ROPE SWORDS
It arose during the Renaissance in Spain to designate a class of swords with a long, straight blade, wielded in one hand. It is called rapier sword because it was carried as a clothing accessory, generally used as fashion of the time and as a weapon of personal defense.
The use of this rapier sword extended from the mid-fifteenth century to the end of the seventeenth century, although the time when this sword was most splendid and developed in Spain was during the Golden Age. The use of the rapier sword was restricted to the upper echelons of the social scale such as members of the royal family, monarchs or knights of military orders such as that of Alcántara.
During the 16th century, the rapier sword was not just a weapon for its exclusive use as a point, with a blade with a narrow and sharp section. Actually, in the Spain of the time, any sword was intended for dueling and dressing use, accompanying the clothing of a civilian (or a soldier in civilian dress).
It is the sword used par excellence during the 16th and 17th centuries. Throughout the 16th century in Europe with narrow blade and large trim
The rapera is a stylized sword with a long, double-edged blade, developed in Spain at the dawn of the 16th century. Store in the form of a cup or bowl, hence its name. This guard not only protects the hand, the top hem is also used as a very effective toe breaker.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
France. Year 1600. D'Artagnan , a young Gascon, who appears in Paris with the illusion of becoming a musketeer, the best of the king's guard. His father is a nobleman, from Gascogne , but his economic heritage is rather small. Our young man brings with him a letter of introduction addressed to M. de Treville , who at the time is a captain of the musketeers, and who is also a Gascon, like himself.
In Paris, the conflict to hold power between the king and Cardinal Richelieu is generating more than serious concerns that reach the people. Although, when they meet in public, the cordiality between the king and the cardinal seems clearly visible, things change, and a lot, when looking from behind, where a great enmity between the king's men and those loyal to the cardinal is evident. . Being the king's adviser does not prevent Richelieu from plotting against the monarch, as long as he can, to increase his authority at court, to the clear detriment of the king's power.
The newcomer to Paris, d'Artagnan meets three of the king's musketeers, named Porthos , Aramís and Athos, and the truth is that the first meeting is not pleasant at all, quite the contrary, and d'Artagnan finds himself in the difficult context of having to duel against them. But luck is not elusive to our hero, and a series of accidental situations cause the three musketeers to begin to appreciate d'Artagnan and decide to incorporate him into court life and instruct him on his way to prosper in the militia.
D'Artagnan finds himself involved in a plot involving the most famous people of France and England. The wife of the patron of the house where he lives is the person who puts d'Artagnan in contact with Queen Anne of Austria and the Chancellor of England, the Duke of Buckingham to help them and prevent a scandal. Meanwhile , Ricuelieu , on the contrary, schemes for the opposite , and his henchmen tirelessly maneuver since he also participates in this intrigue, to vex the queen.
D'Artagnan manages to ensure that the queen's honor remains intact, but he becomes an enemy of the Cardinal and his henchmen, which leads him to participate in multiple palace intrigues. Then the cardinal calls Milady , a very beautiful woman in the cardinal's service who is reputed to be very effective in solving all the matters entrusted to her. D'Artagnan contacts this woman and has a union of love and hate with her. Said woman manifests as a very dangerous person.
Meanwhile, France has to face the provocations of Spain and England, abroad, and the rebellion of the Huguenots (French Protestants), in domestic politics. D'Artagnan and the three musketeers participate by superior orders in the siege of La Rochelle, the last refuge of the Huguenots who refuse to obey the king. To ensure the triumph of the siege of La Rochelle, planned by Richelieu, it is necessary that the aid of the Duke of Buckingham to the Huguenots be shipwrecked. To stop the cardinal and the duke, he once again trusts Milady .
The musketeers and D`Artagnan realize Richelieu's intentions and try to prevent Milady 's performance . After various vicissitudes, the musketeers manage to capture Milady . But Milady , putting her extraordinary attractions into operation, manages to escape from her jail and resume her plan.
The novel ends with a resolution, fateful and with the use of force, of the hostility between d'Artagnan and Milady .
THE SWORDS OF THE MUSKETEERS
The swords used by the Three Musketeers are of the Rapier SWORD type, which today we call "rapier" and appear in the Renaissance. This sword was not normally used on the battlefield, but rather as a means of protection in the urban environment. They had a very smooth blade and could measure up to 1.20 cm . a considerable distance that facilitated the fact of reaching the opponent's body better. On the other hand, in a battle another very similar sword was used, but with a wider blade and about 90 cm . long, because the rapier, due to its length, was a useless weapon in hand-to-hand combat. The forging system of these swords gave the final result a sword with a very flexible and ductile core, while the exterior had an extraordinary firmness and hardness. The core contained steel and carbon. The tangs of the swords were adorned with iron or copper threads in the simplest ones, although, in the highest category, specimens with silver, gold or silk threads could also be seen. What was intended with these threads was to embellish the sword. Unfortunately, the number of rapiers that are currently in good condition are very few.
Most of the swords were made in Solingen (Germany), Milan, the Basque Country and Toledo, which, given their quality and selling price, was practically worn only by officers.
There are three types of rapier swords, classified according to their hilt: loop, shell and cup . In the bow ones , the handle was a cross, and to safeguard the hand they have at least one ring on the index finger and a ring on the back of the hand, that is to say, a kind of bow-like handguard that prevents the knuckles from be hit by the opponent's weapons. The shell ones appear due to the need to protect the hand more, and new grips were designed that included metal sheets, which became known as shells, between the rings. It is a genuinely Spanish sword. The cup ones are born from the urgency to protect the hand even more, and the blades of the shell swords are replaced by a hemispherical cap. In this way the hand is completely protected. They were very successful in Spain and Italy. The rapier is typical.
WHAT ARE THE SWORDS OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS CALLED?
The musketeers used a sword that was called a rapier , in Spanish it was also known as a tizona , but without any connection to the legendary sword of Rodrigo Diaz de Viva, the Cid Campeador. It was a weapon for civilian use and the name rapier comes from the fact that it was worn as a complement to clothing.
HOW MUCH DOES A SWORD WEIGHT?
The rapier was a fairly light weapon as it barely weighed 900 grams, despite its wingspan, as it measured 113 cm. , from the knob to the tip. The blade alone had an extension of 94 cm.
WHY ARE THE MUSKETEERS CALLED LIKE THAT?
The main mission of the musketeers was to keep the kings on their movements, later becoming their personal guard. The name of musketeer comes to them because within the weapons they had, a firearm that was loaded through the muzzle of the cannon stands out, which was called a musket.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND DID THEY REALLY EXIST?
Athos, Porthos and Aramis and D'Artagnan were the names of the musketeers in the Alexandre Dumas novel. And yes, they existed, but under other names. D'Artagnan was actually called Charles de Batz- Castlemore , Count of d'Artagnan . Portos is Isaac of Porthau ; Athos, Armed Athos; and Aramis was called Henry, Lord of Aramitz . They were cousins and were actually part of the king's musketeer squad. To them was added, later, d'Artagnan , who became captain of musketeers.
