidhealtachd, but by the historians who came after and documented such things literally, and without asking the clansmen of such things, as they - the educated men - clearly knew better.
As early as the 1670’s, Highlanders were using “Claymore” as a battle cry, and at least one Scots historian of the 1700s, writing in Gaelic, documented the “Claidheamh mor” he saw wielded in Raasay.
The sword of which you speak, the basket handled shorter sword, is a claidheamh beag, or Claybeg, which means - as is so typical of the Gaidhealtachd - “wee sword”, or “small sword”.
I would direct you to Nick Evangelista’s 1995 “The Encyclopaedia of the Sword”, which details the letter, written in 1835 to the editor of the United Service Magazine, and which states, “the claybeg or Andrew Ferrara, now worn by the officers and sergeants of the Highland corps, and which has usurped the venerable name of the ancient Scottish weapon".
Scholars - as in historians, professors and the like - still argue over such things, but I shall go with my grandfather’s word on the matter. As a Gael who learned English in order to serve in the Royal Navy in the Second World War (aged only 14, but large for his age and with a ‘sympathetic’ recruiting officer tweaking his documentation), he always spoke disdainfully of those not of the Gael, yet who believe they can - or could - speak of and for the Gael, rather than speaking to the people themselves. Assumptions, judgements and erroneous conclusions reached by such “great men”, he would spit, from out the side of his pipe. “Ach, but they know things, these folk. They know every bloody thing.” he would sneer.
Had the Gaidhealtachd referred to the great sword as the “claidheamh da laimh”, then surely they would have referred to the smaller sword as the claidheamh aon laimh? No? No. They did not. Why the use of such terminology for one and not the other? Because, my grandfather maintained, the one was invented by these “clever men”.
Claidheamh mor - great sword. Claidheamh beag - small sword. THAT is the down-to-earth and forthright mentality of the Gael, right there.
It was the bloody Victorians, in their rush to make all things Highland into fashion, to please their Queen, when in reality they loathed the Scots and even those “Scottish” lords (all absentee landlords) saw the Gaidhealtachd as fit for only cannon fodder, to fight their wars and lead their charges for them. It was the blood of the Gael that won the Empire for that “Empress”, not those clever men, who manufactured all manner of bullshit, to sell books on the back of her love of the country, as the popularity of Scott’s romanticised novels. That same bullshit perpetuates to this date, as is evident by the confusion over something as simple as the name and history of a sword.
The clamshell broadsword wasn’t a Claymore at all, by the way. The claymore was a weapon exclusive to the Highlands and Islands. That weapon was developed by the Border clans - thieves and rustlers - from the Germanic blades being touted by the English at the time, derived from the “two hander” you speak of in your video.
I do not mean to rant. I love your videos, usually. But I do somewhat take mild (very mild) exception to this conclusion - based as it is in the arrogance of the English historians who “developed (fabricated) the “histories and traditions” of the clansmen they subjugated, slaughtered and criminalised, simply for speaking their own language or playing their musical instruments - see the kilt and its “history” for further evidence of this racist nonsense.
Have a better one.
Preach brother! Well said indeed 👍
Finally a correct response. Thanks for telling the truth.
Well said. Tapadh leibh airson a sgrìobhadh seo
Kem N, tapadh leibh ach tha fios agad fhèin, an aon fhìrinn a th ’ann.
That's amazingly interesting. I talked with a professor (I'm German so the whole discussion is not too much of my business) about historical erasure, and we came to Scotland. He was of the opinion, and had "Scottish/Gaelic sources" stating Claybeg was used to taunt the English and their weaponry swords... As they were small... Or at least smaller than the Scots typical sword. Like in... "Look at their tiny fucking swords". Do you know of any scientific or depicting sources I could show to him to discuss your... Theory? Version? I don't know what to use here to not sound disrespectful, sorry.
Being Scottish this taught me more than school any did about my heritage and I am immensely looking forward to the videos from the Highland warrior exhibit to learn some more. Great video!
