Oh, and an additional thing I just remembered you didn't mention: The mystery of the three tip holes. Noöne seems to know for sure what the fuck their purpose was. Some theories I know of: - Disturb the path of running blood to stain the audience a bit less. That's what I heard of most in museums. Never seen proof of that effect, though. - Supposedly people believed that weapons caught fragments of their victim's souls. As executioner swords have an unusually high score, those holes should help letting some of the caught soul fragments escape, so that the sword's yielder does not get possessed after the how-many-th kill. Fits other superstitions of that time I heard of. - To make a more dramatic swoosh. This seems to not be true at all. - To attach extra weight to the blade's tip if needed. Never heard of proof like scratches in the holes from screws, never seen any depictions of such a practice. Sounds plausible, though, although just one or two holes would have done the job just fine. - Just a stylised remnant of a Gothic Trifoil or a symbol of the Holy Trinity, i.e. artsy or spiritual decoration. Also very much plausible. - To prevent someone from re-shaping the tip into a sharp one. This one I think makes no sense. I can imagine lots of ways to work around this. I also think that it is not that much more expensive to just forge a new sword if you need one. The idea, however, of having some mechanism, practical or not, to prevent making a "weapon of justice" into a "weapon of war", sounds plausible and "in character" for people of that time. - Or perhaps it made the executioner sword into a punch card for the local punch clock. Okay, I made that one up. Sooooo... which is it? I dunno. But I do know, that the holes were a very German fashion.
Your comment got me to notice the three holes remind me of the triforce, the holes even look triangular. "It's dangerous to go alone, take this executioner's sword!"
I don't remember where, but I read somewhere that the holes in the blade were there, as you mentioned, to prevent one from grinding a sharp tip on it. To be able to execute someone in an honorable fashion it had to be a double-edged sword. But in many parts of medieval and Renaissance Germany only nobles were allowed to use those. This created the dilemma that an executioner, who was basically treated as untouchable back then, had to use a weapon that was exclusive to the nobility. Therefore the holes were put there even if it was just for the peace of mind of the nobles so they could be sure that an executioner would never wield a "real" sword.
Well, Shad mentioned the swords being hung up in some places, so if not for decoration then perhaps a mounting point on a wall? Decoration does seem more likely though.
@@timo5005 Aber historisch korrekt ist das sicher nicht. So ein Deutsch sprach wohl keiner als die Art von Schwertern im Einsatz waren. Edit: Es ist wohl doch historisch korrekt und ich bin blöd.
as much as it's clearly not designed for battlefield combat, the image of a knight clad in black armour with a steriotypical executioner's hood appearing on the front and cleaving several warriors in half with one fell swoop is still awesome af
He actually touched on the reason why this took over for the axe, that being that a sword is more likely to get it in one swing, some executions by axe we're known to take, I've heard as many as 17 hits to behead to victim.
That may have occurred but it was frowned upon. An executioner is already shunned by the rest of the community so being crappy at your job was going to get you in trouble. Think man, family's of the condemned would show up to the execution. If you botched the job and didn't do it in a dignified manner they would find you. Even the condemned deserve dignity. There's no reason to make them suffer when the sentence us death not torture
@@bobbyrayvictory6905 Well, medieval executions were often intentionally made torturous (e.g. the original slow strangulations of early hangings, being burned at the stake and being hanged, drawn and quartered) so death and torture weren’t always separate. On 2nd thought though, beheadings were most often reserved for the nobility so I could see why you wouldn’t want to botch one.
So the weapons I have listed for future episodes in this series are these: Underappreciated Historical Weapons: Gunsword -Executioner- -sword- Bearing Sword Pata (the Gauntlet Sword) Estoc Overappreciated historical weapons: Shuriken I'd love to hear any suggestions for weapons to add to the list!
Please do ancient china weaponry. Compare and contrast the difference between them and European design at same time period. Something like dis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow or dis sites.google.com/site/welcometoancientchina/anicent-chinese-weapons
That made me laugh, thx for that :) Interestingly, while I do watch a lot of Skallagrim, Lindy Beige and so on, I think I've got this video recommended to me because of Mordhau as well.
I would say to prevent your hand from slipping up and accidentally cutting yourself but guards don't have to be that long to accomplish that function. So maybe if a particularly strong, combat oriented swordsman found other swords too light, he'd pick up an executioner's sword and slay all on the battlefield. I know Shad said they weren't meant for the battlefield, but come on, there has to have been one guy in the 16th century that said to a local blacksmith: "you know, your craftsmanship is quite remarkable, but you always make light swords." Smith: "hey, I could make you a sword with some bite, or how 'bout you ask for the executioner's sword. They can use an axe until I forge them a new one. I always knew someone like you would show up asking for a big, thicc, heavy sword. Well, more like a heap off raw iron." Swordsman: "it's still a quality piece though… right?" Smith: "oh yeah. Has to be. Can't have a shit sword for an executioner. People hate botched jobs." And the rest was unironically history.
I believe the reason the guard was put there is because it shows order and some sense of civility. If it were just some large blade it would seem fairly savage and 'out of order'.
@@CruciFer19 This answer might not satisfy most, but I like it. Not everything was done for a practical reason, especially when the person being executed wouldn't be able to fight back anyway, making a cross guard only aesthetic.
What might make the execution sword as a weapon of choice even more interesting in a roleplaying scenario - executioners were considered unclean, they were outcasts. So even if the weapon is a marvel of slicing power, it might come at a cost reputationwise depending on the setting. Someone fighting with a execution sword might be anything from off-putting to downright insulting to NPCs and opponents.
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Wrong. It's a giant spatula for icing giant medieval cakes.
One really interesting fictional character that uses an executioner's sword that I don't see a lot of people talking about in the comments here is the Leper from Darkest Dungeon. He is - as the name implies - a man with leprosy who wields a (broken) executioner's sword and is an incredibly powerful if somewhat inaccurate front-line fighter. It always seemed weird to me that a guy with a degenerative disease would use such a heavy weapon and be such a physical powerhouse, but strangely enough after watching this video it suddenly makes more sense. This sword was meant to be used for a single killing swing, not meant to be used in long-term combat. Based on the Leper's physique, he was - and still is to an extent - a very strong individual. However, his condition's effect on his heart and lungs would make sustained effort very difficult for him. Instead, he carries this massive weapon around on his shoulder and channels short bursts of might into massively damaging overhead swings. On the same note, a lighter and more dexterous weapon would also be very problematic for him as the nerve damage to his hands, arms, and eyes would render him incapable of the kind of finesse and coordination needed to utilize such weapons effectively. This sword was also obviously not meant to have much in the way of defensive value, being designed for use on individuals who can't fight back. It's heavy and clunky enough that you couldn't block with it quickly, and it's two-handed so it would be troublesome to try to use a shield with it. That would make it hard to use in actual battle without risking serious injury. The thing about the Leper though is that he's already dying - and he knows it. Despite his body literally falling apart, he chooses a fighting style that puts him at the front of the battle. He is one of the only characters who will only willingly move forward in a fight, never switching places with people behind him. He is also the ONLY character (besides the Flagellant, who... has issues) whose "getting hit" animation is just to stand there and take it without even trying to block or dodge. The Leper is a former warrior king beloved by his people who willingly exiled himself to prevent the spread of his disease to his people. Most of the playable mercenaries in the game seem to be fighting the horrors of the Dungeon because they are on a holy mission, they are running from a dark past and seeking redemption, or they're simply in it for the money. The Leper seems to instead be trying to just do some good in his last days, destroying evil and taking punishment so that those with a potential future can live a little longer. The executioner's sword seems like a potentially powerful weapon, but not one that you would use in battle if you were planning on a long life... so it's perfect for him.
@@ctylsh1214 "🤓" bro. This person was just talking about an honestly interesting character and you had to type this. What, did it make you feel good about your sad life? How you probably stay in all day playing Overwatch 2. No need for that. Show some kindness bro.
1:45 The lack of tip was either because jackasses kept on saying "Just the tip" and making everybody laugh, or because the smiths thought capital punishment was pointless.
@@Holret Well, excuse you, your Highness, that the joke wasn't to your liking. You might find better ones away from here over there, where no one will bother you.
In Dark Souls 3, you can find an Executioner Greatsword in the opening half of the game. I think this is an interesting example for multiple reasons, the first being that the playable character *is* technically an executioner. You seek out lords who shirked their duties, kill them, and bring their heads back to their thrones. It felt like the most appropriate weapon to me, and I used it the whole game. The DLC actually makes this more relevant, as it introduces a character you meet in the same area you pick up this sword, who uses one himself throughout the game's story.
High five! Great weapon, both functionally and lore-wise. Not to mention, it was found: A.) Near where that particular character first meets you B.) Just outside a massive cathedral, known for its sacrifices and slaughters C.) In the middle of a sprawling graveyard, surrounded by like fifty zombies Seemed like pretty perfect placement to me.
