Swords of the World Trivia Quiz

Answer: Claymore

The claymore is a development of European Great Swords. It is a two-handed weapon with a cross-hilt and forward facing arms. Claymores were used by Highland clansmen from around 1400-1700 AD.

Answer: Katana

The main weapon of the Samurai warriors, katanas were produced from circa 1200 AD until the 1870s, when the Samurai lost control of the Japanese government and carrying swords was forbidden. A single-bladed, two-handed weapon, a katana was not only a sword, it was a work of art.

Answer: Rapier

Developed around 1500 AD, rapiers were a slender-bladed single-handed weapon, single- or double-edged, often with an ornate hand guard. The rapier was mostly used by civilians for self-defence, and was also used for duelling. The rapier began to fall out of favor after about 1715 AD.

Answer: Dao

One of the oldest documented sword designs, the Chinese Dao was a one-handed single-edged blade, curved towards the point. The Dao was outwardly similar in size and appearance to the Japanese katana. Bronze versions of the Dao date from circa 1600 BC. The sword continued to be used into the 20th century.

Answer: Gladius

Also known as the Roman Short Sword, the gladius was a one-handed, double-edged weapon that was mainly designed for stabbing. It was the main sword of the Roman legions from around 225 BC until the end of the Roman Empire around 475 AD.

Answer: Scimitar

The scimitar is descended from curved swords used by Turkish tribesmen in Central Asia and the Middle East from circa 800 AD. A one-handed, single-edged curved blade with a cross hilt, the scimitar was in use in the Middle East from 1200 AD until the 1870s.

Answer: Sabre

The sabre, a single-edged one-handed sword designed for cavalry, was in use in Eastern Europe from around 1600 AD. Descended from the curved swords used by the Turks, Mongols, and other Asian warriors, the sabre was the preferred weapon of the Hungarian and Polish cavalry troopers, whose equipment and tactics were later adopted by Western European armies.

Answer: Cutlass

A development of the sabre, the cutlass had a shorter, thicker single-edged blade than the sabre, which made it very useful in close quarters, such as the crowded deck of a ship. Used mainly by sailors and closely identified with pirates, the cutlass was used from the 1600s and were still carried aboard naval ships into the 20th century.

Answer: Falchion

First developed in France in the 1300s AD, the falchion was a thick, one-handed single-edged blade with a slight curve towards the point. It is thought to be the ancestor of the modern day machete. The falchion was usually carried by lightly armored troops as it was not suitable for fighting fully armored knights.

Answer: Talwar

The Indian talwar was a one-handed single-edged curved blade in use from the 1300s AD. Another descendant of the Asian swords that led to the scimitar, sabre and cutlass, the talwar was carried by both cavalry and infantry and was in use from around 1300 AD until modern times.