“William Wallace is 7ft tall, shoots fireballs from his eyes, and shoots lightning bolts out his arse”
Aye Lad...aye
Ay. He also killed Englishmen by the hundreds.
Give me a few tacos and some beers and I can shoot lightning out my mouth and fireballs out my ass the next morning.
EXCELLENT! Steven's me name! Im the most wanted Man on my island, but of course, im not ON my island, mores the privy
"YOUR island?!? Ya mean Ireland?
AYE, its MINE...
"YOUR a madman"
*laughs and nods in agreement*
@@lowlandnobleman6746 cut through them like moses through the red sea
Interesting video. It's cool that you are sponsored by the museum too!
Joshua Ritzheimer who needs audible when you’ve got museums
These are the kind of videos of yours I like best. Nicely researched, concise history lessons. I especially like the language breakdown. Well done!
Wait, you mean I died a hundred times trying to cross that accursed dragon fire bridge to get not a Claymore??!
Whoa, Skall! You NAILED the italian pronunciation right there!
I remember watching Star Trek and getting triggered by Scotty calling an actual claymore "claymore", but apparently they were right all along...
He was a scot and you DARED question his knowledge on it?!?!? This....THIS IS HERESY!!!!🤣
Except they were not. And nor is Skall. For once.
@@danielhogan6255
The character was Scottish, sure, but James Doohan was a Canadian of Irish descent.
GreenmanDave cool, but the "HERESY" statement was a reference to warhammer 40k....just tied it to star trek, in warhammer almost anything outside accepted common knowledge would be classed as heresy😁
@@danielhogan6255
Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. 😉
Skallagrim: "When you hear Claymore, what comes to mind?"
Me: a group of half human-half yoma female warrior carrying great sword
I wish they'd make a continuation of the show, the story in the manga kept going far beyond where the show ended
The fact that the war museum sponsored you is insane! I'm hoping you have a good time there, I found it super interesting the last time I was there. Keep up the good work skal
This is a very well made video, lots of great history and examples, educational, well researched, relevant sponsors. Would love to see more content similar to this!
As much as I always appreciate you correcting any and all misconceptions I have, I think we both know that people will always use claymore to refer to the two-handed swords.
Just as in Britain, a Vacuum cleaner is usually called a Hoover ... even though Hoover is just the name of the electronics company who made the best selling vacuum cleaner
We're odd like that, and as a highlander myself, I've always called both types a claymore, just "Big Claymore" and "Basket Claymore"
The only misconceptions are Skall’s and the faulty sources he used here. There are historical sources dating back to the 1500s, which prove to the contrary - that, and the fact that the basket hilted broadsword is actually the claybeg (Gaelic for small sword). Trust me. I’m a Gael.
The way you point at the images and talk about them sometimes makes me forget the fact that they are added in afterwards and you cant actually see them. You'll probably say it isnt a big deal, but I commend you for your well structured and organized presentations in videos.
Fantastic video Skall - really great format and the right balance of info and entertainment
Nice Vid FYI - Gaelic is pronounced Gay-lic for Irish Gaelic and gal-ic for Scottish Gaelic
What about Manx Gaelic?
Though it's worth pointing out the same cannot be said for Scots, which is a lowland dialect (some say language) of Scotland and entirely seperate from Scots Gaelic spoken in the highlands.
The Ponkster thank you...its cool seeing this being brought up and explained.
ֆɨʍɨօռ ʊֆαȶօv̟.....nice! Ya come up with that one yourself? Congradulations...you made a joke commonly told by irish kids in preschool!👍👍 Heres your prize🏆
they were the same language back when this was used only seperated in the 18th century
Nope Skall. The name from Gaelic claidheamh-mòr, "great sword" has been adapted by nongaelic speakers so it can either be the Scottish variant of the late medieval two-handed sword OR the Scottish variant of the basket-hilted sword. The strictly gaelic understanding does not beat the generic and traditional denomination there. Among gaelicspeaking fighters, the baskethilt inherited the name when it replaced the twohanded sword... So, it's rather "more modernly" than "more accurately".
kinda how katana just means curved, single-edged sword in Japanese, not the specific design ppl think of
Skall got it wrong though. The basket hilted sword is the claybeg - so named by the Gaels, as it means “small sword” (as in comparison to the claymore, I mean). It became confused and was named as the claymore by the Hanoverian English and their lowland mercenary fighting units, after Culloden. However, proper historians attribute its correct name, although it might be fair to accept that it has become associated with the name “claymore”, thanks to such mangling and skewing of the Gaelic history, language and tradition.
