CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
[FOREWORD]ix
[INTRODUCTION]xi
[LIST OF AUTHORITIES]xxiii
I.[PREAMBLE: ON THE ORIGIN OF WEAPONS]1
II.[MAN’S FIRST WEAPONS—THE STONE AND THE STICK. THE EARLIEST AGES OF WEAPONS. THE AGES OF WOOD, OF BONE, AND OF HORN]16
III.[THE WEAPONS OF THE AGE OF WOOD: THE BOOMERANG AND THE SWORD OF WOOD; OF STONE, AND OF WOOD AND STONE COMBINED]31
IV.[THE PROTO-CHALCITIC OR COPPER AGE OF WEAPONS]53
V.[THE SECOND CHALCITIC AGE OF ALLOYS—BRONZE, BRASS, ETC.: THE AXE AND THE SWORD]74
VI.[THE PROTO-SIDERIC OR EARLY IRON AGE OF WEAPONS]97
VII.[THE SWORD: WHAT IS IT?]123
VIII.[THE SWORD IN ANCIENT EGYPT AND IN MODERN AFRICA]143
IX.[THE SWORD IN KHITA-LAND, PALESTINE AND CANAAN; PHŒNICIA AND CARTHAGE; JEWRY, CYPRUS, TROY, AND ETRURIA]172
X.[THE SWORD IN BABYLONIA, ASSYRIA AND PERSIA, AND ANCIENT INDIA]199
XI.[THE SWORD IN ANCIENT GREECE: HOMER; HESIOD AND HERODOTUS: MYCENÆ]220
XII.[THE SWORD IN ANCIENT ROME: THE LEGION AND THE GLADIATOR]244
XIII.[THE SWORD AMONGST THE BARBARIANS (EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE)]262
[CONCLUSION]280
[INDEX]281

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE
1.[Indian Wágh-nakh]9
2.[Wágh-nakh, used by Maráthás]9
3.[Balistes Capriscus; Cottus Diceraus; Naseus Fronticornis]9
4.[Spear of Narwhal; Sword of Xiphias; Rhinoceros-Horn; Walrus Tusks]10
5.[Narwhal’s Sword Piercing Plank]10
6.[Metal Daggers with Horn Curve]10
7.[Mádu or Máru ]11
8.[The Adaga]12
9.[Serrated or Multibarbed Weapons]14
10.[Weapons made of Shark’s Teeth]14
11.[Italian Dagger, with Grooves and Holes for Poison]14
12.[Sword with Serrated Blade of Saw-Fish]14
13.[Ancient Egyptians Throwing Knives]18
14.[Japanese War-Flail]21
15.[Turkish War-Flail]21
16.[Morning Star]21
17.[Deer-Horn Arrow-Head]24
18.[Horn War Clubs with Metal Points]24
19.[Double Spear and Shield]24
20.[Spine of Diodon]24
21.[Walrus Tooth used as Spear Point; Tomahawk of Walrus Tooth]24
22.[Sting of Malaccan Limulus Crab]25
23.[The Greenland Nuguit]25
24.[Narwhal Shaft and Metal Blade]25
25.[Jade Pattu-Pattus]25
26.[Bone Arrow-Point for Poison; Iron Arrow-Head for Poison]27
27.[Wilde’s Dagger]27
28.[Hollow Bone for Poison]27
29.[Bone Knife]27
30.[Bone Arrow-Point armed with Flint Flakes]27
31.[Bone Splinter edged with Flint Flakes]27
32.[Harpoon Head]29
33.[Lisán in Egypt and Abyssinia]32
34.[Lisán or Tongue]32
35.[Transition from the Boomerang to the Hatchet]34
36.[Australian Picks]34
37.[Indian Boomerangs]35
38.[Boomerang and Kite]35
39.[African Boomerangs]36
40.[Transition from the Malga, Leowel or Pick to the Boomerang]37
41.[The Stick and the Shield]39
42.[Throw-sticks]39
43.[Old Egyptian Boomerang]39
44.[Bulak Sword]39
45.[Hieroglyphic Inscription on Wooden Sword of Bulak]39
