The bastarda zobens, the French épée bâtarde and the English bastard sword, emerged in the 15th century. Originally, the term referred to an 'irregular' sword that could be used with both one and two hands. By the middle of the 16th century, it could also refer to exceptionally large swords, which made the distinction between 'bastaard zobens' and 'garais zobens' increasingly vague. The Masters of Defence competition, organized by Henry VIII in July 1540, mentioned the 'two-handed sword' and the 'bastard sword' as two separate categories. It is uncertain whether the same term was also used for other types of shorter swords, but in the 19th century "bastarda zobens" was clearly established as a reference to large swords. This causes the term to often be confused with the garais zobens or the divrocīgs zobens.
Vēsture par bastarda zobenu
In ieroči and bruņu tērps, there is a clear connection between the development of both. Those who wanted to survive on the medieval battlefield had to constantly take new measures. During the High Middle Ages (1000–1300 AD), knights were armored with gambesons and bruņusvārki. These offered good protection against blows, limited protection against thrusts, and gave the wearer enough mobility to use his armor effectively. Around this period, the aristocracy fought with the sword exclusively with the arming sword (bruņinieka zobens).
Agrīnie garās zobenes
Already from the 12th century onwards, experiments were made with making larger swords (Oakeshott type XIIa and XIIIa), which could deliver more powerful blows to break through the bruņusvārki. These were the early types of garās zobenes and served as precursors to the garais zobens and the bastarda zobens from the late Middle Ages.
Garās zobenes
Around the 14th century, plate armor developed, initially to protect knees and elbows, culminating in the coat of plates, which was worn over the bruņusvārki. By the end of the 14th century, a step further was taken and the kira, leg, arm and Pleca bruņas were also developed. Around this period, we speak of complete harnasses. As a result, garās zobenes became increasingly important. These swords could, in addition to blows, also deliver much more powerful thrusts than the traditional knight swords. These ieroči were aimed at vulnerable parts of the body, such as the arms and neck.
Alongside the new garais zobens, the bastarda zobens developed in the 15th century. The main difference is that garās zobenes have a grip that is clearly intended for two-handed use, while bastarda zobeni have a grip that is suitable for one-handed use and sometimes also for two. The sword owes its name to this: the bastard is neither a one-hander nor a two-hander. Bastarda zobeni are generally lighter and shorter than garās zobenes, making them excellent to combine with a shield or beukelaar.
Sastāvs
The bastarda zobens consists of a blade that is often slightly longer than that of a normal bruņinieka zobens. The blade tapers and has two cutting edges. The crossguard is comparable to that of the traditional knight swords and it is also provided with a pommel. The grip is longer than that of an arming sword (bruņinieka zobens) but shorter than that of a garais zobens. This makes the weight lighter than that of a garais zobens and makes the ierocis more maneuverable and suitable for both easy hacking and thrusting.
Anderhalfhander
The term anderhalfhander is relatively modern (from the end of the 19th century). This name refers to the fact that the sword, due to its balance, could be used with both one hand and two hands. In the first half of the 20th century, the term bastarda zobens was still regularly used for this type of sword, while garais zobens, if used at all, referred to the rapier in the context of Renaissance or early modern fencing.
Garais zobens vai bastarda zobens?
Despite many attempts, it remains difficult to make a clear distinction between a garais zobens and a bastarda zobens. Both types regularly overlap in size. In principle, one can assume the following: a bastarda zobens has a shorter grip, which allows it to be used with one hand and possibly with two hands, while a garais zobens has a longer grip and is primarily used as a two-handed ierocis.