@@richarddeckard9804 Claybeg is 19th century Gaelic and was not used in-period.
JonMacFhearghuis, I am a native Gaelic speaker. I spoke Gaelic before I spoke English, and it seems - by the nonsense I have just read - that I speak 19th Century Gaelic.
It’s always wonderful being lectured in my native language by nonspeakers.
If you were a native - or even a speaker - you’d use Iain and not “Jon”. Not much point pretending to be a Scot and a Gael if you only go about it half-heartedly.
P.S. adding an “i” into the latter part of your surname is a common mistake, unless Irish. Another thing to blame the misconceptions, arising from the English lumping the two languages - similar, but oh so very different - together, as it even changes the pronunciation, in the Scottish tongue, from “uss” (or “ooss” depending on which island of the Hebrides you are from) to “ooh-ish”.
@@richarddeckard9804 have you looked at claybeg in say, en.wiktionary?
Claymore kick comes to my mind
Thank you for this video, Skall. I really liked the historical parts. Congratulations for your partnership with the museum; I hope it lasts!
Considering it just means "great sword" isn't the two handed sword still a Claymore due to it being of greater proporstions? Almost all swords in history didn't have names anyways but thanks Skall for an entertaining vid.
The word mor in Gaelic isn't a synonym for large i.e. though that is one way of using it. In the phrase Ian mhor agus Ian og it would mean old as in old John and young John when referring to two men of the same first and last names. It could be used to denote that an object is comparatively better than another.
@@johnkilmartin5101 So, the word mor can mean large, except when it doesn't. So you're saying rather than meaning 'large sword' or 'great sword', it's actually called an 'old sword'? Sounds dubious to me.
@@TheDeinonychus No, like, the greater of the two Johns being the elder one (as is frequently the cultural norm, reverence for elders isn't uncommon), not as in "The older of the two Johns was bigger" or "there was a big John and a little John"
Just explaining the context of the example of Johns. "Great" in terms of reverence.
@@TheDeinonychus The basket hilt broadsword is a much older design than the small sword. As well for someone trained in its use the broad sword would be considered better than other swords.
@@TheDeinonychus The word Mhor literally means "More" it's just that it is not easy to translate into a place in modern english... But it's placement is still used as in,
"He is the more taller of the two men" ... In the example above it would be "He is the more older than the other John"
The claymore is then.... "The more larger of the swords"
Ben Mhor is simply "The bigger of the mountains" , not the biggEST, just the larger of the ones around it.
Just have to say I love your videos Skall! They are educational, while also thoroughly entertaining. Keep up the great work!! (:
S "When you hear claymore, what do you think about?"
Me " cute, blonde, strong half daemonic girls fighting"
S " no! Get some help!"
I see you're a man of culture
Excellent stuff, I’m a professional historian and I think the fact you rigorously research your topic and bring it to a wider audience is excellent!
Love your videos!
hey skal, love this kind of ‘encyclopedic’ videos, I hope you do more of these.
I watched this video while holding a basket hilted broadsword
Chringlan The great, not a claymore, though (claybeg). Good man. ;)
@@richarddeckard9804 I have been drooling over a claybeg made by the maker of my boar spear. It's 400 bucks though. I can buy an AK for that, and kill a LOT more redcoats in a much shorter period of time ;) Although ... you don't have to reload a blade!
First I want to say that you made a great video. I appreciate the hard work you put into your research. This video was a little more important to me than other videos because from a young age I was told that our family came from Scottish descent and thus became fascinated with Scottish culture. After father even went to a Scottish festival and "learned" more about our clan. He bought a "claymore" wrapped with a strip of plaid cloth which was in the clan color. We hung it on our wall as a symbol of where we have come from. However it saddens me to see we have been taken advantage of in a way / lied to. Might as well be a movie prop for The Highlander the movie. I thank you for clearing some pop culture misconceptions and currently looking forward to more content on Scottish culture and arms. I hope you and you family are doing well.
"When you hear claymore, what comes to your mind?"
Big sword
Teaming up with British Muzzleloaders?
Congratulations on a museum taking you seriously as a guest vs. visitor. Really enjoy your content, especially the historical context and practical usage.
I've been to Edinburgh castle and you can go inside the armory there, where they have a phenomenal collection of historic swords. It is a must see, really.
It's so cool that you have this kind of collaboration with museums =)
Keep up the great work =D
This was a quite interesting video, I really enjoyed this. Going deeper into terminology and individual weapon history would be a nice series.
Dude, dude... You need a t-shirt with that phrase:
"... I'm talking sword here"
after 8 hours of exposure to bagpipes, you wanted to murder a bagpiper or bagpipe. just to stop the sound.. but on the bright side, imagine what it would do to the enemy
The pipes messed with your head? That's the intention, Laddie!
Skall, that look on your face during the bagpipes story...pure trauma. "Messed with my brain..." I shouldn't have laughed but WOW, it's all in the eyes man. It clearly affected you.
Skallagrim, there is one thing worse than long term bagpipe exposure. And that is long term exposure to bagpipe practice.
I live in hearing distance from a kid learning the bagpipes. He's still at the discordant stage. Help me
@@DomesticatedGoth Comfortable earbuds and music you wanna crank up got me through it. Good luck.
do you know why we wear kilts?
cause balls like ours dont fit in trousers
And I thort it was cos you were too dumb to work out how a zip works !!!
And the welsh sheep are slooty af...
"Baa Baa Black sheep have you any wool?"
"get your fuckin hands off me you damned Rapist!"
How would you know a member of the McDonald clan?? Put your hand under his kilt and if you feel two quarter pounders you know you've got a real McDonald! LOL
Cliven Longsight And this is why they lost the war!
Nice clarification on the Claymore! Excited for the Scottish war museum tour! :)
Looking spiffy today, Sir Skall.
You're making me cry with the Canadian War Museum plug-in.
Hey, that's why we play the bagpipes, drives our enemies mad.
honestly a claymore when i hear it instantly makes me think of a shaped antipersonel mine either trip wire detonated or set of with a hand held detonated containing upwards of 500 tungsten or steel bbs and as there desined to swathe through enemys same as the sword was i think its a perfectly named bit of kit
Your attitude about being "technically right" is appreciated, once history is diluted even a little, we will all suffer in 100 years from now when one diluted "fact" breeds another diluted "fact", we owe it to our ancestors to know what happened for us to be where we are today.
Very interesting video. All of my books, definitely perpetuate the misnamed two-handed sword. I'm constantly impressed by the level of research that goes into your content. Great work!
Aethgeir sorry, the research is wrong, here. Your books are right. There are plenty sources, dating back to the 1500s - just the wrong ones looked at here.
Who knew the old Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove" had it right when Scotty found a basket-hilted broadsword and pronounced it a "Claymore"! :)
This is literally why I'm here. I was watching it, felt smug, Google'd it and saw Skal's face...whoops.
Kilts were actually used before the 17th century, however the interpretation of them has since changed, we (Scots) used fèileadh as a all over body wrap, however they weren't as traditional skirt appearance or tartan/plaid. So this is where you may be confused.
That's not a skirt tho, it's a garment like those of the greeks and romans
One of the first sword i think of when I hear the word is a scottish broadsword from the 1700s because it’s my favorite sword.