@@janpiorko3809 True enough, but there could be lore implications for it's blunted blade. The sword has likely seen enough executions to leave its edge long dull. Also, when beheadings were still used as a method of execution, *nobody* expected the head to come clean off in one stroke, just sayin.
John Matthias They normally would put an axe at your head and then take hammer to slowly decapitate you! If that's still to merciful then there's wheeling, flaying, impaling and quartering...
Scorpio91201 wheeling was worse . In its original form it meant breaking all non-vital bones and then weaving the shattered body into the spokes of a wheel and letting him die of exposure...
Dark souls 3 has the executioner’s sword, actually. Interesting too that you said it’s dull because in dark souls, it does strike damage instead of slashing.
I thought the reason it was dull in DS3 was because it was already old and had been left in a graveyard for yonks where rust and time and made it just a big metal paddle to slap people with.
I don't know if you're familiar with it, but there's a series called "The Book of the New Sun" by Gene Wolfe, whose protagonist, Severian, is a torturer/executioner by trade. The masters of his guild give him an executioner sword called "Terminus Est". It's hollow on the inside and filled with mercury, which is supposed to help distribute the mass as he swings. Because his sword is very valuable, a lot of other characters try to steal it from him and he uses it to defend himself. When he does, the narration usually comments on how it's no good for thrusting because of the square tip.
Been a few decades since I read that. If I remember correctly, the sword was not full of mercury but had a slug of mercury in it. You can approximate how it works with a capped pipe with a slug of water in it. By the way, don't get caught with it by the cops.
Also decades since I read it, but I remember the same - the hollow was partly filled with mercury, so the mercury would be at the hilt end at the start of the stroke, but move to the tip by the end of the stroke.
I was hoping you'd address the three holes on the sword's tip. Allegedly they are there for the executioner to tell if the cut is perfectly straight, since a misaligned cut would cause air to whistle through those holes. I've always wondered if that's hogwash or their actual intended purpose.
Could also be as simple as to hang the sword up on a wall and because its held in 3 places it won't swing about if u knocked it. These would have been expensive items and you wouldn't want to leave them just lying about. But then why wouldn't it have a sheath on it? Does the sheath have the holes? If not then I'm probably completely wrong. Unless it didn't have one for status reasons. I Dont know... Help us out Shad! Love the vids.
I don't remember where I read this so please take this with a grain of salt. Apparently the holes on the sword's tip were supposed to prevent you from grinding the tip to a point, thus preventing you from turning the sword into a real weapon. The sword was supposed to only be used to bring those who did wrong to justice, not to be used as a weapon of war.
Also, the video suggests that decapitation hurts less if it is done properly. I don't agree. You are chopping the fucking spinal cord, it must hurt like a MF! For about 15-30 seconds, while you are still constinous...
Most LEGO sword pieces are like this: blunt, long, and taperless. It’s probably like this so that little kids can’t kill each other with the pieces...but maybe all LEGO knights are closet executioners.
That's probably a result of the combination of knights with Lego's no war policy. This is also why the first castle was yellow and there were no ememy knights in it. A later sword piece, which for instance is used for Aragorn's sword, does have a point.
This is probably due to the lethality of regular blunt Lego pieces on human feet. Minifigs with sharp swords would be too dangerous like pommel throws.
Executioner sword, or safety sword? No more accidentally stabbing people in crowds, great for social events and gatherings, like an execution. Sword co. Making swords safer for everyone.
Are you tired of choosing between the slash and the stab? Do your friends say that you should concentrate on cutting off the competition? Is your wife telling you that you need to get into a different dead-end job? Then do we have the sword for you!
Always loved the design of the executioner sword since playing Dark Souls 3. It's currently the weapon of a paladin themed villain in one of my fantasy stories.
I don’t think any of the executioner’s moveset has thrusting, it’s all slashing. If it does have the poke r2 of claymore then it would make it so much more viable in pvp.
Alex ah, forgot about that. Tho when you can thrust an entire scythe into someone’s body, thrusting with a executioner sword dosent seem that silly any more ;)
@Red Lotus I do things that I enjoy, and counting Shads glasses adjustment count was quite enjoyable. So how about you take your pinhead looking self and go ride a bike.?
What about the High Ground? That's definitely a real weapon, right? They even made a documentary about it, called Revenge of The Sith. All I know is that it is one pretty op weapon.
The problem with using this kind of sword against zombies is exactly what makes it perfect for executions: the weight. As you said it yourself, both the proportions and the balance of the sword are designed to feel heavier than normal so that it can cut better, specially in a downward strike. However, if you're facing a horde of undead, that is going to feel very tiring, very quickly
SSVjoker I would personally call a falchion a "machete on steroids" but yea, they are quite similar and most falchions(depending on blade type)are amazing cutters. Now, whilst greatsword are the heaviest of swords used for actual combat, they aren't that heavy, 2.3-3.5kg isn't that much more than some longswords(though they do balance differently). One important point however is momentum, if you know how to swing a greatsword properly it really isn't that tiring as you can just keep swinging without excerting that much force. Torys Account As joker already said and as I stated in my original comment(best *sword* for...)we we specifically talking about swords. Though a glaive or long bladed spear would definitely be an excellent choice.
When you mentioned that it would be a plausible weapon for Orcs, I immediately thought of the swords used by the Uruk-Hai in the Lord of the Rings films. They have that bit of a hook on the end, but aside from that they appear to have many of the same attributes of the executioner sword, albeit as a one handed weapon as the Uruk-Hai are often seen with shields.
The berserkers in the Two Towers used two-handed versions of the Uruk-Hai cleaver. They much more closely resemble the executioner's sword, except with hooks on both ends.
Shad Fact: Shad once fought an elder Red Wyrm for 5 days before Shad had to get back to a video he was editing, calling it a draw (despite being another hour from winning), shad vowed not to fight dragons bare handed again
They suck, the obsidian edges usually break on you if you hit something like metal, wood or thick leather. The idea of the macahuitl being a powerful weapon came from exaggerated accounts of the spanish conquistadors, but in fact they're not really that good, just like a club, but worst.
Best aspect of the executioner's sword in Vermintide is that it does considerably less DPS than the regular two handed sword unless you aim for the head/neck because it has such a high critical hit ratio, it really forces you to become a beheading machine.
Definitely accurate historical fact : this sword was also used as an emergency paddle during medieval times if Vietcongs made bullet holes into your wooden paddle.
@Casey C It does not. It's a joke about the sword's shape and about the ridiculous claims associated to this weapon. The joke is meant to not make sense and to be ridiculous.
I don´t think he is able to demand satisfaction. In germany you were allowed to demand satisfaction (a duel) if you were a soldier, university student or of the nobility. If he demands it and is none of the mentioned, I am obliged to refuse the demand.
I would think the Executioner's Sword, being literally incapable of thrusting, would be the polar opposite of the Small Sword, which is literally incapable of chopping.
My fantasy novel already had the Executioner sword and you kind of touched upon the way I use it. For the execution of noblemen who are kneeling upright rather than face down.
This is a common and understandable misunderstanding. The "executioners sword" does not have a squared point because there is no need for it to be used as a thrusting weapon. It has a squared tip and extended pommel cross to facilitate an almost surgical severing of the cervical vertebrae. If a "beheading strike" goes wrong, the tip can quickly be placed at the base of the skull and the executioners body weight applied to the cross guard to cleanly sever the spinal cord. Such "guaranteed quick and clean" executions were only granted to the highest ranking of royals.
I learned of the executioner sword back in jr. high, but I was led to believe it was just a name for a double-edged broadsword that came standard for all knights. These educational TH-cam videos are better than school ever was.
I love the executioner's sword! I gave one to a villain in my fantasy novel. He used it as a battlefield weapon just to show how strong he was and to intimidate his enemies, like 'I'm not a warrior; I'm an EXECUTIONER, and I WILL kill you!'
Kenya Ross That sounds awesome, but did you make any combat changes for it compared to a standard sword of its size? I’m pretty new to the game, and I have no clue how non-standard weapons get added.
Neph Drummond Quite a late response, but honestly I would just have it have the same properties and damage dice as a normal greatsword. Maybe up the weight a bit if you’re into the weight management game? Ultimately it’s up to your GM to decide how that goes down though.
The reason they changed to an executioner sword rather than axe, is because Nearly Headless Nick wouldn't shut up about it, and kept complaining until they finally changed it.
Two answers: 1 - "Like this." *Tears head off as much as he can, only skin and sinew on one side keeping it from falling off* 2 - Being hit seven (ish) times in the neck with an axe before he finally died, because the executioner couldn't aim properly.
A good example in medieval fantasy for using a executioner sword is Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. I'm pretty sure his valeryan sword literally is an executioner sword. At least it is way too big for fighting and it contains enough steel for 2 swords.
