Claim: Medieval greatswords were very heavy—sometimes up to 25 pounds!
Rating: FALSE
Explanation:
It is common to hear that Medieval weapons were "heavy" and "unwieldy". Usually the claim states that greatswords (also known as great swords) were especially massive, and could wiegh in excess of twenty pounds.
This is entirely false.
John Clements, a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) practitioner, has this to say:
From ordinary hands-on experience we know full well that swords were not excessively heavy nor did they weigh 10 or 15 pounds and more. There is only so many ways we can repeat how these weapons were not at all heavy or ungainly.
Despite frequent claims to the contrary, Medieval swords were indeed light, manageable, and on average weighed less than four pounds. (Source)
In another essay, he says:
Nothing answers the question of genuine weight better than sample evidence of actual historical specimens. Sword collector and author Dr. Lee Jones possesses a very fine specimen of a 16th century German two-handed great sword, that this author had the privilege of exercising outdoors with, had length in excess of five feet and a weight of 7.9 pounds (3490g), but handled easily with superb balance. Curator of arms for the Hungarian Military History Museum in Budapest, László Töl, describes a very fine specimen of another 16th century German two-handed great sword of 53.4 inches length, which this author also had the privilege of examining, as weighing only a little over 8 pounds. Again, the piece's size and weight betrayed a functional and well-balanced weapon.
Jacob Dorey, another HEMA practitioner, has this to say:
...this sword is not as heavy as you might think. It actually only usually weighs around 2–2.2 kilos. Swords are not heavy weapons. Sure it does feel heavy compared to other swords, but if you train with it enough it can be used fairly easily. The thing is Zweihanders like most other swords have the weight focused at the hilt, not towards the end like an axe, mace, war hammer, or pol arm.
Nor is it true that swords could cut through plate armor. (See Sources for more.)
Sources:
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