The sword is an important and multi-faceted symbol of military power, royal and communal authority, religion and mysticism. This course takes the sword beyond its functional role as a tool for killing, considering it as a cultural artefact, and the broader meaning and significance it had to its bearer.

Exploring a wide range of source material, written, visual and artefactual, encompassing swords both real and imagined, physical, and in art and literature, students will uncover the breadth of the sword's place within the culture of medieval and early modern Europe. They will understand them as powerful symbols of authority and legitimacy, and as magical and mystical objects.

The course will also look at the sword as a practical object, considering when, where and how it was used. Students will undertake experiential practice, studying two period fencing manuals and engaging in practical classes of swordsmanship to gain an understanding of, and make a comparison between, the techniques of medieval and early modern swordplay.