Insights
from Historical Artwork This Famous
and quite excellent early Renaissance painting by
Brueghel of the Biblical "Slaughter of the
Innocents " is remarkable for displaying at least
five different sword forms. Several slender
"spadone" style long-swords/great-swords are
carried or poised to strike, while on the left a soldier
running prepares to draw
what appears to be a tapering single-hand blade. The
soldier carrying a prisoner and facing the dog is armed
with a single-edged blade with knuckle-guard hilt. On the
far right against the building, a fighter wears a
katzbalger-style
"S" hilted blade on his belt. Various other
ole-weapons, armors, and blades are also detectable. In
close up, there is even a solider visible urinating on a
wall.

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