Sword use outside of warfare

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Swords during Medieval times were mainly used in war by knights and soldiers. However they were used in everyday life for multiple reasons. They were used in tournaments by knights the swords were sharpened until the Statute of Arms was enacted in 1292; it stated that a knight could not use “live steel” meaning that the sword had to be blunt edged. If the knight were to kill his opponent he could be imprisoned and had his property taken away from him. Swords were used in the ritual to become a knight. Kings used swords to behead the people they didn’t want to have in their country anymore and it was quicker than exiling them. Swords were not just weapons but they were Symbols, Sporting equipment and Legends.
During Medieval times swords were not just used as a tool for war but they were seen as symbols. A knights sword was his most sacred possession, he carried it with him throughout his entire life. In order to gain his sword a knight had to go through a ritual. His future sword and shield were placed on the altar of a catholic church, He then had to go into silent prayer either standing or kneeling for 10 hours. Although a knight might get new swords throughout his life he will always have the sword he started out with. Swords were also used in legal issues in a system called Trial by Combat. “Civil disputes were handled differently from criminal cases. In civil cases, women, the elderly, the infirm of body, minors, and—after 1176—the clergy could choose a jury trial or could have champions named to fight in their stead” (Neilson). Champions were technically illegal but there is documented evidence of their use. The reason why certain people were allowed to use a champion is because they were seen as weak or they were a member ...

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...erdinand III of Castile. He was crowned king of Castile at the age of 18. Furthermore he became king of Palencia, Valladolid, and Burgos. The Brave heart warrior William Wallace used his claymore to help free Scotland from England’s tyranny from 1297 to 1298, where he was defeated at the battle of Falkirk. In 1305 he was captured and brought to King Edward I where he was hanged, quartered and drawn for high treason.
Swords were not just weapons but they were Symbols, Sporting equipment and Legends. To sum it all up, swords were not just weapons but much more than that. They helped in legal disputes, were used to see who was better in the ring, and seen as symbols of wealth and nobility. A knight would cherish and love the sword he got on his coronation into becoming a knight. It would stay in his family and was typically passed on to his children and grandchildren.

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