Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Recently Acquired Espada Ancha for Comment

M ELEY · 28th October 2016, 03:55 AM

Well, it's not TOO much of a stretch when you think about it. Aside from the Golden Age of Piracy (1600-1718), the next largest profusion of piracy came to the Spanish Main during the fights for independence among the Central and South American countries as well as Mexico. During this era (1800-1820), piracy once again shot up to huge numbers, with an estimated 4,000 or so Hispanic pirates/privateers swarming around the Indies. Some were true patrons of independence for their country, while others were blood-thirsty murderers and madmen. Espada were, of course, used throughout the Spanish colonies (Brincherhoff's book on Spanish colonial weapons for example shows Cuban espada ancha circa 1810-20 that could easily have fit the bill). As you might know, there was no such thing as a pirate-pattern sword. Sea rovers carried the more typical types of short hangers that their fellow naval men used, along with whatever weapon they could get their hands on. We've discussed how even infantry type swords and hunting hangers went to sea. Annis proved as much in his monumental 'Swords for Sea Service'. My whole point is that I believe some espada probably went to sea. Jim McDoudall and I have discussed this topic ceaselessly and I've insisted that those massive Brazilian cutlasses would have made a fine pirate weapon! Of course, without provenance it is all just speculation, but it stands to reason that because espada were found throughout the Spanish colonies in the Americas, were short bladed and ideal for crowded situations and were easy to construct, some undoubtedly ended up aboard the scalawags!

28th October 2016, 03:55 AM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,066	Well, it's not TOO much of a stretch when you think about it. Aside from the Golden Age of Piracy (1600-1718), the next largest profusion of piracy came to the Spanish Main during the fights for independence among the Central and South American countries as well as Mexico. During this era (1800-1820), piracy once again shot up to huge numbers, with an estimated 4,000 or so Hispanic pirates/privateers swarming around the Indies. Some were true patrons of independence for their country, while others were blood-thirsty murderers and madmen. Espada were, of course, used throughout the Spanish colonies (Brincherhoff's book on Spanish colonial weapons for example shows Cuban espada ancha circa 1810-20 that could easily have fit the bill). As you might know, there was no such thing as a pirate-pattern sword. Sea rovers carried the more typical types of short hangers that their fellow naval men used, along with whatever weapon they could get their hands on. We've discussed how even infantry type swords and hunting hangers went to sea. Annis proved as much in his monumental 'Swords for Sea Service'. My whole point is that I believe some espada probably went to sea. Jim McDoudall and I have discussed this topic ceaselessly and I've insisted that those massive Brazilian cutlasses would have made a fine pirate weapon! Of course, without provenance it is all just speculation, but it stands to reason that because espada were found throughout the Spanish colonies in the Americas, were short bladed and ideal for crowded situations and were easy to construct, some undoubtedly ended up aboard the scalawags!