When I hear claymore what I have in mind is a big sword with a guard at the halfway of the blade
"When you hear Claymore, what comes to your mind?" Well... anime. Then the big sword everyone calls a Claymore.
There is a character in For Honor called Highlander, who uses a "claymore" as the game calls it. You could do a review of this character.
My boy showed me Rob Roy years ago and that quick bit at the end had me dying! I speak for all of us when I demand that topless cutting session you promised years ago! We are still waiting Skall.
Skall: Those bagpipes messed with my head in an unexpected way
Skall's brain: *bagpipes intensifies*
The anime of the same name comes to mind when I think of "Claymore".
Only took Skal 8 seconds to shut me down... "Not the explosive device" **sigh**
You will see on the end of your sword here, it says, "This end toward enemy."
Very informative! I personally love learning about the history of sword deigns and uses, of course with a bit of sword play lol. Hope the trip was good.
What are you talking about man! Bagpipes are the voices of the Gods, you can never have enough!
😁😁
Reminds me, about 30 years ago I was a gurst at a regimental dinner in the Great Hall of Stirling Castle in Scotland. I was a guest of the Lt Col commanding the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. After the meal and during the port and whisky, into the room marched the regiment's pipe band who took station around the table behind the diners to play the 'entertainment '. This was 20 mins of all the old tunes of glory, Hi'land Laddie The Black Bear etc. All belted out at full power in a room about half the size if your medium sized high school gymnasium over there in the Dominions 😉. It was a test of ones mettle and manhood to sit with a thougtful contemplative expression on your face whilst 3 feet away your ears were subjected to the full decibles of a pipe band playing instruments designed to carry their music over miles of mountains.
Afterwards I couldn't hear a thing for hours. 😁
There's the difference, England changed their weapon type, and Scotland kept their dignity.
Dolphinboi hence why the latter got conquered by their southern neighbour (?)
@@SetuwoKecik Scotland was never actually conquered, England invaded several times but could never bring the country under control, until the English queen Elizabeth died and the king of Scotland (James VI) inherited the English throne, uniting the crowns and becoming James I of England as well as James VI of Scotland
@@notaname8140 Wait, wouldn't that mean that Scotland won? Was England actaully taken over by the Scotts?
But not their country !!!
Dolphinboi fuck off you prick.
A Claymore with four quillons? I never would've guessed that was a thing.
Love it, This is my favourite type of content form you keep up the good work 🦁
I'd love to hit up the museum but sadly I live in Alberta so o doubt I'll make it. Very cool to see them sponsor you though! Congrats!
Continuous exposure to bagpipes has a unique effect on anyone not of Scottish blood.
To everyone else - we apologise for the psychological warfare.
I knew about the correct definition of claymore, as I lived in Scotland, but I stayed to admire your waistcoat and shirt. Positively epic.
Mike, sorry, but you must have lived in the Lowlands...
@@richarddeckard9804 Don't be sorry, I lived in Dundee, but worked all over Scotland , including the Highlands north of Inverness.
Mike Munoz In that case I’m even more sorry that you never met any Gaels, or any other Highland Scots, who could have corrected the misnomer about the basket hilted sword for you, then. Gaelic is not to be found much on the Scottish mainland, these days, as many Scots help complete the task set out by the Hanoverian English after Culloden, mocking and ignoring the culture and language. The degree of ignorance among many Scots as to their history is shocking. Many believe Gibson’s “history” lesson, for instance, and/or believe the almost entirely fabricated clan tartan schtick.
The basket hilted broadsword is, correctly, the claybeg, from claidheamh beag - Gaelic for short or small sword, because it was smaller than the big or great sword, which was the claidheamh dà làimh, the two handed great sword. Claymore.
@@richarddeckard9804 Any links to back this up as I have never heard them referred as such and the video goes into Gaelic entomology
Mike Munoz he gets a number of things wrong, including the pronunciation and the assumption that claymore was the basket handled broadsword. Being told our etymology - as a native speaker, who spoke Gaelic before I spoke English - by a non-speaker is the sort of thing that doesn’t even deserve attention, when it’s wrong.