If only going by visual clues it seems a bit like a hybrid between an executioners sword and a greatsword, since it has a point. Greatswords like the ones wielded by Landsknecht mercenaries could get very big... However if I remember correctly and if I'm not mislead by the lack of decent screenshots Eddart uses an other sword as his personal defense weapon (seen in the fight with Jamie in the streets of Kings Landing) and Ice is only used in the execution of the night's watch deserter and later to kill Eddart himself... But... If I remember correctly Ice is described to be a greatsword in the novels. A sword that despite being bigger than a normal longsword is still usable in combat although with different techniques than a longsword. But even in the novel it is not clear if Ned carries this sword in the encounter with Jamie. Even in the Tower of Joy scene he has a regular longsword... So it can be rather plausible that he reserved Ice only to be used in executions and perhaps in battle where using a greatsword can be done as proven by its popularity among late medieval / early renaissance mercenaries. Therefore Ice can definitely be called a executioners sword because it is mostly shown as a symbol of power or justice and not a weapon.
Also an interesting thing is that botched executions with swords were quite common. The most difficult thing was to actually hit the neck, often times the executioner would strike to low and the blade would get stuck in the shoulders of the victim. This was such a big problem for a time that multiple laws were passed requiring an executioner to posses a license to execute with a sword which would be issued by a master.
I wonder what was the reason though. When you look up executions in Saudi Arabia on Liveleak and similar sites they basically almost always manage to decaptitate in one hit. So I wonder whetehr the medieval botchered executions are a bit overblown in their depiction.
The reason is that the executioner's sword is a big sword, balanced for force rather than agility. As such it is always going to be more difficult to handle than the smaller and much nimbler shamshir used in Saudi Arabia. With the shamshir you are much more likely to accurately hit the neck, but it requires a lot more skill in order to cut all the way through.
If 1 in 100 was a botchered execution during the medieval time, you will have loots of tale of botchered executions. There are tales of executioner that did drink alcohol to be "blunted" so he can do his work....
One more theory I've heard was that any execution had to be good on the 1st attempt because if it wasn't (it wasnt single stroke decapitation, rope snapped etc...) it was taken as a sign that god wants this person pardoned. That may also be reason why it was possible to earn multiple death sentences (to make sure that one of them sticks). There are also several incidents of executioners being lynched by people for attempting to redo the execution they botched.
4:35 in fact there was a story about an aristocrat in Poland during the Partition times (1772-1795), who was sentenced to death and he asked for the death penalty to be changed. He didn't want to die on the guillotine like a peasant. Kaiser agreed. Aristocrats family therefore sent the ancestral sword of their dynasty so that the executioner could cut him down with a sword with honor.
I would love to see a video about cool looking swords such as the khopesh and the falcata. Why these weapons rose to prominence and why they fell out of use. What weapons or armour made them obsolete.
The guy that invented that sword probably said “we don’t need tactics to execute someone so just give a sword without all tactic advantages and exchange then for chopness”
JamcalX Well, if both people are superhuman then they are effectively not, they are equal, meaning that it would be comparable to two regular people fighting. The guy using the larger weapon would be too slow.
SuperSimba6 Not at all, I'm positive there were. But the disadvantage would ve relevant. And i was referring to Highlander vs Highlander. I'm not aware of any Highlander having more super human abilities over another Highlander
SuperSimba6 You also seem to be operating under the assumption that I said "EVERY single heavier sword means that you will lose no matter what skill." That onus is a bit on me. IF you.take two people of similar skill and place them against each other, where neither combatant has a massive advantage in strength or technique, the person with the better weapon will win. If you give a guy a greatsword and a guy a mace and put them both in platemail, the mace will likely win, if you give a guy a greatsword and the other a longsword and have them both in clothing, the longsword is probably going to win. This is because the mace was designed to crack turtles and the longsword was designed for quick dexerious combat. You have to be X better to win in those situations if you give a guy a greatsword and a guy a longsword but have them in plate the greatsword has the advantage because of the weight. Situation and skill apply. Mike Tyson once beat a guy in under a minute. But that doesn't always apply to Mike or boxing just an exceptional time for Mike.
The classic is “Terminus est” from Gene Wolfe’s “Shadow of the Torturer”. Square ended and with mercury running along the inside of the blade giving a shift in mass as it was swung to decapitate the executee.
Awesome video. I knew it existed but it was good to learn a few more historical details. On other underappreciated weapons, you could talk about the Iberian Falcata... It was famously feared by the Roman armies for being highly efective on their armour for what I've read.
On 12. Mai 1854 was the last execution by sword in Munich. The executioner needed 7 strokes to do the deed. The crowd was very upset and many civil and military onlookers had to throw up. So the city decided to finally buy a guillotine and first used it on 19. August 1854.
That was frighteningly similar to one of the last executions by -sword- (sorry, seem like it most likely was axe) in Norway. Cant remember exactly how many swing he needed but it was a few. (One of the swings missed the neck and clewed the shoulder)
I've read reports that decapitation by axe can sometimes fail, often taking several swings to fully remove the head. Using a sword has a far greater chance to completely remove the head in one hit, but take a lot more skill to use to do it correctly.
Yeah I first saw it in DS3 as well. Saw it recently in Game of Thrones. Was a cool addition. I also like how it shows up in the final Dark Souls game. Makes sense. The Executioner Sword showed up at the end of the Middle Ages , after all.
Love the executioners sword! I first came across it while playing Dark Souls 3 and I just couldn't help but fall for its interesting and awesome design, simple as it may be I felt a strong sense of purpose in its look which I just adore!
I know I am two years too late but Gene Wolfe's fantastic "Shadow of the Torturer" deserves a mention here. The hero (?) is an apprentice torturer who wields an enormous executioners sword in combat. Superb fantasy.
I would assume that many "Richtschwerter" have these kinds of Mottos. Wikipedia has one in Bergen-Enkheim with the Motto Wan Ich Das Schwert thue Auffheben - So Wünsche Ich Dem Sünder Das Ewige Leben, i.e. When I lift the sword, I wish the sinner eternal life. I've seen one in Zurich with a similar message about justice in this world and the next, but unfortunately I don't remember the text...
There was exactly one executioner sword in fantasy I can remember - Terminus Est from Book of the New Sun. Wolfe even went to great lenghts to describe how unweildy and impractical it was in combat, yet managed to inflict terrible wounds when it connected. Pretty awesome use of such a weapon in fantasy.
Really like the idea of using the executioner sword used by someone who hunts undead and deamons.I'd love to see an anime with this as the premise too.
you can use that thing in the game dark souls 3 and later you can get a special version of it from a boss whu did just do what you said i mean hunting the undead and stuff like that
I love your videos man ive been into medieval arms ever since i was a child, ive always thought that an executioner's sword is a little redundant when an axe would be able to deliver more power and generally cost less. I've never though about some of the points you brought up it gives me more to think about :)
Dark Souls 3 brought me here. The Executioner Sword does Strike damage, which is blunt in the game. After having watched this video I have a feeling that it is making a statement by doing blunt damage. The sword was used, never resharpened and left to rot out in a cemetery.
I read on Innocent that those holes were to hear the air whistling with the thrust. According to the manga, their function was to hear a perfect thrust by the absence of the whistle
In my opinion best example of using executioner sword in fantasy setting is beggining of Game of Thrones. Ice is basicalli fancy executioner sword... And it's only used for that specific purpose! But yeah, imagening Orc with big sword like that would be scary as hell. Big, angry rageing monster with big and scary sword. Huh... I've got an idea for my new D&D character thanks to your video!
D&D magical Executioners sword, off the top of my head: Slashing and radiant damage. Any crit with this weapon against undead is an auto-kill. (Well, maybe just skeletons and low cr zombies...)
We have here a very famous one that was used in execution in 1635 (for treason, of course) of the most powerful lord in Silesia, Hans Ulrich Schaffgotsch. The sword was later bought by Schaffgotsch family and displayed in their castle (!).
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Ulrich_von_Schaffgotsch muzeum-cieplice.pl/index.php/pl/wirtualne-wystawy-czasowe-sp-1644211922/wystawy-stae-sp-1406361024/76-wystawa-tragiczny-koniec-hansa-ulrocha-schaffgotscha-w-ramach-nocy-muzeow-2010
For execution of captured enemies as they besiege your Castle use the Executioner Sword to break their spirit and throw their heads using MACHICOLATIOOOOOONS. Overkill, yes, but what about dragons?
This may sound dumb so correct me if I’m wrong.... Perhaps there was no point on the end of the blade to allow the executioner to place the end on the ground and hold the handle near his chest? It would allow the sword to be more easily balanced in this position on hard surfaces like stone, so the executioner wouldn’t lose dignity if the blade slipped or moved while the sentence was being read. I can’t really see why no point was added to the blade as all the benefits of the weapon would still exist with a (albeit mediocre) point.
