RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Draw claymores and have at it!
Is it Manly to wear Kilts?
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RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Right,
Forced confession to manhood at swordpoint.
Plimoth Thom
Puritan Board Freshman
Aye!
I'll draw a basket hilt broadsword and murdoch pistol! True highland weapons.
And for the record, William Wallace did not wear a kilt, nor blue makeup!
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Bladestunner316
Puritan Board Doctor
Viking Helmet and Axe for me
Blade
Blade
LawrenceU
Puritan Board Doctor
Lad, there's naught more manly in all the worl'.
Tom, Wallace might have worn a plaid occasionally, but not what most today woudl call a kilt. And, you are right about the blue paint. It was the Picts who painted up, not Scots. The picts had been done in a long time before Wallace.
As to the swords, it would depend upon what era you are addressing as to which would be more prominent. The Claymore is the earlier design, by the early 18th century basket hilt double edged blade were becoming more common. At the time of Culoden the highland fighters would have been armed with their choice of Claymore and basket hilted swords. At that time the basket hilts were both double and single edged, fairly well split between the two. Whether wielding a Claymore or Basket hilt and Targe no wise man would want to face a highland fighter when his dander is up.
[Edited on 5-29-2005 by LawrenceU]
Tom, Wallace might have worn a plaid occasionally, but not what most today woudl call a kilt. And, you are right about the blue paint. It was the Picts who painted up, not Scots. The picts had been done in a long time before Wallace.
As to the swords, it would depend upon what era you are addressing as to which would be more prominent. The Claymore is the earlier design, by the early 18th century basket hilt double edged blade were becoming more common. At the time of Culoden the highland fighters would have been armed with their choice of Claymore and basket hilted swords. At that time the basket hilts were both double and single edged, fairly well split between the two. Whether wielding a Claymore or Basket hilt and Targe no wise man would want to face a highland fighter when his dander is up.
[Edited on 5-29-2005 by LawrenceU]
Plimoth Thom
Puritan Board Freshman
Of course, but my mind is constantly stuck in the 18th century. And sometimes it ventures to the 17th.
I believe you'd be hard-pressed to find a real Claymore amongst the Jocobites of the '45. One problem when reading historical documents is that through the last few centuries, people have very commonly referred to the Basket-hilt broadsword and backsword as a "claymore." The Jacobite army would have been armed with basket-hilted broadswords and backswords, dirks, pistols, muskets and targets.
"[The Highlander] when descending to battle, was to place his bonnet on his head with an emphatic 'scrug'; his second, to cast off or throw back his plaid; his third to incline his body horizontally forward, cover it with his target, rush within 50 paces of the enemy's line, discharge and drop his fusee or musket; his fourth to dart within 12 paces, dischardge and fling his claw-butted steel stocked pistols at the foe-man's head; his fifth to draw claymore* and dirk at him!"
*One of those pesky instances when the writer mistakenly refers to the basket-hilt swords as a "claymore."
And if you haven't been to Culloden Moor, I highly recommend it. It's a very moving experience to walk across the heather-covered moor, past the stones marked with clan names, marking the spots of the mass graves.
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