46.[Transition from Celt to Paddle Spear and Sword Forms]41
47.[Clubs of Fiji Islands]41
48.[Wooden Swords and Clubs of Brazilian Indians]41
49.[Pagaya, Sharpened Paddle]42
50.[Clubs]43
51.[Paddles]43
52.[Samoan Club]44
53.[Wooden Sabre]44
54.[Wooden Chopper]44
55.[Knife (Wood), from Vanna Lava]44
56.[Irish Sword]45
57.[Wooden Rapier-Blade]45
58.[Fragments of Stone Knives from Shetland]47
59.[Flint Daggers]47
60.[Australian Spears armed with Flints at side]47
61.[Sword of Sabre Form, with Sharks’ Teeth]47
62.[Ditto, armed with Obsidian]47
63.[Wood- and Horn-Points]49
64.[Mexican Sword of the Fifteenth Century, of Iron Wood, with Ten Blades of Black Obsidian fixed into the Wood]49
65.[Mahquahuitls]50
66.[Mexican Warrior]50
67.[Mexican Sword, Iron-Wood, armed with Obsidian]50
68.[Mexican Spear-Head (Fifteenth Century), Black Obsidian, with Wooden Handle]10
69.[New Zealand Club]50
70.[Australian Spears, with bits of Obsidian, Crystal, or Glass]51
71.[Italian Poison Daggers]51
72.[Arab Sword, with Down-curved Quillons, and Saw Blade]51
73.[Sephuris at Wady Magharah (oldest Rock Tablets). Third Dynasty]60
74.[Soris and the Canaanites at Wady Magharah (oldest Rock Tablets), Fourth Dynasty]60
75.[Tablet of Suphis and Nu-Suphis at Wady Magharah. (Fourth Dynasty.)]62
76.[The Winged Celt, or Palstave]71
77.[Copper Celts in the Dublin Collection]72
78.[Scythe-shaped Blade]73
79.[Straight Blade]73
80.[Straight Blade]73
81.[Scythe-shaped Blade]73
82.[Fine Specimen of Egyptian Dagger in possession of Mr. Hayns, brought by Mr. Harris from Thebes]80
83.[Bronze Knife, from the Pile-Villages of Neuchâtel]82
84.[Peruvian Knife. Metal Blade, secured in a Slit in the Haft by strong Cotton Twine]82
85.[Oldest Form (?)]89
86.[Metal Celts]89
87.[Knife found at Réalon (Hautes Alpes)]89
88.[The Glaive]90
89.[Egyptian Axes of Bronze]90
90.[Irish Battle-Axe]91
91.[Axe used by Bruce]91
92.[German Processional Axe]91
93.[Halbards]93
94.[Halbards]93
95.[Bechwana’s Club Axe; The Same, Expanded; The Same, Barbed; Silepe of the Basutos; Horseman’s Axe of the Sixteenth Century]93
96.[Hindu Hatchet from Rajputana]94
97.[German Hatchet of Bronze Period]94
98.[Burgundian Axe; Francisque or Taper Axe]94
99.[Iron Scramasax]94
100.[Scramasax]94
101.[Gunnar’s Bill]95
102.[Voulges]95
103.[Egyptian Sacrificial Knives (Iron)]101
104.[Iron Smelting Furnace amongst the Maráve People]119
105.[Portable African Bellows]121
106.[The Italian Foil]125
107.[Pommel; Quillons; Pas d’Ane]126
108.[Double Guard (Guard and Counterguard)]126
109.[Straight Quillons and Loops]126
110.[Fantastic Form]126
111.[The Three Forms of the Sword]126
112.[Delivering Point]127
113.[The Infantry ‘Regulation’ Sword]129
114.[Scymitar]130
115.[Claymore]130
116.