Because it takes a lot of effort to hand forge. Adding a pointed tip would probably be 3-4 hours extra work for both the smith and the guy fueling the forge, and it wouldn't be functional because the lack of a distil taper means the point would be 7-8mm thick
Jyt I think you are overestimating the amount of work necessary to add a pointed tip, and don’t forget that almost all swords were made with pointed tips - it was not an issue for smiths to forge weapons with pointed tips. The blades shown in the video were obviously crafted by masters, and money was likely not a large concern for a so called weapon of justice, a representations of the rule of law - I doubt they were constructed without tips to save on time/money. Yes, the point would be thick, and would be rather useless in battle as it would be poor at penetrating even bare skin. But that doesn’t make it useless, an ineffective tip is still better than no tip at all, which can be seen on many weapons both historically and currently crafted. It’s clear to me that there was a specific reason that this weapon was crafted without a tip, and not simply because it was pointless (pun intended) or too time consuming to do so.
@@mattwolf752 it is more of a thing about status, which is *very* important at the time. Double side sword is generally considered to be more honorable (hence why the executioner sword exist). But at the time, only nobles were worthy of owning one. The executioner is considered a outcast, and are not worthy to wield a "real" sword, therefore the sword has no tip and has holes in the front to prevent it from sharpening into one. (Or the holes could be of other use like religious symbols or whatnot.) In general, It is a sword to keep dignity of one executed, but also not a sword, as the wielder is unworthy
@@mattwolf752 "an ineffective tip is still better than no tip at all" How is an ineffective tip better than no tip when chopping? If it had a tip then I would just be wondering why they did not stretch out the tip so that it could be more useful for chopping (which is the only purpose of the sword).
Was just about to post this. It looks exactly how Terminus est is described. I wonder if there really are any swords with mercury embedded inside ducts to add weight at the end.
@@ChiefSmackahoLLC Well, Wolfe based Terminus Est on prior executioner swords, so.. But anyway, I was just searching through making sure Term Est has been mentioned.
There is an Executioner Sword at the Heimatmuseum called the Scharfrichterschwert that dates to 1484 AD, so there were some Medieval Era examples of these weapons.
I imagine somebody might've mentioned it already, but Gene Wolfe's Book of the Dying Sun feature a main character who is an executioner (more precisely a torturer, but executions are part of the job) and wields such a blade.
Oh, and an additional thing I just remembered you didn't mention: The mystery of the three tip holes. Noöne seems to know for sure what the fuck their purpose was.
Some theories I know of:
- Disturb the path of running blood to stain the audience a bit less. That's what I heard of most in museums. Never seen proof of that effect, though.
- Supposedly people believed that weapons caught fragments of their victim's souls. As executioner swords have an unusually high score, those holes should help letting some of the caught soul fragments escape, so that the sword's yielder does not get possessed after the how-many-th kill. Fits other superstitions of that time I heard of.
- To make a more dramatic swoosh. This seems to not be true at all.
- To attach extra weight to the blade's tip if needed. Never heard of proof like scratches in the holes from screws, never seen any depictions of such a practice. Sounds plausible, though, although just one or two holes would have done the job just fine.
- Just a stylised remnant of a Gothic Trifoil or a symbol of the Holy Trinity, i.e. artsy or spiritual decoration. Also very much plausible.
- To prevent someone from re-shaping the tip into a sharp one. This one I think makes no sense. I can imagine lots of ways to work around this. I also think that it is not that much more expensive to just forge a new sword if you need one. The idea, however, of having some mechanism, practical or not, to prevent making a "weapon of justice" into a "weapon of war", sounds plausible and "in character" for people of that time.
- Or perhaps it made the executioner sword into a punch card for the local punch clock. Okay, I made that one up.
Sooooo... which is it? I dunno. But I do know, that the holes were a very German fashion.
Evrey they remind me of the weird things on claymore gaurds
Your comment got me to notice the three holes remind me of the triforce, the holes even look triangular. "It's dangerous to go alone, take this executioner's sword!"
Your punch clock joke got you my like. Although the rest of the comment was good too.
I don't remember where, but I read somewhere that the holes in the blade were there, as you mentioned, to prevent one from grinding a sharp tip on it. To be able to execute someone in an honorable fashion it had to be a double-edged sword. But in many parts of medieval and Renaissance Germany only nobles were allowed to use those. This created the dilemma that an executioner, who was basically treated as untouchable back then, had to use a weapon that was exclusive to the nobility. Therefore the holes were put there even if it was just for the peace of mind of the nobles so they could be sure that an executioner would never wield a "real" sword.
Well, Shad mentioned the swords being hung up in some places, so if not for decoration then perhaps a mounting point on a wall? Decoration does seem more likely though.
The engraving on the sword at 1:40 says "Ich schone niemanden". This is german for "I spare nobody". The more you know
Thats pretty cool tbh
On the matter of executioner swords used against zombies, I would engrave my own zombie-chopper with "Let Hel Keep What She Has"
Es ist schön wenns um deutsche Schwerter geht und man versteht was draufsteht. XD
@@timo5005 Aber historisch korrekt ist das sicher nicht. So ein Deutsch sprach wohl keiner als die Art von Schwertern im Einsatz waren.
Edit: Es ist wohl doch historisch korrekt und ich bin blöd.
@@absolutedisease1699 doch genau so
*Slave Knight Gael wants to know the location of your dark soul*
My dark soul is filled with light!!!!
Oh man I was about to say that.
It is? But *I* wanted to be the one to fill your dark soul with light!
Man of culture I see
Grimmdul Lmao, I thought it was a fictional weapon all this time.
as much as it's clearly not designed for battlefield combat, the image of a knight clad in black armour with a steriotypical executioner's hood appearing on the front and cleaving several warriors in half with one fell swoop is still awesome af
Doomskull mordhau be like
well... you should watch/read BERSERK manga/Anime
That would basically be me in the Medieval era.
@@flare9757 and you're the one getting cut in half xD
Eryk Konieczny I mean preferring heavy hits to needing to finesse my way out of a fight with a Saber.
He actually touched on the reason why this took over for the axe, that being that a sword is more likely to get it in one swing, some executions by axe we're known to take, I've heard as many as 17 hits to behead to victim.
OW
OOF
AUGH
OUCH
ARGH
OOF
ACK
OWIE
can you go sharpen your axe or someth--
*THWACK* (thud)
Sometimes a botched execution resulted in the executioner's death. You don't botch some executions and live.
That may have occurred but it was frowned upon. An executioner is already shunned by the rest of the community so being crappy at your job was going to get you in trouble. Think man, family's of the condemned would show up to the execution. If you botched the job and didn't do it in a dignified manner they would find you. Even the condemned deserve dignity. There's no reason to make them suffer when the sentence us death not torture
@@bobbyrayvictory6905 Well shunned outside of Paris. The Sanson family were nobles and doctors.
@@bobbyrayvictory6905 Well, medieval executions were often intentionally made torturous (e.g. the original slow strangulations of early hangings, being burned at the stake and being hanged, drawn and quartered) so death and torture weren’t always separate.
On 2nd thought though, beheadings were most often reserved for the nobility so I could see why you wouldn’t want to botch one.
So the weapons I have listed for future episodes in this series are these:
Underappreciated Historical Weapons:
Gunsword
-Executioner- -sword-
Bearing Sword
Pata (the Gauntlet Sword)
Estoc
Overappreciated historical weapons:
Shuriken
I'd love to hear any suggestions for weapons to add to the list!
Please do ancient china weaponry.
Compare and contrast the difference between them and European design at same time period.
Something like dis
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow
or dis
sites.google.com/site/welcometoancientchina/anicent-chinese-weapons
Shadiversity halberds please.
Iaido katanas
Erdem Ali Odemis I second that, halberds please!
Rhomphaia is good one
I assure you that Mordhau players do not underappreciate that sword AT ALL
Kay Rozencaster no indeed! 😆
Some would say, it's the true sword of bastards
Its weird if they made this sword usable in the game and actually good as its clearly not gonna be good for any sort of fighting.
@@Jebu911 Right. That bothers my historian side so much
LooKing for this comment.
Me: *watches ONE Mordhau video*
TH-cam: Hey look you seem to be a medieval weapons expert have some of these!
Lol
same reason here
Hope you are welcome and can enter our world of weapon nerds
LITERALLY WHY IM HERE!?!?!
That made me laugh, thx for that :)
Interestingly, while I do watch a lot of Skallagrim, Lindy Beige and so on, I think I've got this video recommended to me because of Mordhau as well.
Why does it have a crossguard?
Maybe to resemble a sword better so the people watching the execution weren't misled.
Could be for better balance even though it doesn't have good balance
I would say to prevent your hand from slipping up and accidentally cutting yourself but guards don't have to be that long to accomplish that function. So maybe if a particularly strong, combat oriented swordsman found other swords too light, he'd pick up an executioner's sword and slay all on the battlefield. I know Shad said they weren't meant for the battlefield, but come on, there has to have been one guy in the 16th century that said to a local blacksmith: "you know, your craftsmanship is quite remarkable, but you always make light swords."
Smith: "hey, I could make you a sword with some bite, or how 'bout you ask for the executioner's sword. They can use an axe until I forge them a new one. I always knew someone like you would show up asking for a big, thicc, heavy sword. Well, more like a heap off raw iron."
Swordsman: "it's still a quality piece though… right?"
