CHAPTER III.
THE BROAD-SWORD.
| “But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.” Macbeth, Act V., Scene vii. |
General.
In the early stages of the world’s history our very remote ancestors were unacquainted with the art of forging instruments and weapons from metals; they were not even aware of the existence of those metals, and had to content themselves with sharpened flints and other hard stones for cutting purposes. Many of these weapons were fashioned with considerable skill, and give evidence that even in the dark days of the Stone Age men had a good idea of form and the adaptation of the roughest materials to suit the particular purpose they had in view.
To take an example from the most common forms—the spear and javelin-heads which are found along with the bones and other remains of the cave bear. These are admirably designed for entering the body of any animal; for, though varying greatly in size, weight, and shape, the double edge and sharp point render them capable of inflicting severe wounds, and of entering into the flesh almost as easily as the point of a modern sword.
As good specimens of these early spear-heads fetched high prices, finding them was at one time quite a profession, like finding bullets, etc., on the field of Waterloo. Forgeries became common, and in many cases the imitations were so perfect that the most experienced antiquary was often puzzled to pick out the genuine article when placed next to the spurious.
For the benefit of those who take an interest in this branch of research, it may be mentioned that the museum at Salisbury is full of excellent specimens both of true spear-heads and the copies “made to meet the demand,” and I may fairly say that the ordinary observer would be utterly incapable of distinguishing the slightest difference between the two.
The genus “cutting instrument,” then, has for its archetype the sharp flint, which was fashioned by dint of hard labour in the very early days of man’s existence on the face of the earth.
When metals were discovered and their malleability had been tested by the application of fire, not only spear and javelin-heads were formed from the new material, but short swords, consisting entirely of metal, were first constructed; and this departure marked a new era in the civilization of the world, termed by geologists and antiquarians the Bronze Age.