Claymore
Encyclopedia
The term claymore refers to the Scottish variant of the late medieval longsword
, two-handed swords with a cross hilt
, of which the guards were in use during the 15th and 16th centuries.
The sense "basket-hilted broadsword" is contemporaneous, attested in 1773 as "The broad-sword now used [...] called the Glaymore, (i.e. the great sword)."
OED observes that the latter usage is "inexact, but very common". The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica likewise judged that the term is "wrongly" applied to the basket-hilted sword.
Authors arguing that the basket-hilted sword is "incorrectly" called claymore have been known to suggest that claybeg (from a purported Gaelic claidheamh beag "small sword") should be used instead.
But it should be noted that this doesn't parallel Scottish Gaelic usage: According to
the Gaelic Dictionary by R. A. Armstrong (1825), claidheamh mòr translates to "broadsword", and claidheamh dà làimh to "two-handed sword", while claidheamh beag is given as a translation of Bilbo
.
The term "claymore" became part of vocabulary of the Victorian era sentimental or Romanticist "retro-Jacobite" literature and poetry such as the Skye Boat Song (1870).
Other contemporary Gaelic descriptives of swords include claidheamh cuil or back sword, referring to a single-edged or edge-and-a-quarter sword with a flat "spine" [not one worn on the back, a common misinterpretation], the claidheamh crom or crooked sword, which could describe either a typical saber style blade (such as that worn by Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, in the painting by Medina) or a scimitar style blade known as a "turcael" ("turkish" blade) such as that brandished by Alasdair Mor, the Champion of Clan Grant, in the c. 1715 portrait by Waitt, or the claidheamh caol or narrow sword, usually describing a rapier
or small-sword.
It should be noted that the term claybeg, purportedly from Scots Gaelic claidheamh beg meaning "little sword" is not seen in clan-era Gaelic song or poetry, 'Dwelly's' [ibid.], or other authorities, and seems to be a fairly recent invention.)
claymore was a large sword used in the late Medieval
and early modern period
s. It was used in the constant clan
warfare and border fights with the English
from circa 1400 to 1700.
Although Claymores existed as far back as the Wars of Scottish Independence
they were smaller and few had the typical quatrefoil
design(as can be seen on the Great Seal of John Balliol King of Scots). The last known battle in which it is considered to have been used in a significant number was the Battle of Killiecrankie
in 1689. It was somewhat smaller than other two-handed swords of the era
. The two-handed claymore seems to be an offshoot of Early Scottish medieval longswords (similar to the Espee de Guerrel or Grete war sword) which had developed a distinctive style of a cross-hilt with downsloping arms that ended in spatulate swellings.The lobed pommels on earlier swords were inspired by the Viking style. The spatulate swellings were later frequently made in a quatrefoil
design.
The average claymore ran about 140 cm (55 in) in overall length, with a 33 cm (13 in) grip, 107 cm (42 in) blade, and a weight of approximately 5.5 lb (2.5 kg).
Fairly uniform in style, the sword was set with a wheel pommel often capped by a crescent-shaped nut and a guard with straight, down-sloping arms ending in quatrefoil
s and langets running down the center of the blade from the guard. Another common style of two-handed claymore (though lesser known today) was the "clamshell hilted" claymore. It had a crossguard that consisted of two downward-curving arms and two large, round, concave plates that protected the foregrip. It was so named because the round guards resembled an open clam.
Longsword
The longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
, two-handed swords with a cross hilt
Crossguard
On a sword or some knives, the crossguard , also known as quillons, is a bar of metal at right angles to the blade, placed between the blade and the hilt. The crossguard stops the wielder from punching shields while swinging the weapon, thereby protecting the user's hand...
, of which the guards were in use during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Terminology
The term claymore is an anglicisation of the Gaelic claidheamh mòr "great sword", first attested in 1772 (as Cly-more) with the gloss "great two-handed sword".The sense "basket-hilted broadsword" is contemporaneous, attested in 1773 as "The broad-sword now used [...] called the Glaymore, (i.e. the great sword)."
OED observes that the latter usage is "inexact, but very common". The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica likewise judged that the term is "wrongly" applied to the basket-hilted sword.
Authors arguing that the basket-hilted sword is "incorrectly" called claymore have been known to suggest that claybeg (from a purported Gaelic claidheamh beag "small sword") should be used instead.
But it should be noted that this doesn't parallel Scottish Gaelic usage: According to
the Gaelic Dictionary by R. A. Armstrong (1825), claidheamh mòr translates to "broadsword", and claidheamh dà làimh to "two-handed sword", while claidheamh beag is given as a translation of Bilbo
Bilbo (sword)
The bilbo, a thrusting-sword, seems to take its name from its place of manufacture: Bilbao , famed for its sword-blades, and formerly known as Bilboa in English. Bilbos have well-tempered and flexible blades. It was very popular aboard ships, where it was used on a similar role as the cutlass was...
.
The term "claymore" became part of vocabulary of the Victorian era sentimental or Romanticist "retro-Jacobite" literature and poetry such as the Skye Boat Song (1870).
Other contemporary Gaelic descriptives of swords include claidheamh cuil or back sword, referring to a single-edged or edge-and-a-quarter sword with a flat "spine" [not one worn on the back, a common misinterpretation], the claidheamh crom or crooked sword, which could describe either a typical saber style blade (such as that worn by Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, in the painting by Medina) or a scimitar style blade known as a "turcael" ("turkish" blade) such as that brandished by Alasdair Mor, the Champion of Clan Grant, in the c. 1715 portrait by Waitt, or the claidheamh caol or narrow sword, usually describing a rapier
Rapier
A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
or small-sword.
It should be noted that the term claybeg, purportedly from Scots Gaelic claidheamh beg meaning "little sword" is not seen in clan-era Gaelic song or poetry, 'Dwelly's' [ibid.], or other authorities, and seems to be a fairly recent invention.)
Two-handed (Highland) claymore
The two-handedTwo-handed sword
A two-handed sword, used as a general term, is any large sword designed to be used primarily with two hands:* the European longsword, popular in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance....
claymore was a large sword used in the late Medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and early modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
s. It was used in the constant clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
warfare and border fights with the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from circa 1400 to 1700.
Although Claymores existed as far back as the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
they were smaller and few had the typical quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
design(as can be seen on the Great Seal of John Balliol King of Scots). The last known battle in which it is considered to have been used in a significant number was the Battle of Killiecrankie
Battle of Killiecrankie
-References:*Reid, Stuart, The Battle of Kiellliecrankkie -External links:* *...
in 1689. It was somewhat smaller than other two-handed swords of the era
Longsword
The longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
. The two-handed claymore seems to be an offshoot of Early Scottish medieval longswords (similar to the Espee de Guerrel or Grete war sword) which had developed a distinctive style of a cross-hilt with downsloping arms that ended in spatulate swellings.The lobed pommels on earlier swords were inspired by the Viking style. The spatulate swellings were later frequently made in a quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
design.
The average claymore ran about 140 cm (55 in) in overall length, with a 33 cm (13 in) grip, 107 cm (42 in) blade, and a weight of approximately 5.5 lb (2.5 kg).
Fairly uniform in style, the sword was set with a wheel pommel often capped by a crescent-shaped nut and a guard with straight, down-sloping arms ending in quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
s and langets running down the center of the blade from the guard. Another common style of two-handed claymore (though lesser known today) was the "clamshell hilted" claymore. It had a crossguard that consisted of two downward-curving arms and two large, round, concave plates that protected the foregrip. It was so named because the round guards resembled an open clam.