Giant 15th century sword

Certainly allowed. I personally favor the "demonstrates skill / wealth / temple offerings theory."
 
The article fails to mention where this thing was unearth. It is not like someone is going to have a 12 foot sword around for 500 years and no one takes notice. I am going to suggest Chinese scam until some one come up with the providence.

n2s
 
I remember reading an article or story once about a King or some such that knew spies were coming to check out his forces so he had sandals that were twice the size of regular ones made and left lying outside the tents and houses in the city. The spies came, saw all the big sandals and ran back to tell their leader that invading that place was a really bad idea.
 
not2sharp said:
The article fails to mention where this thing was unearth. It is not like someone is going to have a 12 foot sword around for 500 years and no one takes notice. I am going to suggest Chinese scam until some one come up with the providence.

n2s
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I think it is / was in a temple. I have certainly seen the picture with the guy holding it ten or fifteen years ago. This is not a new find.
 
Maybe it was this guy's sword:

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I'd agree that the blade would be ceremonial or to show wealth or power. A european equivalent would be the Bearing Sword of which there are a multitude of examples
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First, the sword which is the topic of this post was not unearthed. It was forged in 1447 by Osafune Norimitsu and is housed in the Kibitsu shrine in Okayama Prefecture. This particular sword has a nagasa or cutting edge of nearly 7.5' and an overall length of nearly 12'. These greatly oversized swords were made as dedications for temples and shrines as obviously they would be impractical if not impossible to use in battle.

Any sword with a nagasa length greater than 3 shaku or 35.7" is considered an O-dachi or O-katana depending on the style of koshirae it is mounted in.

There were o-dachi (large sword) and no-dachi (field sword) made for battle field use in that 36-48" nagasa range, but they were not commonplace.

This is one with a 43" nagasa and an overall length of 70".

o-dachi_ed.jpg

Odachi_ebay_merge.jpg Odachi_mei copy.jpg
 
SouthernComfort said:
First, the sword which is the topic of this post was not unearthed. It was forged in 1447 by Osafune Norimitsu and is housed in the Kibitsu shrine in Okayama Prefecture. This particular sword has a nagasa or cutting edge of nearly 7.5' and an overall length of nearly 12'. These greatly oversized swords were made as dedications for temples and shrines as obviously they would be impractical if not impossible to use in battle.

Any sword with a nagasa length greater than 3 shaku or 35.7" is considered an O-dachi or O-katana depending on the style of koshirae it is mounted in.

There were o-dachi (large sword) and no-dachi (field sword) made for battle field use in that 36-48" nagasa range, but they were not commonplace.

This is one with a 43" nagasa and an overall length of 70".

View attachment 1377192

View attachment 1377193 View attachment 1377194
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*mic drop* :eek:

SouthernComfort can you explain to these unbelievers that the giant is real? :)
 
Kailash Blades said:
I'm familiar with the legends of the giant grutte pier, but unfortunately I think these are nothing more than myths created long after the fact.
Some people here would agree also http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1764
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I disagree. He wasn't a giant anymore that Shaq (7'1"), Maximinus Thrax (8'1"), Yao Ming (7' 6") or Hafthor Bjornsson (6'9", 414 lbs), who has brothers significantly taller and bigger than he is. Grutte Pier was a well-known figure in his time, as were his exploits; his sword and accoutrements are in a museum for a reason.

These legendary figures and events don't spawn from nothing. The ruins of Troy were found, the Sword of Goujian was discovered, and the moon really is built like Swiss cheese. All were at one point considered tall tales.

Here is Bjornsson next to "normal" people, with a sword almost as big as Grutte's sword, and his brothers who make him look small. Also, Yao Ming next to Shaq. Athletic people are walking around right now who aren't a lot different in size than Grutte Pier was.

U2ZqsCc.jpg


v8xVlD9.jpg
 
Yes, tall people certainly exist. Grutte Pier was likely a pretty big dude to start up all this mythmaking but that doesn't justify claims that this sword was ever intended to be used or that it was even his.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/bphpqd/the_7_foot_long_zweihänder_used_by_pirate_grutte/
If you want to believe that this guy was bending coins between two fingers and he could pick up a plough with one hand then go right ahead. For me though the fact that every other sword of this size and style is a ceremonial bearing sword and that this guy's life is full of legends made up hundreds of years after he died is enough for me.
 
Kailash Blades said:
Yes, tall people certainly exist. Grutte Pier was likely a pretty big dude to start up all this mythmaking but that doesn't justify claims that this sword was ever intended to be used or that it was even his.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/bphpqd/the_7_foot_long_zweihänder_used_by_pirate_grutte/
If you want to believe that this guy was bending coins between two fingers and he could pick up a plough with one hand then go right ahead. For me though the fact that every other sword of this size and style is a ceremonial bearing sword and that this guy's life is full of legends made up hundreds of years after he died is enough for me.
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Written down after hundreds of years after the fact doesn't necessarily mean made up. As easily as historical tales can be exaggerated, they can also be dismissed or minimized (which seems to be the trend nowadays).

Zweihander and gassenhauer swords that size were used in the time and location of Grutte Pier, it's not a myth. I've read that some weighed as little as 6 or 7 pounds.

Bending a thin gold or silver coin between your fingers is easy for me to believe. Same with picking up a plow one-handed: old plows were mostly wood, with a blade that wasn't all that big.

Would anyone believe there was once a man who would pick up a 250 lb anvil with his nipples just to show off? Surely it's a tall tale, ridiculous to believe.

emsMane.jpg
 
There were never any zweihanders as large as the one pictured, this sword in particular weighs 6.6kg or 14.5lbs
Check the above link for more info
 
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