02-21-2013, 03:27 PM
You can find many drawings of Hunnic swords in István Bóna's Das Hunnenreich. They are basically two types of long swords: Western Iranian swords with a short hilt (the swordman held his indexfinger of the quillon of his sword in an Italian grip) and Eastern Iranian swords with a long hilt (meant to be held in something closer to a pistol grip). The latter sword is the type owned by your friend Oliver. All these swords seem to have had a wrist strap attached to the hilt, with a large decorative bead of semi-precious stone and/or precious metal.
The short swords in this book are also of two basic types: a long, single-edged knife of Eastern Iranian type and a double-edged short sword of a more ancient type, but at that time apparently extinct in Central Asia and limited to the Middle East.
In the decoration of weapons and other items too, Sasanian influence is marked.
The short swords in this book are also of two basic types: a long, single-edged knife of Eastern Iranian type and a double-edged short sword of a more ancient type, but at that time apparently extinct in Central Asia and limited to the Middle East.
In the decoration of weapons and other items too, Sasanian influence is marked.