I will dig out some references, the reading I did on it were in a capacious library of Gaelic history and culture, in a late friend’s estate, on Skye. He learned Gaelic, founded a distillery, sponsored local industry - fishing, farming and weaving - and so was the lone laird I have ever encountered who did things right. He became an honorary Gael and was much loved by all who knew him. He was very keen to dispel such misnomers and spoke often of the damage done to our culture and traditions by his ancestors. A wonderful man and he taught me - and any who knew him - much, opening his extensive library to any interested guest. And he always had guests. I wonder what became of those books, letter and documents, after his passing - some were very rare?
I am Scottish on my mother’s side, clan Montgomery. It is her maiden name and my middle name. Hats off to you!
Looking sharp Skall! I really like that green waistcoat.
I'm a Scottish Military Historian and there are many things that are mistaken in this video. I know almost exactly what books he is referring from and they have been found to be inaccurate. The term Claidheamh Mor was actually used during the middle ages and beyond, referring to 2 handed swords used by Scottish warriors from all parts of Scotland. Well before the Basket-hilt broadsword was ever used. But he is also correct because once the 2 handed claymore faded from use the broad sword was then referred to as "Claymore." I'll leave it at that before I go into a full Scottish bagpipe rage.
Edit: Don't comment on this if you are just trying to argue. Believe me or not thats your choice but I've studied Scottish Military History for well over 15 years. I also have a bad temper and would not like to get my blood pressure too high today. Thank you. Sláinte mhór!
Yeah that’s completely true. Unfortunately, most ppl will just take what’s said in the video as fact
In Spain we call that broadsword "Claymore de farol", for that basket hilt. We left the voice "Claymore" alone for the two-handed sword.
@@p.s.9658 that's actually very interesting.
@@ok5916 agreed
I have a link, you can see a reproduction for training, and the word in castellano. We name it "claymore de farol" or "scottish sword of farol", both accepted: www.tienda-medieval.com/es/espadas-escocesas/3246-espada-escocesa-de-farol.html
Edit: farol means "lantern", for the hand guard or basket remembers like an olde one.
Omg
I could've sworn I've already watched this video before, had an argument with a classmate like last week about precisely this thing and when I searched for the video in your channel I just couldn't find it. Is this a re-upload or am I goddamn crazy?
Or both?
I had no Idea you were located on the island... unless you were just visiting for the stated event. also, that's so cool that Vancouver island holds that event awesome!
Even after all these years, I'm still shocked at how much there still is to learn.
I love your channel, but I have to challenge this one. It is quite clear, due to manuals such as Pietro Monte's Collectanea (and consistently others), that the term "great sword" referred to a straight bladed sword that could only be effectively wielded with two hands. This was its own "class", so to speak, of sword in which sheer size separated it from the long sword. The term claymore, as you pointed out, literally means great sword. Unless there are sources that I am unaware of (quite possible) that support the idea that the Scots were using the term great sword, or claymore, in a way that differed from the rest of Europe at the time, it stands to reason that the Scottish claymore, or great sword, closely resembled the great swords of the rest of Europe at the time. Thus making making the sword you claim is not a claymore a great sword... Or.... indeed, a claymore.
When i hear Claymore i think about Drew McIntyre
Excellent discourse; you are a world-class historian in your own right. I think posterity will recognize you as a great authority on historical edged weapons, I really mean that.
Claymores (the actual kind) were carried by Loyalists of Scottish descent in the Carolinas during the American Revolution. Notably, the Scots battle cry at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge: "King George and Broadswords!"