Smith: "oh yeah. Has to be. Can't have a shit sword for an executioner. People hate botched jobs."
And the rest was unironically history.
I believe the reason the guard was put there is because it shows order and some sense of civility. If it were just some large blade it would seem fairly savage and 'out of order'.
@@CruciFer19 This answer might not satisfy most, but I like it. Not everything was done for a practical reason, especially when the person being executed wouldn't be able to fight back anyway, making a cross guard only aesthetic.
What might make the execution sword as a weapon of choice even more interesting in a roleplaying scenario - executioners were considered unclean, they were outcasts. So even if the weapon is a marvel of slicing power, it might come at a cost reputationwise depending on the setting. Someone fighting with a execution sword might be anything from off-putting to downright insulting to NPCs and opponents.
Wrong.
It's a giant spatula for icing giant medieval cakes.
damn, now im hungry
Yeah Marie Antoinette used it a bunch
Yeah Marie Antoinette used this one a lot.
i use it to open my letters.
it for frosting giants.
One really interesting fictional character that uses an executioner's sword that I don't see a lot of people talking about in the comments here is the Leper from Darkest Dungeon. He is - as the name implies - a man with leprosy who wields a (broken) executioner's sword and is an incredibly powerful if somewhat inaccurate front-line fighter. It always seemed weird to me that a guy with a degenerative disease would use such a heavy weapon and be such a physical powerhouse, but strangely enough after watching this video it suddenly makes more sense.
This sword was meant to be used for a single killing swing, not meant to be used in long-term combat. Based on the Leper's physique, he was - and still is to an extent - a very strong individual. However, his condition's effect on his heart and lungs would make sustained effort very difficult for him. Instead, he carries this massive weapon around on his shoulder and channels short bursts of might into massively damaging overhead swings. On the same note, a lighter and more dexterous weapon would also be very problematic for him as the nerve damage to his hands, arms, and eyes would render him incapable of the kind of finesse and coordination needed to utilize such weapons effectively.
This sword was also obviously not meant to have much in the way of defensive value, being designed for use on individuals who can't fight back. It's heavy and clunky enough that you couldn't block with it quickly, and it's two-handed so it would be troublesome to try to use a shield with it. That would make it hard to use in actual battle without risking serious injury. The thing about the Leper though is that he's already dying - and he knows it. Despite his body literally falling apart, he chooses a fighting style that puts him at the front of the battle. He is one of the only characters who will only willingly move forward in a fight, never switching places with people behind him. He is also the ONLY character (besides the Flagellant, who... has issues) whose "getting hit" animation is just to stand there and take it without even trying to block or dodge.
The Leper is a former warrior king beloved by his people who willingly exiled himself to prevent the spread of his disease to his people. Most of the playable mercenaries in the game seem to be fighting the horrors of the Dungeon because they are on a holy mission, they are running from a dark past and seeking redemption, or they're simply in it for the money. The Leper seems to instead be trying to just do some good in his last days, destroying evil and taking punishment so that those with a potential future can live a little longer. The executioner's sword seems like a potentially powerful weapon, but not one that you would use in battle if you were planning on a long life... so it's perfect for him.
🤓
@@ctylsh1214 "🤓" bro. This person was just talking about an honestly interesting character and you had to type this. What, did it make you feel good about your sad life? How you probably stay in all day playing Overwatch 2. No need for that. Show some kindness bro.
@@Aurie1501 🤓
@@ctylsh1214 🤓-"🤓"
What a fantastically underrated comment 👏 nice analysis
1:45 The lack of tip was either because jackasses kept on saying "Just the tip" and making everybody laugh, or because the smiths thought capital punishment was pointless.
@@Drikkerbadevand If I ever time travel and it goes wrong, I know what do say in the end.
Because they are not made for stabbing?
@@Holret It's a joke, Einstein.
@@lifeofvadim should have tried to be funny in the first place.
@@Holret Well, excuse you, your Highness, that the joke wasn't to your liking.
You might find better ones away from here over there, where no one will bother you.
In Dark Souls 3, you can find an Executioner Greatsword in the opening half of the game. I think this is an interesting example for multiple reasons, the first being that the playable character *is* technically an executioner. You seek out lords who shirked their duties, kill them, and bring their heads back to their thrones.
It felt like the most appropriate weapon to me, and I used it the whole game.
The DLC actually makes this more relevant, as it introduces a character you meet in the same area you pick up this sword, who uses one himself throughout the game's story.
High five! Great weapon, both functionally and lore-wise. Not to mention, it was found:
A.) Near where that particular character first meets you
B.) Just outside a massive cathedral, known for its sacrifices and slaughters
C.) In the middle of a sprawling graveyard, surrounded by like fifty zombies
Seemed like pretty perfect placement to me.
Sweranero yeah, but for some reason the sword in game is blunt(wich is stupid)
@@janpiorko3809 But it's strike damage is literally it's best property
@@My600lbStrife yes, but Executioner Sword is meant to CUT OFF head with one strike, and it can't do it when it's blunt.
@@janpiorko3809 True enough, but there could be lore implications for it's blunted blade. The sword has likely seen enough executions to leave its edge long dull. Also, when beheadings were still used as a method of execution, *nobody* expected the head to come clean off in one stroke, just sayin.
If they really hated you, it was the executioner's spoon!
John Matthias They normally would put an axe at your head and then take hammer to slowly decapitate you! If that's still to merciful then there's wheeling, flaying, impaling and quartering...
LOCKSLEY!!!
edi sawing
Scorpio91201 wheeling was worse . In its original form it meant breaking all non-vital bones and then weaving the shattered body into the spokes of a wheel and letting him die of exposure...
edi rat cage baisicly you sat a rat on a prisnors stomah and put a cage over it and heat up the cage so the rats only way to escape was down =
Dark souls 3 has the executioner’s sword, actually. Interesting too that you said it’s dull because in dark souls, it does strike damage instead of slashing.
He specifically said it is NOT dull. It cannot be dull or else you'll have a lot of failed executions.
You can't cut through a neck in one swing of it's dull
Was my main weapon :)
I thought the reason it was dull in DS3 was because it was already old and had been left in a graveyard for yonks where rust and time and made it just a big metal paddle to slap people with.
Its strike damage because mass ig
I don't know if you're familiar with it, but there's a series called "The Book of the New Sun" by Gene Wolfe, whose protagonist, Severian, is a torturer/executioner by trade. The masters of his guild give him an executioner sword called "Terminus Est". It's hollow on the inside and filled with mercury, which is supposed to help distribute the mass as he swings. Because his sword is very valuable, a lot of other characters try to steal it from him and he uses it to defend himself. When he does, the narration usually comments on how it's no good for thrusting because of the square tip.
Been a few decades since I read that. If I remember correctly, the sword was not full of mercury but had a slug of mercury in it. You can approximate how it works with a capped pipe with a slug of water in it. By the way, don't get caught with it by the cops.
pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Terminus_Est
TIL where the name came from.
I was looking for this comment
Also decades since I read it, but I remember the same - the hollow was partly filled with mercury, so the mercury would be at the hilt end at the start of the stroke, but move to the tip by the end of the stroke.
This is completely missing the point
How?
@@redafm4505 r/wooooosh.
@@redafm4505 This sword. It doesn't have a point. I didn't realize that this was a joke either until I saw the woosh conment xD
Ahahahaha good one
oh fuck off
I was hoping you'd address the three holes on the sword's tip.
Allegedly they are there for the executioner to tell if the cut is perfectly straight, since a misaligned cut would cause air to whistle through those holes. I've always wondered if that's hogwash or their actual intended purpose.
Rea Namet I was thinking the same, hopefully we get a follow up
Now I'm interested as well
Could also be as simple as to hang the sword up on a wall and because its held in 3 places it won't swing about if u knocked it. These would have been expensive items and you wouldn't want to leave them just lying about. But then why wouldn't it have a sheath on it? Does the sheath have the holes? If not then I'm probably completely wrong. Unless it didn't have one for status reasons. I Dont know... Help us out Shad! Love the vids.
Obviously, someone will have to make one and send it to Skallgrim to swing about or something.
I don't remember where I read this so please take this with a grain of salt.
Apparently the holes on the sword's tip were supposed to prevent you from grinding the tip to a point, thus preventing you from turning the sword into a real weapon. The sword was supposed to only be used to bring those who did wrong to justice, not to be used as a weapon of war.
"There was no murder! Ulfric challenged Torygg. He beat the High King in fair combat."
Damn faithless imperials
Shchump
This is a good reference
"It is the ancient tradition of skyrim, of all nords!"
no he shouted a boy apart
"safer decapitation" (7:37) Yep, nothing safe like getting decapitated.
lol
Also, the video suggests that decapitation hurts less if it is done properly. I don't agree. You are chopping the fucking spinal cord, it must hurt like a MF! For about 15-30 seconds, while you are still constinous...
if i were to be executed, I'd insist on haing it done safe. Nothing worse than dying and getting blood everywhere from an improper cut.
not the strangest thing I have heard of... they do the alcohol swab before lethal injections.
