A
sword of state is a
swordA sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world, primarily as a cutting or thrusting weapon and occasionally for clubbing...
, used as part of the
regaliaRegalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'.- Regalia in the Abstract:...
, symbolizing the power of a
monarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.
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A
sword of state is a
swordA sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world, primarily as a cutting or thrusting weapon and occasionally for clubbing...
, used as part of the
regaliaRegalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'.- Regalia in the Abstract:...
, symbolizing the power of a
monarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.
It is known to be used in following monarchies:
- Reichsschwert of the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
- Kingdom of Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, see Danish crown regaliaDanish Crown Regalia are the symbols of the Danish monarchy. They consist of three crowns, a sceptre , an orb , a sword of state and an ampulla....
- Joyeuse
Joyeuse was the name of Charlemagne's personal sword. The name translates as "joyful". Some legends claim that it was forged to contain the Lance of Longinus within its pommel; others state it was supposedly smithed from the same materials as Roland's Durendal and Ogier's Curtana.The 11th century...
, used for the sacre of the king of FranceThe French Crown Jewels were the crowns, orbs, diadems and jewels that were the symbol of royalty and which were worn by many Kings and Queens of France. The set was finally broken up, with most of it sold off in 1885 by the Third French Republic...
. Reputed to be the sword of CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
.
- Kingdom of Hungary
Hungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
- Habsburg
The House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
Kingdom of HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
- Kingdom of 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, later Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
, yet later United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
see Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, see Dutch Royal RegaliaIn comparison to many European monarchies' regalia, the Dutch Regalia are relatively new, having been commissioned by King Willem II in 1840. An earlier, more modest set of regalia made of silver were commissioned by King William I in 1815....
(made in 1840 for enthronements)
- Kingdom of Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, see Honours of Scotland
- Kingdom of Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
, where it is the oldest of the VasaThe House of Vasa was the Royal House of Sweden 1523-1654 and of Poland and Lithuania 1587–1668. In 1611–1613 Duke Charles Philip, Prince of Sweden, was a pretender to Russian throne during Time of Troubles; so was Wladyslaw, the future King of Poland, in 1610–1613...
regalia
- Kingdom of Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- SzczerbiecSzczerbiec is a sword that was traditionally used in the coronation ceremony of Polish kings. It is the only preserved part of the Polish Crown Jewels....
- Kingdom of Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
or Siam- the Sword of VictoryThe Sword of Victory or Phra Saeng Khan Chai Si is one of the Royal Regalia of the King of Thailand. The Sword represents the military might and power of the King. The hilt has a length of 25.4 centimeters with the blade measuring 64.5 centimeters. When placed in the scabbard the sword has a total...
, one of the five Regalia of Thailand.
- The former Kingdom of the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor...
(now a crown dependency), bearing the triskelionA triskelion or triskele is a symbol consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry....
symbol, annually used on Tynwald DayTynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July.On this day, the Isle's legislature, Tynwald, meets in St John’s, rather than its usual meeting place, Douglas. The session is held in both the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist and the open air on Tynwald Hill...
- The Transcaucasian Kingdom of Georgia
Georgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
- The Eodo of Taejohttp://flyturtle.egloos.com/tag/%EC%96%B4%EB%8F%84/page/1 of Joseon
Joseon , was a Korean sovereign state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong...
Dynasty, KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
- The Sword of Osman
The Sword of Osman was an important sword of state used during the coronation ceremony of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. The sword was named after Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Dynasty. The practice started when Osman I was girt with the sword of Islam by his mentor and father-in-law Sheik...
, given to SultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
s of the Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
;
- Kusanagi
is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi .-Legends:The history of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi extends into...
, kept by the Emperor of JapanThe of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. He is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion...
;
- In the former sultanate of the Maldives
The Maldives , or Maldive Islands, officially Republic of Maldives, is an island country in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching along north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago...
, being invested on the Monarch in a traditional gong ceremony
- Also in the Malay world, notably in
- the sultanate of Perak
Perak is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor southward and to the west by the Strait of Malacca.Perak means silver in...
, where it gave the name to a 'national' order of knighthood http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Malaysia/perak16.htm
- Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , it is situated on the north-west of the island...
(on Borneo)
By analogy, it can even be used in republics, as in the Senate of the state of
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
in the United States of America.
See also
- Sword of Justice
Swords of justice, or executioner's swords, were used by trained executioners for carrying out capital punishment in many cultures. Given their special 'ceremonial' purpose, they were usually very well-made of the highest quality metal and were extremely sharp...
- similar part of regalia
- Ceremonial weapon
A ceremonial weapon is an object used for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority. They are often used in parades, and as part of dress uniforms....
s - several types can be part of regalia
- Sword of the State - a title