THIS PAPER MAINLY ADDRESSES the development of the sword in the period after the Norman conquests of Normandy and Sicily. Emphasis will be placed on the influences of the different cultures. The ceremonial sword of King Frederick II, currently kept and displayed in the Imperial Regalia in Vienna, will occupy the central position in my study. This extraordinary weapon represents the climax of art and craftsmanship of the many overlapping cultures on Sicily. Geographically situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the island is considered a “cultural melting pot”. Following the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, the Muslims occupied and dominated Sicily in the ninth century A.D. Two hundred years later the Normans established their rule over the island. This constant transition of different cultures has shaped Sicily not only politically but also religiously and economically. How this cultural melting pot can be exemplified on the basis of one single object shall be demonstrated based on the sword of Frederick II.

THE NORMAN CONQUEST AND ITS INFLUENCES ON MEDIEVAL SWORDS

The conquest of the north

In the tenth century (911) the Viking leader Rollo swept across West Francia, pillaging and plundering. As a peace-offering he received Normandy as a fiefdom from King Charles III. Consequently, the Vikings settled down, renamed themselves “Normans” and brought not only their culture but also their weaponry to their new homeland. Although they were originally Vikings from Scandinavia, they prospered in their new homeland in northern France and in 1066 they even conquered England. Splendid sources concerning the Normans’ history are not only their buildings, many of which survive today, but also the writings of contemporary witnesses, and artwork like the Bayeux Tapestry, which colourfully illustrates the Norman invasion and conquest of England.

During their raids and conquests in the Frankish kingdom the Northmen came into contact with a form of warfare that was quite different from what they knew. The Franks under King Charlemagne were well known for their new way of fighting on horseback. Charlemagne created the first major European empire after the fall of Rome, and to ensure his advantage on the battlefield he surrounded himself with mounted warriors, the so-called caballarii. These new, elite soldiers, also known as Scara Francisca, fought with heavy lances, were clad in mail and used stirrups. This new form of cavalry was completely unknown to the Viking warriors.