_we don't want ya to git that last second infection_
Heh, why not switch things up and get infected first, then have that blood sprayed on everyone else? Revenge after death?
Most LEGO sword pieces are like this: blunt, long, and taperless. It’s probably like this so that little kids can’t kill each other with the pieces...but maybe all LEGO knights are closet executioners.
"closet executioners" got me.
That's probably a result of the combination of knights with Lego's no war policy. This is also why the first castle was yellow and there were no ememy knights in it. A later sword piece, which for instance is used for Aragorn's sword, does have a point.
This is probably due to the lethality of regular blunt Lego pieces on human feet. Minifigs with sharp swords would be too dangerous like pommel throws.
@@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive More dangerous than pommels, if you ask me.
@@timothyissler3815 yeah, at least pommels allow you to be ended rightly, sharp LEGOs are a shameful, torturous way to die...
Yes this needs to be a series
Leper: "My trusted ally, unphased by my aspect!"
What, no tip?
@@serotonin.scavenger Shut up, Jester. You're bringing a L U T E to hell.
Great is the weapon that cuts on its own
"In the end, every plan relies upon a strong arm, and tempered steel."
I first saw this sword at Dark Souls 3 and didn't think it was real, then I saw it on a museum. Interesting blade indeed.
yes indeed
Executioner sword, or safety sword? No more accidentally stabbing people in crowds, great for social events and gatherings, like an execution.
Sword co. Making swords safer for everyone.
Eddy S This is what we need. I support Sword Co.
Are you tired of choosing between the slash and the stab?
Do your friends say that you should concentrate on cutting off the competition?
Is your wife telling you that you need to get into a different dead-end job?
Then do we have the sword for you!
MORE UNDERAPPRECIATED HISTORICAL WEAPONS! I already love this series!
Always loved the design of the executioner sword since playing Dark Souls 3. It's currently the weapon of a paladin themed villain in one of my fantasy stories.
I was thinking of having a lawful neutral antagonist that uses a sword-breaker and has people under his command use man catchers and clubs-sound cool?
The literal embodiment of the "sharpened iron bar" description of swords.
The inscription on one of the shown swords says: "Ich schone niemanden" (German) - or: "I spare noöne".
Slave knight Gael is happy.
Amen
Indeed he is.
What still here? Hand it over, that thing your dark soul.
* Agressivily groans while leaping everywhere with thunders on the background *
Omg I was thinking this too. Like wtf is this weird sword in dark souls 3. But nope it real and really culturally accurate to my boy Gael
“the design shows this sword was never meant for thrusting”
Dark Souls characters: how ‘bout I do it anyway
I don’t think any of the executioner’s moveset has thrusting, it’s all slashing. If it does have the poke r2 of claymore then it would make it so much more viable in pvp.
The executioner sword has no thrusting in its moveset..
Morn Morn backstabs and ripostes
Alex ah, forgot about that. Tho when you can thrust an entire scythe into someone’s body, thrusting with a executioner sword dosent seem that silly any more ;)
@@yanli111 fair point :D
Shad corrects his glasses 21 times throughout the video, awesome vid btw.!
@Red Lotus and you replied to this joke comment, waste of time.
@Red Lotus I do things that I enjoy, and counting Shads glasses adjustment count was quite enjoyable. So how about you take your pinhead looking self and go ride a bike.?
What about the High Ground? That's definitely a real weapon, right? They even made a documentary about it, called Revenge of The Sith. All I know is that it is one pretty op weapon.
The problem with using this kind of sword against zombies is exactly what makes it perfect for executions: the weight. As you said it yourself, both the proportions and the balance of the sword are designed to feel heavier than normal so that it can cut better, specially in a downward strike. However, if you're facing a horde of undead, that is going to feel very tiring, very quickly
I would say that, as long as you have the room, the best sword for using against zombies would be a greatsword.
Illoney also too heavy, therefore tiring. I'd go for a falchion-machete (cause we all know falchion is a fancy name for machetes anyways lol)
What about a glaive? Keep 'em at distance and stuff
Torys Account oh, I was talking about swords. If I can use polearms, I'm going for a long-bladed spear. That always works
SSVjoker I would personally call a falchion a "machete on steroids" but yea, they are quite similar and most falchions(depending on blade type)are amazing cutters. Now, whilst greatsword are the heaviest of swords used for actual combat, they aren't that heavy, 2.3-3.5kg isn't that much more than some longswords(though they do balance differently). One important point however is momentum, if you know how to swing a greatsword properly it really isn't that tiring as you can just keep swinging without excerting that much force.
Torys Account As joker already said and as I stated in my original comment(best *sword* for...)we we specifically talking about swords. Though a glaive or long bladed spear would definitely be an excellent choice.
When you mentioned that it would be a plausible weapon for Orcs, I immediately thought of the swords used by the Uruk-Hai in the Lord of the Rings films. They have that bit of a hook on the end, but aside from that they appear to have many of the same attributes of the executioner sword, albeit as a one handed weapon as the Uruk-Hai are often seen with shields.
The berserkers in the Two Towers used two-handed versions of the Uruk-Hai cleaver. They much more closely resemble the executioner's sword, except with hooks on both ends.
Shad Fact: Shad once fought an elder Red Wyrm for 5 days before Shad had to get back to a video he was editing, calling it a draw (despite being another hour from winning), shad vowed not to fight dragons bare handed again
So are you trying to make Shad the new Chuck Norris.
Bha ha ha ha ha ha, lol, lol
Well played sir, well played.
Prophecies tell of the day Chuck Norris and Shad will have a battle of pommels. That shall comence the end of our world, I shiver at the thought.
And then Skallagrim sows up and asks where his pommels went.
Now I want to see Skallagrim test one of these things out on a zombie head.
I think a very underappreciated weapon is the Aztec Macuahuitl which is a wooden club with change able obsidian shards all along the edge.
And what a sword it is
They suck, the obsidian edges usually break on you if you hit something like metal, wood or thick leather.
The idea of the macahuitl being a powerful weapon came from exaggerated accounts of the spanish conquistadors, but in fact they're not really that good, just like a club, but worst.
Shad: Nobody remembers the executioner's blade.
Markus Kruber: 🧐
another vermitide player i seee
Brush it's not a sword it's a lawnmower
Was looking for a vermintide comment
That sword let’s you swim through rats
Best aspect of the executioner's sword in Vermintide is that it does considerably less DPS than the regular two handed sword unless you aim for the head/neck because it has such a high critical hit ratio, it really forces you to become a beheading machine.
Definitely accurate historical fact : this sword was also used as an emergency paddle during medieval times if Vietcongs made bullet holes into your wooden paddle.
@Love Law Yes it is.
@Love Law Are you fucking slow
@@kballs94 I think that you might be the slowpoke, Love Law is clearly is ironing the iron shirt
@@galengris4279 😳😳😳
@Casey C It does not. It's a joke about the sword's shape and about the ridiculous claims associated to this weapon. The joke is meant to not make sense and to be ridiculous.
The sword at 1:34 is badass. The inscription "Ich schone niemanden" is german for "I spare noone". So basically: you cannot escape justice.
no its just german, nothing special for natives
Stimmt, denn die Tatsache dass es Deutsch ist, macht die Botschaft dahinter unbedeutend....
Sounds like a challenge.
I don´t think he is able to demand satisfaction. In germany you were allowed to demand satisfaction (a duel) if you were a soldier, university student or of the nobility. If he demands it and is none of the mentioned, I am obliged to refuse the demand.
I'm sure the guy getting executed was like "Yo hang on, izzat an executiuoner sword. bro, that's sweet!" *chop*
I would think the Executioner's Sword, being literally incapable of thrusting, would be the polar opposite of the Small Sword, which is literally incapable of chopping.
My fantasy novel already had the Executioner sword and you kind of touched upon the way I use it. For the execution of noblemen who are kneeling upright rather than face down.
This is a common and understandable misunderstanding. The "executioners sword" does not have a squared point because there is no need for it to be used as a thrusting weapon. It has a squared tip and extended pommel cross to facilitate an almost surgical severing of the cervical vertebrae. If a "beheading strike" goes wrong, the tip can quickly be placed at the base of the skull and the executioners body weight applied to the cross guard to cleanly sever the spinal cord. Such "guaranteed quick and clean" executions were only granted to the highest ranking of royals.
I haven't heard this before; thank you for sharing!
I learned of the executioner sword back in jr. high, but I was led to believe it was just a name for a double-edged broadsword that came standard for all knights. These educational TH-cam videos are better than school ever was.
Indeed
Pirate Raider
It's not a place for smart people morty!
For examples in fantasy, I recommend Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" series wherein the main character wields a specially made executioner's sword
Ahhh. Terminus Est. I just stumbled on this series recently and am on the final book now. Never much into fiction but these books are special.
I love the executioner's sword! I gave one to a villain in my fantasy novel. He used it as a battlefield weapon just to show how strong he was and to intimidate his enemies, like 'I'm not a warrior; I'm an EXECUTIONER, and I WILL kill you!'
do you have a link to your novel?
