Elephant Sword

katana · 1st March 2008, 02:42 PM

Stone's ..."A glossary...Arms and Armour.." mentions Elephant swords..that they were frequently mentioned by early travellers....."Ludovici di Varthema (1501-1568 ) says that they were 2 fathoms long and attached to the trunk.

Stone then states..." More reasonable accounts describe them as blades projecting from sockets slipped over the tusks...."

A 2 fathom sword would be just over 3.60 metres long ...thats 12 foot ...a sword the length of TWO men

. The thickness of the blade, to prevent excessive flexing would make the sword incredibly heavy and totally unuseable and I can certainly see why Stone is dubious about this reference.

With Olikara's information. the use of the 'trunk type' sword seems to have been abandoned in favour to the tusk type as any reference to them seem to be be hundreds of years ago.

Olikara you mentioned the slashing of the horse's leg by a sword 'attached' to an Elephant, could this have been the 'tusk type' or the bladed spikes strapped to the trunks...rather than a 'trunk held' sword?

I am surprised that if so many War Elephants were equiped with swords that there seems to be no examples that have survived

Regards David

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1st March 2008, 02:42 PM	#24
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Stone's ..."A glossary...Arms and Armour.." mentions Elephant swords..that they were frequently mentioned by early travellers....."Ludovici di Varthema (1501-1568 ) says that they were 2 fathoms long and attached to the trunk. Stone then states..." More reasonable accounts describe them as blades projecting from sockets slipped over the tusks...." A 2 fathom sword would be just over 3.60 metres long ...thats 12 foot ...a sword the length of TWO men . The thickness of the blade, to prevent excessive flexing would make the sword incredibly heavy and totally unuseable and I can certainly see why Stone is dubious about this reference. With Olikara's information. the use of the 'trunk type' sword seems to have been abandoned in favour to the tusk type as any reference to them seem to be be hundreds of years ago. Olikara you mentioned the slashing of the horse's leg by a sword 'attached' to an Elephant, could this have been the 'tusk type' or the bladed spikes strapped to the trunks...rather than a 'trunk held' sword? I am surprised that if so many War Elephants were equiped with swords that there seems to be no examples that have survived Regards David