A
flame-bladed sword or
wave-bladed sword has a characteristically undulating style of
bladeA blade is the flat part of a tool, weapon, or machine that normally has a cutting edge and/or pointed end typically made of a flaking stone, such as flint, or metal, most recently steel...
. The wave in the blade is often considered to contribute a flame-like quality to the appearance of a sword. While largely decorative, some attributes of the waved blade were useful in combat.
Flambard, flammard, and Flamenschwert
The terms
flambard and
flammard both mean "flame blade" and reference a normal cutting blade that had been forged with undulating or wave-shaped edges. The German word
Flamenschwert translates to "flame sword". This term encompasses the complete sword, not only the blade, as do
flambard and
flammard. These flame-bladed weapons most commonly took the form of the true
two-handed swordThe , is a two-handed sword primarily of the Renaissance. The weapon is often called in the Western martial arts community as a Greatsword....
or
Zweihänder. These weapons featured an exceptionally long grip and blade, as well as a long
ricassoA ricasso is a part of sword and knife blades. It is the section just above the guard or handle. It is sometimes unsharpened and unbevelled.The first unsharpened ricassos were found on Middle Bronze Age swords...
protected by a set of "parrierhaken" or parrying hooks also known as flukes. This upper guard protected the wielder's hand when gripping the ricasso. Used during the 16th century by the
LandsknechtLandsknechts were European, most often German, mercenary pikemen and supporting foot soldiers from the late 15th to the late 16th century, and achieved the reputation for being the universal mercenary of the European Renaissance.-Etymology:The term is from German, Land "land,...
s, the
Bihänder found its place most commonly among
pike squareThe pike square was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its infantry.- History :...
s. Here, the
Bihänder was used in defence of important leaders by well-trained and experienced swordsmen, called
Doppelsöldner (double mercenary) because they received double pay. It may have been the case that the wave-shaped edges were more useful for attacking the wooden shaft of an opponent's pike, cutting off the tip and thus rendering the pike relatively harmless. It is not known if the undulating blades on these weapons imparts a significantly greater or lesser ability to cut, slice, or thrust against a human target. Similarly, they do not appear to especially weaken or strengthen the weapon. However, a sword with a flamed or scalloped blade has an increased cutting surface and a reduced overall mass. It is likely that there was some practical reason for this blade shape which was difficult to forge, and many functional true two-handed swords were forged with at least part of the blade made in this undulating style.
Its fashionable and eye-catching appearance, however, did lead to its use on larger, heavier ceremonial
Paradeschwerter, or "parade swords".
Flamberge
The term
flamberge, meaning "flame blade", is an undulating blade found on both long blades and
rapierA rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks, mainly in use in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
s. When
parryingA parry is a fencing bladework manoeuvre intended to deflect or block an incoming attack.-Execution:To execute a parry, fencers strike the opponent's foible, or the area near the tip of the blade, with their forte, or the part of the blade near the handle of the sword...
with such a sword, unpleasant vibrations may be transmitted into the attacker's blade. These vibrations caused the blades to slow contact with each other, as additional friction was encountered with each wave.
The term
flamberge was misapplied by collectors and museums to blades that are historically named
flambards and
flammards. This misuse continues despite recognition of the error.
In literature
Flamberge was also the name of a sword borne by the fictional character
Renaud de MontaubanRenaud de Montauban, was a fictional hero who was introduced to literature in a 12th century Old French chanson de geste also known as the Quatre Fils Aymon . His exploits form part of the Doon de Mayence cycle of chansons...
. It was forged by the smith
GalasIn Greek mythology, the name Galas was attributed to individuals. Galas, in mythological accounts, was regarded as the eponymous founder of the Gauls.*Galas was the son of Polyphemos and Galatea and the brother of Illyrius and Keltos....
, and was one of nine blades shattered by Olivier's sword,
HauteclereHauteclere is the sword of Olivier, a character in the French epic, "The Song of Roland". It is described as being of burnished steel, with a crystal embedded in a golden hilt....
.