It was a fascinating battle. A bunch of maneuvering in the lead up to the battle left the Scots surrounded. The Patriots had taken up the planks from the bridge, and greased down the beams as they went. The Scots' options were to face down a numerically superior force in attempts to break out over land, or try to force across the river against the Patriot defensive position on the other side. Or, they could have surrendered, but they weren't too keen on that. They opted to attempt to cross with a pre-dawn highland charge out of the mist, leaving their muskets behind to give them greater mobility. Unbeknownst to them, the Patriots had hardened their defensive works overnight, and added two small cannons. The Patriots waited until the leading Scots were at close range before opening up on them. Lt. Col. Donald McLeod and Cpt. John Campbell were instantly cut down, with the latter being hit at least 20 times, according to Patriot Col. James Moore's official report. Thus ended one of the last broadsword charges in the history of Western warfare.
You can still see the horror in skalls eyes when he talks about his bagpipe music experience.
And you had me dying at the narvals song.... Lul
Thanks for the vid skall. Keep it up and good luck with the move Sir.
When I listen to some folk metal bands I seem to enjoy the irish bagpipe more, I think? its sounds less... "messy" I guess?
Good video, though it is important to mention, that this interpretation if the terms and sources was first adressed by Christopher Scott Thompson and Paul Wagner in their article for the SPADA book.
Also from my research not all so-called Lowland Greatswords are that huge, there are examples which have measurements like the Highland version.
Also we might add that the Smallsword and Broadsword were "living side by side" over a similar period, it was known in Scotland too (see Hope and McBane) abd the British Army still had Basket-Hilt Broadswords of similar and also their iwn design in use until ca. 1750s if not even longer.
this couldn't be more well timed, i'm moving to Ottawa tomorrow!
I'm honestly not the least bit shaken to find out that the term for Claymore had more in common with the basket hilt broad sword as i kinda expected as much. Thanks again skall😊
Gami The Mighty sorry that’s the claybeg. Look it up. Ask any regiment. Claidheamh beag. Small sword.
Thank you! I can now send this video to people who tell me I'm wrong when I call my claymore a "claymore".
Also, having grown up with listening to bagpipes for hours on end, maybe I'm immune to the side-effects of prolonged bagpipe exposure.
Kudos!
You just keep mindblowing us misguided videogamers with real history. Keep it up!
INDEED SIR!
I can't wait to see your visit to the Canadian war museum. Wish I could visit, but have limited mobility. Cant wait to see!! :)
Thank you for the clarification. I came upon a Basket hilted broadsword with its scabbard and baldric at flea market that was in terrible shape. Apparently it was an officer's ceremonial dress sword from a Canadian or Britsh regiment circa early 20th Century. It is a beautiful piece and one of my favorites.
Stan Fishman then you, sir, have yourself a claybeg, as any regimental historian should be able to attest. They, at least, (almost) always get the distinction right.
One of my favorite passtimes is arguing online about what 18th century historians thought swords should be called
Garren Brooks especially historians who weren’t from the country involved and had no knowledge of or interest in the culture and history they were purporting to extol upon. They buggered things up dramatically and invented the rest, to make a bloody cottage industry for the Victorian English, scrambling in the wake of their Caledonian influenced monarch. What they didn’t know (or thought they knew, as the previous Hanoverian historians had also buggered it all up, after Culloden), they simply made up, and sold as what is now purported - to this very day - as “History”. Bollocks. That sword, with the basket hilt, is and always has been, the claidheamh beag, the claybeg, or “small sword”. I don’t need a video from “experts” telling me different, especially when they have bypassed the correct historical references, in favour of selected sources.
Interesting history, but I'm not sure it makes sense to hold the term to its original meaning any more. I feel like calling a basket-hilted broadsword a claymore to someone not in the know would just hinder communication.
Aye, but it's an interesting fact nonetheless. And interesting facts are the real way sword collectors establish dominance.
@@complimentbotd7232 i thought they established their dominance with, well, their swords.
Well...the worlds a different place in regards to obsolete weaponry enthusiants, besides...fuck em if they dont know, just let people know a greatsword aint a claymore..its a fragmentary explosive...or you know...a scottish broadsword😏
Outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes, might be able to make it to the war museum this fall. Looking forward to it
That much bagpipe music would have been one of the best days of my life!