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AlanSteenhouwer β Caledfwlch
Published: 2012-08-04 18:43:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 2420; Favourites: 38; Downloads: 57
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Description
Or Excalibur as it's better known in the British tradition, the sword of the legendary King Arthur.But What does it look like? There's the original stories [link] , but they're colored buy the designs of when the story was written, not when the story is supposed to be.
With the stories telling of a setting of the late 5th century, and the description of Arthur originally being a Romano-British commander, the only design that came to mind was a Roman Spatha. A form of long cavalry gladius with curved tips to improve cutting ability.
This isn't that. It's still a spatha, but it has a more modern blade. It also has a longer handle, giving it the image of being and evolution of the spatha towards the medieval bastard sword. With it's heavy gladius pommel, it off sets the balance to match that of the bastard sword, making it more manueverable.
Other features include double fullers on the blade, and lion heraldry on top of the cross guard.
EDIT: I lengthened the handle even more, because of the way the heavy pommel felt like it was cramping the grip.
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Comments: 9
Hi Alan,
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If Caledfwlch was made in the early 5th century, I agree it would likely be based on a Spatha and be slightly longer and wider if the smith could make it so. There is no point in making an exceptional blade unless you make it better. It would have likely be pattern welded since the technique was developed by the Germanic tribes and borrowed extensively by the Romans and that would enable you to include a mixture of metals for both decorative effect, flexibility and strength.
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Hereβs where I humbly think you could improve your design:
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Arthur is thought to have been a Celtic warrior chief, defending Britain against the inevitable invasion of the Saxon migrators.
Caledfwlch would not have looked like the sword finds of the period, (4th-5th c AD) which are predominantly the work of Germanic invaders. a Celtic bladesmith, I feel, could not have resisted making the hilt and pommel to include elegant Celtic styling and decoration from this islandβs heritage.
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I think a more accurate hilt design would be a little more organic and engraved with Celtic pattern. Donβt forget Britain had finally become free of Rome so things would have been run by the Celtic Nationalist Party I am thinking.
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Nice design. Do you feel like another go?
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Yeah the Migration era swords. I learned about that a while ago. I didn't expect to be corrected on a 5 year old post.
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Sorry, it was by no means meant to sound like a correction, just an opinion and marshalling my own thoughts.
The reason I am interested in your artwork and interpetation is that I am making a sword of this period for a film and your version and one by another artist on Deviant Art, Alfisko, comes closest to my thoughts on what to make. You may be aware that real swords of the period are few.
My question was whether you fancied further developing your design, as you say with five years more knowledge?
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Probably. I don't do that sort of vector design work, college is hard, but updating it for a more thematic reasons has been on the docket since the discovery. Keep in mind this was always a fantasy design, I don't think migration era swords, and certainly not Spathas, had a double length handle designs.Β
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its simple but for some reason its amazing
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Awesome. Love functional designs instead of the awkward ones with spikes everywhere.
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You are very good at designing swords.
I watch you.
Fav. your work.
Sorry for my poor english.
Luis, from Portugal
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