Scottish One Handed Sword?

[Kendall Campbell]

I was interested in finding the sword and/or history about a sword I seen in the movie "Bravehear". This sword was a one-handed sword about the size of a machete, with a point that sort of looked like a Tanto blade. You see many of the highlanders carrying them. I have looked in vain for a fews years for some trace of these, if they have exist. I'm currently studying the history of the period, but they fail to give any great detail of weapons.

 

[Triton]

Kendall,

I have seen speculation on this on various forums. I have heard everything from speculation that these weapons you describe are holdovers from the ancient seax, to they are an early form of falchion to someone saying that they are very familiar with that blade shape and it is called a corn knife. There is also a large body of people myself included that think that the director of the movie needed some more bodies and blades and just dug up some props from somewhere. Braveheart isn't exactly what I would call a historically accurate source after all. It seems like I remember one fight scene where I saw this guy checking his wrist watch....

 

[FullerH]

There have been some absolutely scathing discussions of "Braveheart" over on NetSword ( www.netsword.com ), especially by Peter Morwood, an Irishman who writes novel and screenplays for a living. He absolutely froths at the mouth on the subject. In any case, the sword that is generally called the Scottish One-Handed Sword is a double edged sword with a blade about 31-32 inches long and a single hand hilt. The Quillons are bent downward toward the blade, as on the later "claidheamh-mor", or claymore greatsword, but with a simple rounded nubbin on the end rather than the quatre-foil associated with the claymore.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller

[This message has been edited by FullerH (edited 04-02-2001).]

 

[Kendall Campbell]

From what history I have read, about the only thing I can find accurate is William Wallace being gutted at the end. And the fact that they torn his body apart and sent them to the four corner of the country. I was wondering if it might have been a farming tool of a sort. Corn knife then might sound right. Thanks for your input

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Triton:
Kendall,

I have seen speculation on this on various forums. I have heard everything from speculation that these weapons you describe are holdovers from the ancient seax, to they are an early form of falchion to someone saying that they are very familiar with that blade shape and it is called a corn knife. There is also a large body of people myself included that think that the director of the movie needed some more bodies and blades and just dug up some props from somewhere. Braveheart isn't exactly what I would call a historically accurate source after all. It seems like I remember one fight scene where I saw this guy checking his wrist watch....</font>