Russ Epp-Leppel I made a d&d character who uses one
Kenya Ross That sounds awesome, but did you make any combat changes for it compared to a standard sword of its size? I’m pretty new to the game, and I have no clue how non-standard weapons get added.
Neph Drummond Quite a late response, but honestly I would just have it have the same properties and damage dice as a normal greatsword. Maybe up the weight a bit if you’re into the weight management game? Ultimately it’s up to your GM to decide how that goes down though.
Judge, jury, executioner...
The reason they changed to an executioner sword rather than axe, is because Nearly Headless Nick wouldn't shut up about it, and kept complaining until they finally changed it.
OHHHH! I was gonna come in and make the comment. Well played, wizard.
:3
Nearly headless? How can you be 'nearly' headless?
Two answers:
1 - "Like this." *Tears head off as much as he can, only skin and sinew on one side keeping it from falling off*
2 - Being hit seven (ish) times in the neck with an axe before he finally died, because the executioner couldn't aim properly.
AAH!
A good example in medieval fantasy for using a executioner sword is Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. I'm pretty sure his valeryan sword literally is an executioner sword. At least it is way too big for fighting and it contains enough steel for 2 swords.
If only going by visual clues it seems a bit like a hybrid between an executioners sword and a greatsword, since it has a point. Greatswords like the ones wielded by Landsknecht mercenaries could get very big... However if I remember correctly and if I'm not mislead by the lack of decent screenshots Eddart uses an other sword as his personal defense weapon (seen in the fight with Jamie in the streets of Kings Landing) and Ice is only used in the execution of the night's watch deserter and later to kill Eddart himself...
But... If I remember correctly Ice is described to be a greatsword in the novels. A sword that despite being bigger than a normal longsword is still usable in combat although with different techniques than a longsword. But even in the novel it is not clear if Ned carries this sword in the encounter with Jamie. Even in the Tower of Joy scene he has a regular longsword...
So it can be rather plausible that he reserved Ice only to be used in executions and perhaps in battle where using a greatsword can be done as proven by its popularity among late medieval / early renaissance mercenaries.
Therefore Ice can definitely be called a executioners sword because it is mostly shown as a symbol of power or justice and not a weapon.
I spare noone
That’s a pretty interesting engraving for an executioners sword
(1:35 engraved on the blade in old German lettering)
Why the hell would you spare Peter Noone?
@@meatballphilosopher5734 It's a typo. Should be: I share Peter Noone. Cause sharing is caring,
Cosmo Frame
Share your blade with him, maybe.
Also an interesting thing is that botched executions with swords were quite common. The most difficult thing was to actually hit the neck, often times the executioner would strike to low and the blade would get stuck in the shoulders of the victim. This was such a big problem for a time that multiple laws were passed requiring an executioner to posses a license to execute with a sword which would be issued by a master.
I wonder what was the reason though. When you look up executions in Saudi Arabia on Liveleak and similar sites they basically almost always manage to decaptitate in one hit. So I wonder whetehr the medieval botchered executions are a bit overblown in their depiction.
The reason is that the executioner's sword is a big sword, balanced for force rather than agility. As such it is always going to be more difficult to handle than the smaller and much nimbler shamshir used in Saudi Arabia. With the shamshir you are much more likely to accurately hit the neck, but it requires a lot more skill in order to cut all the way through.
Easiest explanation for that: Saudi Arabian executioners are most likely well trained. The laws mentioned were against untrained executioners.
If 1 in 100 was a botchered execution during the medieval time, you will have loots of tale of botchered executions. There are tales of executioner that did drink alcohol to be "blunted" so he can do his work....
One more theory I've heard was that any execution had to be good on the 1st attempt because if it wasn't (it wasnt single stroke decapitation, rope snapped etc...) it was taken as a sign that god wants this person pardoned. That may also be reason why it was possible to earn multiple death sentences (to make sure that one of them sticks). There are also several incidents of executioners being lynched by people for attempting to redo the execution they botched.
I really thought it was fantasy, like massive broken swords. Nice!
Thanks, Shad! This give me an idea for one of my novels.
Nice, would totally like this to be a series. I rarely learn about new historical weapons. Thanks mate!
4:35 in fact there was a story about an aristocrat in Poland during the Partition times (1772-1795), who was sentenced to death and he asked for the death penalty to be changed. He didn't want to die on the guillotine like a peasant. Kaiser agreed. Aristocrats family therefore sent the ancestral sword of their dynasty so that the executioner could cut him down with a sword with honor.
I would love to see a video about cool looking swords such as the khopesh and the falcata. Why these weapons rose to prominence and why they fell out of use. What weapons or armour made them obsolete.
The guy that invented that sword probably said “we don’t need tactics to execute someone so just give a sword without all tactic advantages and exchange then for chopness”
The Executioner Sword, one of my favorites. It's odd no one used one in The Highlander.
JamcalX
Well, if both people are superhuman then they are effectively not, they are equal, meaning that it would be comparable to two regular people fighting. The guy using the larger weapon would be too slow.
SuperSimba6
Not at all, I'm positive there were. But the disadvantage would ve relevant. And i was referring to Highlander vs Highlander. I'm not aware of any Highlander having more super human abilities over another Highlander
SuperSimba6
You also seem to be operating under the assumption that I said "EVERY single heavier sword means that you will lose no matter what skill." That onus is a bit on me. IF you.take two people of similar skill and place them against each other, where neither combatant has a massive advantage in strength or technique, the person with the better weapon will win. If you give a guy a greatsword and a guy a mace and put them both in platemail, the mace will likely win, if you give a guy a greatsword and the other a longsword and have them both in clothing, the longsword is probably going to win. This is because the mace was designed to crack turtles and the longsword was designed for quick dexerious combat. You have to be X better to win in those situations if you give a guy a greatsword and a guy a longsword but have them in plate the greatsword has the advantage because of the weight. Situation and skill apply. Mike Tyson once beat a guy in under a minute. But that doesn't always apply to Mike or boxing just an exceptional time for Mike.
There can be only one!
The classic is “Terminus est” from Gene Wolfe’s “Shadow of the Torturer”. Square ended and with mercury running along the inside of the blade giving a shift in mass as it was swung to decapitate the executee.
Shad, I love this episode! Can you make more videos about unusual weapons in future plz?
Awesome video. I knew it existed but it was good to learn a few more historical details. On other underappreciated weapons, you could talk about the Iberian Falcata... It was famously feared by the Roman armies for being highly efective on their armour for what I've read.
On 12. Mai 1854 was the last execution by sword in Munich. The executioner needed 7 strokes to do the deed. The crowd was very upset and many civil and military onlookers had to throw up. So the city decided to finally buy a guillotine and first used it on 19. August 1854.
That was frighteningly similar to one of the last executions by -sword- (sorry, seem like it most likely was axe) in Norway. Cant remember exactly how many swing he needed but it was a few. (One of the swings missed the neck and clewed the shoulder)
I've read reports that decapitation by axe can sometimes fail, often taking several swings to fully remove the head. Using a sword has a far greater chance to completely remove the head in one hit, but take a lot more skill to use to do it correctly.
So Gael's sword was real?
I think the in-game sword was literally based on the sword shown at 1:10
Well the in-game sword that he uses before the ringed city is called the executioner's greatsword
praise the ______
A. Old Blood
B. Sun
C. B.
Well??
Praise the moon
@@danksouls6904 Praise be for Lord Cheese!
The Executioner's Greatsword from Dark Souls 3 was REAL?!
Marcohazard I thought the same thing, that's neat.
I wish they'd let us heavy infuse that. Would have been a top tier strength weapon considering it can be buffed too.
Yeah I first saw it in DS3 as well. Saw it recently in Game of Thrones. Was a cool addition. I also like how it shows up in the final Dark Souls game. Makes sense. The Executioner Sword showed up at the end of the Middle Ages , after all.
Yes, and Slave Knight Gael uses it to kill EVERYONE in the DLC, until you kill him
Love the executioners sword! I first came across it while playing Dark Souls 3 and I just couldn't help but fall for its interesting and awesome design, simple as it may be I felt a strong sense of purpose in its look which I just adore!
I know I am two years too late but Gene Wolfe's fantastic "Shadow of the Torturer" deserves a mention here. The hero (?) is an apprentice torturer who wields an enormous executioners sword in combat. Superb fantasy.
Does that sword at 1:38 read "Ich schone niemand"? That would mean "I spare nobody".
I would assume that many "Richtschwerter" have these kinds of Mottos. Wikipedia has one in Bergen-Enkheim with the Motto Wan Ich Das Schwert thue Auffheben - So Wünsche Ich Dem Sünder Das Ewige Leben,
i.e. When I lift the sword, I wish the sinner eternal life. I've seen one in Zurich with a similar message about justice in this world and the next, but unfortunately I don't remember the text...
Yes and in this kurrent font and with loops around it. This is where Warhammer draws it's designs.
No man I believe, not nobody
Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty!
