The parrying dagger is a category of small hand-held weapons from the European late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. These weapons were used as off-hand weapons in conjunction with a single-handed sword. As the name implies they were designed to parry, or defend, more effectively than a simple dagger form, typically incorporating a wider guard, and often some other defensive features to better protect the hand, as well. The main-gauche (French for "left hand"; IPA: [mɛ˜ goʊʃ]) is used mainly to assist in parrying incoming thrusts, while the dominant hand wields a rapier or similar longer weapon intended for one-handed use. It may also be used for attack if an opportunity arises. The general category includes two more specific kinds of weapon: sword breakers and trident daggers[1]. The sword-breaker was a very sturdy dagger that had slots on one side much like the teeth of a comb. The teeth could catch the blade of the opponent's sword and hold it fast, allowing a variety of follow-up techniques. It is uncertain whether "sword breakers" could, in fact, break sword blades as suggested by some scholars,[2] as swords of this era were intended to stand up to substantial forces, well in excess of what could be generated by a fighter's off-hand. Swords are sometimes depicted in fechtbuchs as withstanding a two-handed attempt to break them (or show off their resilience).[3] Late Renaissance rapiers and smallswords may not be as robust as the cutting swords of earlier times, however, and have indeed been known to break on occasion, so the claim may have more veracity in relation to the typical civilian weapons of this period. Trident daggers are built so that the a portion of the blade on each side will spring outwards. This creates a dagger capable of trapping blades more securely and more easily.[4] The use of an off-hand weapon gradually fell out of favor as sword fighting evolved into the modern sport of fencing. The use of progressively lighter primary weapons such as the small sword, épée, and foil allowed for greater speed. Under these circumstances the use of just a primary weapon offered improvements in balance as well as a stance that offered a smaller target. An off-hand weapon is never used in modern sport competition; in fact, the use of the off hand as a defensive measure is prohibited by the rules. Simultaneous use of two weapons is, however, frequently featured in fiction, particularly, in video games, where it is commonly dubbed "dual wield".
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See also
In popular culture
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This article or section contains too many minor or trivial fictional references. Mere trivia, or references unimportant to the overall plot of a work of fiction, should be deleted. See also what Wikipedia is. |
- It is the alias of the main ship (volfield) in the Lost Universe anime/manga.
- It is one of the best of the knives in the video game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and also allows you to steal an opponent's weapon.
- It is one of the best knives in Final Fantasy VI.
- It is one of the weapons of the character Sophitia from the video game Soulcalibur II.
- It is also the offhand weapon of choice for everyone in the book Dragon Weather, though why that is the case is left unsaid.
- It is a high-damage staff in the game Dungeon Siege.
References
- ^ http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_euroedge.html#parrying Forms of European Edged Weaponry
- ^ http://users.wpi.edu/~jforgeng/17cIQP/weapon.html Arms and Armor in the Age of the Musketeer Weapons of the 17th Century
- ^ http://www.thearma.org/essays/quality-and-build.html Fight-Book Clues to Quality and Build of Knightly Weaponry
- ^ http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spot_combo.html Spotlight: Combination Weapons
Citations
Forms of European Edged Weaponry. www.myArmoury.com (2003). Retrieved on 2007-11-24. Jeffrey Hull (2007). Fight-Book Clues to Quality and Build of Knightly Weaponry. www.thearma.org. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. Chad Arnow. Spotlight: Combination Weapons. www.myArmoury.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. Arms and Armour in the Age of the Musketeer. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
