Mortuary sword

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Pole weapons and Mortuary sword in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle.
Pole weapons and Mortuary sword in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle.

A mortuary sword is a kind of cut-and-thrust sword which was used after 1625 by the dragoons during the English Civil Wars. This (usually) two-edged sword sported a half-basket hilt with a straight blade some 90-105 cm long. These hilts were often of very intricate sculpting and design. In the 19th century it was conjectured that the ornate markings were meant to commemorate King Charles I, the executed English king. However this style of hilt predates the execution of Charles (1649).

Another possible origin of the name comes from the half-basket guard itself, which often bears a passing resemblance to a human rib cage.

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