117.		}[Diagrams illustrating the Direct and the Oblique Cut]}131
118.[Sections of Sword-Blades]131
119.[Foil with French Guard]133
120.[Regulation Sword for Infantry]133
121.[Scymitar-Shape]133
122.[Yataghan]134
123.[Ornamental Yataghan and Sheath]134
124.[Sections of Thrusting-Swords]135
125.[Pierced Blade]136
126.[Pierced Blade and Sheath]136
127.[Flamberge]136
128.[German Main-Gauche]136
129.[Paternoster]136
130.[Malay Krís]137
131.[Wave-Edged Dagger]137
132.[Saw-Tooth Blade]137
133.[Main-Gauche]137
134.[Sword-Breakers]138
135.[One-Edged Wave Blade]138
136.[Counterguard]138
137.[Toothed-Edge]138
138.[Hooked-Edge]138
139.[Executioner’s Sword]139
140.[Japanese Type]139
141.[Chinese Sabre-Knife]139
142.[Old Persian Sword]139
143.[Scymitar]139
144.[Old Turkish]141
145.[Chinese]141
146.[Old Turkish Scymitar]141
147.[The Dáo]141
148.[Sailor’s Cutlass]141
149.[Hindu Kitár]141
150.[Gold Coast]141
151.[Bronze Dagger; Sword]145
152.[Single-stick in Egypt]154
153.[Egyptian Soldier and Shield]154
154.[Egyptian Soldiers]154
155.[Egyptian Soldier]154
156.[Egyptians Fighting, from Paintings of Thebes; Egyptian Soldiers, from Theban Bas-Reliefs]154
157.[Bronze Hatchets in Wooden Handles, Bound with Thongs]154
158.[Pole-axes]154
159.[Kheten or War-axes]154
160.[Different Forms of the Egyptian Khopsh (Kopis), with Edges Inside and Outside]156
161.[Egyptian Sling; Unknown Weapon; Sheathed Dagger; Hatchet; Scorpion, or Whip-Goad]157
162.[Egyptian Daggers]157
163.[Egyptian Dagger of Bronze in British Museum]157
164.[Officer of Life-Guard to Rameses II., apparently Asiatic]157
165.[Bronze Sword, found at Al-Kantarah, Egypt]157
166.[Axe; Spear-Head; Khopsh; Lance-Head]158
167.[Belt and Dagger]158
168.[Egyptian Daggers]158
169.[Assyrian Daggers, Sheaths, and Belts]159
170.[Short Sword from Caucasus]160
171.[Egyptian Chopper-Swords]160
172.[Egyptian Khopsh]160
173.[Bronze Daggers and Sheath]161
174.[Shapes of Egyptian Blades]161
175.[Sword-Daggers]161
176.[Abyssinian Sword, a Large Sickle]164
177.[Smaller Abyssinian Blade]164
178.[Abyssinian Sword in Sheath]164
179.[Flissa of Kabyles]164
180.[ Dankali Sword]165
181.[Congo Sword]165
182.[Unyoro Dagger-Sword]166
183.[Zanzibar Swords]166
184.[Gold Coast Swords]168
185.[Ashanti Sword-Knife]168
186.[Swords of King Gelele of Dahomy]168
187.[Beheading Sword]168
188.[Wasa (Wassaw) Sword]168
189.[King Blay’s Sword]168
190.[Captain Cameron’s Manyuema Swordlet, Sheath, and Belt]169
191.[Pokwé of the Cazembe’s Chiefs]170
192.[Gaboon Swords, both evidently Egyptian]170
193.[Cleaver of the Habshi People]170
194.[Frankish Blade, with Mid-Groove out of Centre]170
195.[Cyprian Dagger]173
196.[Novacula]190
197.[Novacula?]190
198.[Novacula, Sickle? Razor?]190
199.[Silver Dagger]190
200.[Copper Sword from the ‘Treasury of Priam’]192
201.[Marzabotto Blade]195
202.[Assyrian Sword]199
203.[Assyrian Lance, with Counter-weight]203
204.[Assyrian Spear-Head]203
205.[Assyrian ‘Razor’]203
206.[Babylonian Bronze Dagger; Assyrian Swords; Assyrian Bronze-Sword]204
207.[Dagger-Sword in Sheath]204
208.[Dagger-Sword]204
209.[Club-Sword]204
210.[Fancy Sword]204
211.[Assyrian Swords]205
212.[Assyrian Swords]205
213.[Assyrian Dagger]205
214.[Assyrio-Babylonian Archer]206
215.[Assyrian Foot Soldier]206
216.[Assyrian Soldier Hunting Game]206
217.[Foot Soldier of the Army of Sennacherib (b.c. 712–707)]206
218.[Assyrian Warrior, with Sword and Staff]206
219.[Assyrian Warriors at a Lion Hunt]206
220.[Assyrian Eunuch]206
221.[Bronze Sword, bearing the Name of Vul-nirari I., found near Diarbekr]208
222.[Persian Archer]209
