SWORD (AS. sweord, 0110. steer!. Ger. Schteert, sword; of uncertain etymology). In its general sense, every steel weapon of offense or defense larger than the dagger or poniard; in modern military usage the term sword is used to describe the infantry or straight neapomand sabre for the slightly curved weapon of the cavalryman. Although the distinction is clearly marked in Germany by the employment of Dcgcn for the straight sword and Sabel for the curved weapon, the custom with other nations is to employ a single word for both varieties. The sword always has been, and is at present, a personal weapon; so much so that in the prose and poetry of all na tions it is often endowed with human as well as superhuman qualities. To surrender the sword has always been a token of submission. and the breaking of it a most impressive ceremony of deg radation. while to kiss the sword is even to day with Orientals the highest form of oath and homage. The first sword was undoubtedly of hard wood, and judging from the widely scat tered area in which it has been proved to have been known, its employment must have been practically spontaneous among all the peoples whose stage of civilization rendered possible its use. Wooden swords were part of the equipment of the Indians of Virginia. according to the state ment of Captain John Smith. Greek literature refers more frequently to the spear and how than to the sword. as is the ease with the Roman and Hebrew writings. according to the testimony of the Greek works of art, the leaf shaped blade sword was the one used by the Greeks in historical times. although the Greeks, almost alone of the ancient peoples. held the sword in but slight estimation. The ancient sword was usually worn on the left side sus pended by a belt front the shoulder. although it was sometimes slung more forward, bringing the hilt in the front, or else suspended from a girdle around the waist. With the Egyptians of bronze was carried in its leather scabbard in front of the body. and thrust in the sword belt in a sloping direction from right to left. The Assyrians seem to have possessed
the weapon most nearly approaching the sword of today. It was straight and narrow and ap parently designed for thru.ling as much as for cutting. Tile pointed sword of the Homan legion aries was invariably successful when opposed to tile pointless weapons of their enemies. On the other hand, most Asiatie nations to this day continue to use the sword as a cutting weapon, its curved shape usually preventing any use of the point. Thus the swords. military and civil, of to-day may be said to be descended from the European straight sword and the Eastern scimitar or tulwar. Under FENCING Will be found the his tory of the sword up to the present day.
Asia has been more proiitie in the matter of variety of blades than has Europe; for instance, the yalaghan of the Mohammedan races with its double curve is a compact and formidable weapon, as also is the lazkri of the Gurkhas, which resembles the yataghan except that it is considerably broader in the blade. The paid, a long straight-hilted is found in the south of India, while in the north the kaldr, a broad-hladed weapon with a cross-bar handle, was for a long time in favor. The Japanese swords are many in number and characteristic to a de gree of the Japanese people. They may be clas sified as two-edged swords called tsurugi, and one-edged swords called in general hatnna. The Isurugi is the primitive weapon of Japan. and is now rarely met with except as an ornament in temples. It was from 28 to 40 inches long and about or 3 inches wide, and in the middle up to a:, of an inch thick. It ended in a sharp point and often thickened and broadened toward the point. It was evidently designed more for cutting than for thrusting. The katana or one-edged sword is also a cutting rather than a thrusting weapon. but is a much more handy sword than the tsuruyi. The various varieties of the ka'tana are named according to their length, which is measured from the guard (at the inner end) to the hilt of the point, as: 1,aeiti; katana proper; wakizashi: la h; and i mattv others.