Sword: Did you mean...?

A detail of an inlaid iron sword. From Eta Funayama Tumulus, Nagomi-machi, Tamana-gun, Kumamoto, Japan. Kofun Period, 5th-6th century CE. National Treasure. Tokyo National Museum.

Winged youth with a sword, probably Thanatos, personification of death. Detail of a sculptured marble column drum from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesos, ca. 325-300 BCE. Found at the south-west corner of...

Bronze sword from Egypt, c. 1200 BCE. Louvre Museum, Paris.

Although the bow and crossbow were the weapons of choice for much of China's history, the sword played its part, especially when warriors were forced to dismount and face the enemy at close quarters. Widely used...

The gladius Hispaniensis or Spanish sword was first used by tribes in the Iberian peninsula and, following the Punic Wars, became the standard sword of Roman legionaries from the 2nd century BCE...

The samurai (also bushi) were a class of warriors that arose in the 10th century in Japan and which performed military service until the 19th century. Elite and highly-trained soldiers adept at using both the bow and sword, the samurai...

The weapons of an English medieval knight in combat included the long sword, wooden lance with an iron tip, metal-headed mace, battle-axe, and dagger. Trained since childhood and practised at tournaments, the...

Take-haya-Susa-no-wo or Susanoo is the storm god of the Shinto religion. He is the younger brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu and infamous for his mischievous and sometimes destructive behaviour. Consequently, Susanoo has a reputation...

There were 18 martial arts (bugei or bujutsu) in medieval Japan, and these included use of weapons, unarmed self-defence techniques, swimming, and equestrian skills. Initially designed to hone the skills of warriors...

Merlin (also known as Myrddin, Merlinus) is the great wizard of the Arthurian Legends best known from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (1469 CE). The character was created by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain...