Respondent
Theme
Bladed weapon in weapon system of ancient Ukrainian warrior XII – XIV century
Defence Date
Annotation
The dissertation is devoted to research places of different type’s bladed weapons in
the weapon system of ancient Ukrainian warrior and features of its use in different combat
situations. The characteristic morphological features of various types of bladed weapons
and their typology. Based on complex analysis of sources (museum collections,
iconographic and written sources) identified the main types of swords and other bladed
weapons that were in service of ancient Ukrainian warriors in XII – XIV century.
Attention is paid to the analysis of written medieval sources dedicated to fencing, giving
substantiated evidence in favor certain techniques use swords and other bladed weapons of
the Middle Ages. The place of bladed weapons in specific armament of heavy and light
cavalry and infantry, formed with the appropriate tactics of their cooperation in various
military operations that resulted from feature of the geopolitical situation that required the
Galician-Volyn prince improvement of military affairs, taking into account the need to
protect their possessions enemies of military vehicles of various technologies.
A complete analysis of all available sources allowed to find out the specifics of arms
of various military units that were formed in the process of improving the tactics of
fighting with different opponents, to determine the features of arms and mercenaries 20
influence them to adopt local warriors. Already in the thirteenth century composed of old
troops out separate units with a corresponding set of weapons: heavy cavalry knight with
typical weapons of the time (spear, sword, short bladed weapon, reinforced protective
armor, shield); light cavalry, in the range of weapons that included small arms (bows,
crossbows) sulitsa, long bladed weapon, shield, lightweight protection, combat knives;
“Shooters” as light infantry (the main weapons – bows or crossbows, knives, light armor);
heavily armed infantry, which were armed with spears, swords, axes, maces, shields,
reinforced protective armor.
The most promising for analyzing of swords as the main weapon type of bladed
weapons in a complex of ancient Ukrainian warrior XII – XIV century is to use E.
Oakeshott typology as it provided an opportunity to find out the features of using this type
of bladed weapons in south-western Ukrainian lands in European context.
The analysis of figurative, written sources and bioarchaeology results of
experimental studies revealed the specific techniques of medieval combat, using the sword
along with other types of offensive and protective (shield) weapons.
Special attention is paid to integration into the European military environment was
heldin particular through personal contacts with professional warriors of other countries
(often as mercenaries), participation in the fighting on the territory of Central Europe, joint
military campaigns with Hungarian, Polish, German armed forces in south western
Ukrainian territories.
The development of protective equipment is closely linked to the evolution of
offensive weapons: improving protective equipment stimulated the emergence of new
kinds and types of offensive and vice versa – a new offensive weapon forced to develop
effective remedies. It is in confronting the sword / armor protective moved development of
complex weapons including warfare in general.
It was found regarding the concept of a professional soldier period studied and
identified ways to improve the martial arts of ancient Ukrainian warriors. The research
arms of old warriors in the European context made it possible to bring a high degree of
integration into the European knightly military environment, which manifested in the way
of learning martial arts. Traced the continuity of military traditions in the southwestern
territory that have evolved in line with the knight of military technology.
Keywords: system of arms, bladed weapons, sword, dagger, fencing, ancient
Ukrainian warrior.