falchion

A falchion is a one-handed, single-edged sword which originated in Europe. Falchion swords (pronounced ‘fall-shun’) were used by both infantry and cavalry during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This sword is known as the Thorpe Falchion as it was found in the River Yare at Thorpe St Andrew in Norfolk. Dating from about 1320, the Thorpe Falchion was produced during a period which saw significant advancements in battlefield armour and a corresponding development in weaponry to smash and pierce it.

During the early 14th century, mail armour – a popular style made of linked metal rings forming a mesh – was becoming more effectively countered by crushing weapons such as polearms, or arrows which pierced the breaks in the metal rings. In response, armourers began to produce larger solid plates which were placed on top of mail in areas of particular weakness like arms, knees, and shins – fortifying target areas against blows with heavy, smashing weapons. As armour adapted and evolved, new weapons were developed to penetrate it. The falchion is a prime example of how sword design developed to utilise different approaches to countering new armour styles.

Falchions belong to the group of single-edged swords that generally widen out towards the tip rather than tapering to a point. This provided more weight at the point of the sword, allowing more force to be delivered behind each blow, similar to an axe. Falchions were therefore ideal for cutting through light armour, although not through thick defences designed to stop heavy blows. Its narrow blade is unlike earlier English falchions and may have been influenced by Eastern European sabre-like blades.

Interestingly the Thorpe Falchion’s blunt side narrows at the tip and would have been sharpened, forming an extra edge to the blade. This would have enabled the sword to slip between the gaps in plate amour, stabbing an opponent if the crushing blows were not effective.

Though many medieval weapons were primarily created to efficiently wound and kill adversaries in battle, the Thorpe Falchion was also produced with a variety of intricate details. Many of these survive due to the sword being submerged in the mud of the River Yare until its dredging in 1833. This prevented the metal from oxidising and rusting away, so preserving many of its key features and evidence of craftsmanship.

The blade is marked above the hilt - indicating where sharpening should begin - and a crown, potentially an armourer’s mark, is located in the centre of the blade. This crown mark suggests that while the sword hilt was probably made in East Anglia, the blade may have been imported from Passau, a small town on the border of modern Germany and Austria, famed for its swordsmiths. In the 14th century it was not uncommon for unmounted blades to be imported for subsequent furnishing. The tang (the back part of the blade where it connects to the handle) on the Thorpe Falchion seems to have been cut down to fit the pommel, which again suggests the blade was not made specifically for this hilt.

The Thorpe Falchion has decorative pierced quatrefoils on the quillions on each side of the cross-guard. It is one of four surviving East Anglian swords that share this feature, suggesting it is also East Anglian in origin. Its pommel is engraved with strange monsters and animals, similar in design to those found in the margins of the East Anglian ‘Luttrell Psalter’ (now in the British Library). These creatures may relate to the original owner’s heraldic coat of arms. The pitted background of the Thorpe Falchion pommel was probably once filled with a coloured enamel – against which the creatures would have stood out in brass. The brass also added weight to the pommel acting as a counter to the falchion’s tip, and making the weapon more balanced and easier to control.

Medieval manuscripts from around 1320 depict peasants and knights alike using falchions in combat. Whilst the peasant’s blades might not all have been as well-crafted as the Thorpe Falchion, they utilised the same core principles, allowing them to counter the protection of an opponent’s armour.

It is not known how the Thorpe Falchion ended up at the bottom of the River Yare. It was previously suggested that it was lost in 1277 when King Edward I (1239-1307) and his entourage made a military progress through Suffolk and Norfolk to spend Easter in Norwich. It appears more likely, however, that the sword dates from the time of King Edward II (1284-1327) or his son Edward III (1312-1377). Since the steel blade of a sword can be ground and sharpened repeatedly, good swords could last a lifetime and be passed down through generations within a family. This means that the Thorpe Falchion could have been dropped in the River Yare at any time over a period of many years from the early 14th century onwards.