There was exactly one executioner sword in fantasy I can remember - Terminus Est from Book of the New Sun. Wolfe even went to great lenghts to describe how unweildy and impractical it was in combat, yet managed to inflict terrible wounds when it connected. Pretty awesome use of such a weapon in fantasy.
"orcs would love this sword" yup- case in point- check out the standard uruk hai blade:]
yup I was thinking the same.
just get rid of the spike and you have executioner sword.
This is why Gael uses the Executioner Sword in Dark Souls III
Really like the idea of using the executioner sword used by someone who hunts undead and deamons.I'd love to see an anime with this as the premise too.
Jim Giant No need for an anime, we have Dark Souls.
you can use that thing in the game dark souls 3 and later you can get a special version of it from a boss whu did just do what you said i mean hunting the undead and stuff like that
Just like Devil may cry, wait there are anime of that
... So basically "Berserk", except more sane and reasonable? >):^?
and hopefully less CGI?
I love your videos man ive been into medieval arms ever since i was a child, ive always thought that an executioner's sword is a little redundant when an axe would be able to deliver more power and generally cost less. I've never though about some of the points you brought up it gives me more to think about :)
With the axe, along with being killed like an animal, you are forced to bow down. It makes you look weak and defeated.
Lucas Strom it's weird seeing someone with a Sean Bean profile pic talking about decapitation.
The part where you said cutting ratio or something like that is the best answer for me, because I though about it too.
Axe is just too narrow
Dark Souls 3 brought me here. The Executioner Sword does Strike damage, which is blunt in the game. After having watched this video I have a feeling that it is making a statement by doing blunt damage. The sword was used, never resharpened and left to rot out in a cemetery.
"Greetings, I'm Shad." *Oh no...*
This shad isn’t the forbidden artist
this shad is the sword master
Geralt OOF Rivia they're one in the same
That's just a metal cricket bat!
An Australian should know this..
Are convicts the only ones who know what cricket is now?
Flying Sky
The British, Indians, and the West Indies know.
@@mobeenkhan824 is Bangladesh a joke to you?
I read on Innocent that those holes were to hear the air whistling with the thrust. According to the manga, their function was to hear a perfect thrust by the absence of the whistle
Surely you mean air whistling on the swing? This sword would be like jabbing someone with a 2x4 on the thrust lol
In my opinion best example of using executioner sword in fantasy setting is beggining of Game of Thrones. Ice is basicalli fancy executioner sword... And it's only used for that specific purpose!
But yeah, imagening Orc with big sword like that would be scary as hell. Big, angry rageing monster with big and scary sword. Huh... I've got an idea for my new D&D character thanks to your video!
This really does help with my writing. It gives a lot of ideas for combat and background.
The executioner sword may be cool but what about dragons?
Vermbraunt. Possibly the most honorable method of execution...
DrewLSsix Burning at stake lessened to axe decapitation, lessened to sword decapitation, lessened to DEATH BY DRAGON!!!!!!
D&D magical Executioners sword, off the top of my head:
Slashing and radiant damage. Any crit with this weapon against undead is an auto-kill. (Well, maybe just skeletons and low cr zombies...)
That's just an undead-specific Vorpal enchantment.
Reminds me of the Ashbringer
You need high strength to hold it well.
I always thought it would make intimidation checks very easy as well.
This Sword is in Dark Souls 3 and I love it.
Jimmy Mc Crusty Nutsack
Why the salt?
@@wiz1904 he died to iudex
Apollyon Probably He's just jealous of Gael
@Jimmy Mc Crusty Nutsack This dude probably stuck on Vordt.
Everyone knows that the best way to execute is by unscrewing the pommel of an Executioner Sword and throwing it vigorously at the convict(/s).
#overkill
Finish him rightly.
I remember when you had so few subs. Keep up the good work! You deserve it!
Anyone else got this channel recommended and going through all it's videos after getting hooked on Mordhau?
We have here a very famous one that was used in execution in 1635 (for treason, of course) of the most powerful lord in Silesia, Hans Ulrich Schaffgotsch. The sword was later bought by Schaffgotsch family and displayed in their castle (!).
More info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Ulrich_von_Schaffgotsch
muzeum-cieplice.pl/index.php/pl/wirtualne-wystawy-czasowe-sp-1644211922/wystawy-stae-sp-1406361024/76-wystawa-tragiczny-koniec-hansa-ulrocha-schaffgotscha-w-ramach-nocy-muzeow-2010
"oh, and what kind of sword is that?" - "Just the blade our ancestor was executed with..."
Kacper Włoch Buying it is one thing; putting it on display is strange.
More Castle reviews pls! Oh and this was a good video too, but I need more castles!
We need the machicolations!!!!!!!!!
Bob Butts needs his monthly fix of machicolations.
For execution of captured enemies as they besiege your Castle use the Executioner Sword to break their spirit and throw their heads using MACHICOLATIOOOOOONS.
Overkill, yes, but what about dragons?
This just became my most favourite weapon, ever. All of your examples looked so beautiful.
I'm proud of myself for guessing the sword he meant before saying it.
Seems like a good weapon for a giant or orc, because with such a powerful monster you only need one swing
This may sound dumb so correct me if I’m wrong....
Perhaps there was no point on the end of the blade to allow the executioner to place the end on the ground and hold the handle near his chest? It would allow the sword to be more easily balanced in this position on hard surfaces like stone, so the executioner wouldn’t lose dignity if the blade slipped or moved while the sentence was being read.
I can’t really see why no point was added to the blade as all the benefits of the weapon would still exist with a (albeit mediocre) point.
Because it takes a lot of effort to hand forge. Adding a pointed tip would probably be 3-4 hours extra work for both the smith and the guy fueling the forge, and it wouldn't be functional because the lack of a distil taper means the point would be 7-8mm thick
Jyt I think you are overestimating the amount of work necessary to add a pointed tip, and don’t forget that almost all swords were made with pointed tips - it was not an issue for smiths to forge weapons with pointed tips. The blades shown in the video were obviously crafted by masters, and money was likely not a large concern for a so called weapon of justice, a representations of the rule of law - I doubt they were constructed without tips to save on time/money.
Yes, the point would be thick, and would be rather useless in battle as it would be poor at penetrating even bare skin. But that doesn’t make it useless, an ineffective tip is still better than no tip at all, which can be seen on many weapons both historically and currently crafted.
It’s clear to me that there was a specific reason that this weapon was crafted without a tip, and not simply because it was pointless (pun intended) or too time consuming to do so.
@@mattwolf752 it is more of a thing about status, which is *very* important at the time. Double side sword is generally considered to be more honorable (hence why the executioner sword exist). But at the time, only nobles were worthy of owning one. The executioner is considered a outcast, and are not worthy to wield a "real" sword, therefore the sword has no tip and has holes in the front to prevent it from sharpening into one. (Or the holes could be of other use like religious symbols or whatnot.)
In general, It is a sword to keep dignity of one executed, but also not a sword, as the wielder is unworthy
maybe just a style thing, so there's no mistaking what that particular sword is used for.
@@mattwolf752 "an ineffective tip is still better than no tip at all" How is an ineffective tip better than no tip when chopping? If it had a tip then I would just be wondering why they did not stretch out the tip so that it could be more useful for chopping (which is the only purpose of the sword).
A big monster that needs to be chopped up... so basically, the apostles in Berserk.
The only person I liked to see wield a behemoth sword.
Isn’t guts sword an executioners sword?
@@frogjunk
No, more like xxxl Berring sword.
But also yes, because it executes anything with a chop.
@@frogjunk
That thing was too big to be called a sword. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like a large hunk of iron.
@@frogjunk I mean, basically, yeah. The Dragonslayer definitely looks like it's weighted as a hunk of iron with a cutting edge, not a sword.
Terminus Est, Severin's sword in Book of the New Sun by Gen Wolf
I was going to comment this. It's really cool how the sword's wild swings are actually suited to the large monsters, giants etc he fights.
Was just about to post this. It looks exactly how Terminus est is described. I wonder if there really are any swords with mercury embedded inside ducts to add weight at the end.
Path of Exile has a unique item called Terminus Est which is based on Severin's sword. The model and 2D art is supposedly based on the book as well.
@@ChiefSmackahoLLC Well, Wolfe based Terminus Est on prior executioner swords, so..
But anyway, I was just searching through making sure Term Est has been mentioned.
@@pete3011 And Severian is an executioner.
"Liven up a setting"? I dunno...
I feel that the implimitation of such a weapon would actually deaden a setting in its *EXECUTION.*
There is an Executioner Sword at the Heimatmuseum called the Scharfrichterschwert that dates to 1484 AD, so there were some Medieval Era examples of these weapons.
I imagine somebody might've mentioned it already, but Gene Wolfe's Book of the Dying Sun feature a main character who is an executioner (more precisely a torturer, but executions are part of the job) and wields such a blade.
The first time I heard of this was in Steel Ball Run, where Zeppeli's family hailed from a line of executioner and use this particular sword.