223.[Persian Warrior]209
224.[The Persian Cidaris, or Tiara]209
225.[Persian Acinaces]211
226.[Persian Acinaces]211
227.[Sword from Mithras Group]211
228.[Sword in Relief, Persepolis Sculptures]211
229.[Persian Acinaces]211
230.[Dagger-forms from Persepolis]211
231.[Acinaces of Persepolis]212
232.[Acinaces of Mithras Group]212
233.[Hindú Warriors]215
234.[Javanese Blade, showing Indian derivation; Hindú Sabre]215
235.[Battle-Scene from a Cave in Cuttack, First Century a.d.]216
236.[The First Highlander]217
237.[Arjuna’s Sword]217
238.[Javanese Sculptures with Bent Swords]218
239.[Pesháwar Sculptures]218
240.[Two-edged Bronze Sword and Alabaster Knob, Mycenæ]223
241.[Gold Shoulder-Belt, with Fragment of Two-Edged Bronze Rapier]228
242.[Blade from Mycenæ]229
243.[A Long Gold Plate]229
244.[Weapons from Mycenæ]229
245.[Sword Blades from Mycenæ]229
246.[Sword Blades from Mycenæ]230
247.[Bronze Lancehead (?)]230
248.[Two-Edged Bronze Sword and Dagger]230
249.[Two-Edged Bronze Swords and Alabaster Knob]231
250.[Rapier Blades of Mycenæ]232
251.[Warrior with Sword]232
252.[Bronze Sword found in the Palace, Mycenæ]233
253.[Bronze Dagger: Two Blades Soldered]233
254.[Phásganon]235
255.[Greek Phásgana]235
256.[Short Sword (Phásganon) of Bronze, found in Crannog at Peschiara, and probably Greek]235
257.[Two-Edged Bronze Sword and Alabaster Pommel]236
258.[Kopis with Pommel]236
259.[Kopis with Hook]236
260.[Kukkri Blade of Ghurkas]236
261.[The Danísko]237
262.[Greek Xiphos]238
263.[Gallo-Greek Sword]238
264.[Gallo-Greek Sword]238
265.[Mayence Blade]238
266.[Gallo-Greek Blade and Sheath]238
267.[Bronze Parazonium]239
268.[‘Hoplites’ (Heavy Armed)]240
269.[Greek Combatants with Sword and Lance]240
270.[Roman Soldier]246
271.[Helmets of Hastarii (from Trajan’s Column); Helmets of Hastarii; Bronze Helmet (from Cannæ)]246
272.[Hastatus (from Trajan’s Column)]247
273.[Centurion’s Cuirass, with Phaleræ or Decorations]248
274.[Roman Sword; Gladius]255
275.[Bronze Two-Edged Early Roman Ensis]255
276.[Sword of Roman Auxiliary]255
277.[Roman Sword]255
278.[Sword and Vagina (Sheath)]256
279.[Sword and Vagina (Sheath)]256
280.[The Pugio]256
281.[Two-Edged Roman Stilettos]257
282.[Sword of Tiberius]258
283.[German or Slav Sword]263
284.[Scramasax from Hallstadt]263
285.[Danish Scramasax]263
286.[Blade and Handle of Bronze with Part of Eagle]265
287.[Gallic Sword of Bronze]266
288.[Sword found at Augsburg]270
289.[Bronze]271
290.[The Spatha of Schleswig]272
291.[Short Keltic Sword]272
292.[Danish Sword]274
293.[British Sword, Bronze]278

THE BOOK OF THE SWORD.

CHAPTER I.
PREAMBLE: ON THE ORIGIN OF WEAPONS.

Man’s civilisation began with Fire—how to light it and how to keep it lit. Before he had taken this step, our primal ancestor (or ancestors) evidently led the life of the lower animals. The legend of ‘Iapetus’ bold son’ Prometheus, like many others invented by the Greeks, or rather borrowed from Egypt, contained under the form of fable a deep Truth, a fact, a lesson valuable even in these days. ‘Forethought,’ the elder brother of ‘Afterthought,’ brought down the semina flammæ in a hollow tube from Heaven, or stole it from the chariot of the Sun. Here we have the personification of the Great Unknown, who, finding a cane-brake or a jungle tree fired by lightning or flamed by wind-friction, conceived the idea of feeding the σπέρμα πυρὸς with fuel. Thus Hermes or Mercury was ‘Pteropédilos’ or ‘Alipes;’ and his ankles were fitted with ‘Pedila’ or ‘Talaria,’ winged sandals, to show that the soldier fights with his legs as well as with his arms.[3]