Subject: szlachcic noble cavalryman
Culture: Polish
Setting: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, eastern Europe 1604-1696
Object: szable sabers
Batorówka
* Nadolski 1974 p35
"By the end of the 16th century the sabre of Hungarian type became popular. An outstanding example is provided ... by the fine sabre of King Stephen Bathory. Also this type often had blades bearing maker's marks called 'sickles' and associated with Genoa, as well as inscriptions reading 'Genoa,' 'Fringia' or similar ones. This is linked with the lively activities of the north-Italian centres which at that time exported sabre blades to Hungary and also to the countries of the Islamic East. Both the 'sickle' marks and the inscriptions were soon adopted by the Styrian centres which first of all met the demands of the Habsburg monarchy. A view is current that Polish workshops, notably those in Gdańsk, acted similarly. This is indicated by sabre blades which in addition to marks and inscriptions mentioned above also bear the image of King Stephen Bathory and his title 'Stephanus D.G.Rex Pol., D. Prus.' (Stephanus Dei Gratia Rex Poloniae, Dux Prussiae). The same version also occurs on the coins of King Stephen, struck in the Gdańsk mint. it should be added that all sabres bearing the image of King Bathory and an inscription in his honour are called 'batorówki'. Their counterparts are 'zygmuntówki' decorated with the image of King Sigismund III Vasa and with appropriate sentences. It is belived [SIC] that the 'batorówki' and 'zygumntówki' were used by the members of opposite political parties which rivalled each other in Poland in the early 17th century. In any case the period when sabres of these types were produced does not necessarily coincide with the respective reigns of the two monarchs."
* Marsden 2013 p23
"... Hungarian Saber[s] ... are noted for their yelmens (flared blades), thumb-rings and an open hilt, but sometimes had a chain strung from the quillon to the pommel to act as a knuckle-bow."
* Nadolski 1974 p36
"All type of 17th century blades were mounted in various sorts of hilts which fall into two great principal groups: sabres with an open and a closed hilt. The first group includes sabres with a hilt of the Polish-Hungarian type, particularly characteristic of the first half of 17th century, though surviving probably to its close. In contrast to their Oriental prototypes these hilts had a thumb-ring borrowed from the Western forms."
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with cross-like quillons and almond-like pommel, known also as the Hungarian type, is divided into 2 basic types.
1. Sabre No. IIIa, with blade of circular (sometimes variable) curvature, with cross-like quillons and Polish-style almond-shaped pommel. These sabres are good only for swinging cuts from horseback. The[y] are often richly ornamented.
2. Sabre No. IIIb, with narrow blade and long, pronounced yelmen. The quillons are cross-like, often connected with the pommel by a chain. The pommel is bent forward at an angle of 45o.
"These sabre[s] are good for powerful swinging cuts and circular cuts when fencing on foot. Both types originated from Hungarian sabres but have several specific Polish details (thumb ring, pommel)."
Husarska
* Ostrowski 1999 p217
"The hussar saber (so called on account of its general use in regiments of the national heavy cavalry) originated in about the middle of the seventeenth century. This is a specifically Polish weapon, rightly acknowledged as the finest achievement in the field of edged weapons in Poland. It is distinguished by its perfect functionality and beautiful form. It combines in an original and harmonious manner the features of oriental and western European weapons. The hilt is provided with quillons forming the cross bar and a thumb guard for a stronger grip. The quillons are linked with the almond-shaped pommel by means of a slightly deflected knuckle-bow, which, however, is not connected with the pommel structurally. Such a solution enhanced the springiness of the knuckle-bow that guarded the hand."
* Marsden 2013 p23
"... Hussar ... sabers have closed hilts, in the form of a knuckle-bow, and thumb-rings."
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with a "closed hilt", known also as the "hussar's sabre", is divided into 5 basic types.
1. Sabre No. Ia, with a rounded knuckle-guard, bent at an angle of about 100o used from the end of the 16th century to the first half of the 18th century.
2. Sabre No lb, with a knuckle-guard bent vertically and nor joined to the pommel, used in the 17th century and in the first half of the 18 th century.
3. Sabre No. Ic, with a rounded knuckle-guard and horizontal bars, use in the second half of the 18th century.
4. Sabre No. Id, with a knuckle-guard bent vertically and a shield-like guard, used in the second half of the 18th century.
5. Sabre No. Ie, with a knuckle-guard and side bars.
"The blades of sabres No. I are of circular curvature and possess double-edged yelmen of the same width as the rest of the blade.
"A knuckle guard protects the fingers during static parries. The adjusted broad thumb-ring enables quick direct cuts when dueling on foot. At the same time the center of percussion permits strong swinging cuts to be delivered from horseback. Its constructional and functional merits makes sabre No. I surely one of the best and most versatile sabres of the world.
"Ornaments are added to strengthen the points exposed to enemy blows. Besides sabres produced for battle, examples used for decoration only and made mainly in the 19th century are often met with.
"Additional bars and shield-like guards for better protection of the forearm were added to the hilts in sabres No lb and Ic. Sabres No. Ie, used at the end of the 18th century are good only for fighting on horseback and mark the end of fencing with the combat sabre."
Karabela
* Müller 1957 p45
"Die polnische Karabela, eine weitere europäische Form des Säbels, darf nicht unerwähnt bleiben. Die meist mäßig gebogene Klinge hat oft eine Rückenschneide. Der Griff ist entweder leicht seitwärts gebogen und ohne Knauf oder gerade und mit kopfartiger Knaufbildung. Besonders charakteristisch ist jedoch die Parierstange, die stark nach unten gebogen und fast bis an die Klinge herangezogen ist. Die Enden der Parierstange sind kopfartig verbreitert. In der Mitte der Parierstange verläuft auf- und abwärts das Mitteleisen."
* Coe/Connolly/Harding/Harris/Larocca/Richardson/North/Spring/Wilkinson 1993 p76-77 (Anthony North, "Seventeenth-century Europe" p72-83)
"A type of sword known as a karabela, widely used in Poland and Hungary during the seventeenth century, had a grip formed of plaques held by rivets to the tang and engraved with a vertical chevron pattern. The grip extended at a sharp angle at the pommel and the guard was a cross with short langets. So great was the influence of Turkish designs that it is often difficult to distinguish between Turkish and European work. The blades of Eastern European swords often bear inscriptions engraved or inlaid in gold. These range from Latin invocations such as 'Arma ferunt Pacem' and 'Pro Gloria et Patria' to commemorative titles such as 'Sigismundus II Rex Poloniae'."
* Ostrowski 1999 p219
"Despite its eastern origin a karabela is considered the kind of saber most characteristic of the culture of the Polish gentry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is distinguished by an open hilt with a pommel resembling a bird's head in profile. In addition to simple fighting karabelas, parade varieties were also made, the latter, very costly, lavishly decorated with silver, gold, and precious and semiprecious stones and carried with a ceremonial Polish costume."
* Nadolski 1974 p36-37
"The next, slightly later variety [of 17th century sabre] did not have a proper pommel but instead the upper part of the hilt broadened so as to resemble a bird's head seen in profile. On the grip chevron patterns sometimes occurred. The cross is of the Eastern type, with rather short langets, broadened where they join the cross. The thumb-ring is usually absent. It was just this type, related to the Persian model, that became specially popular in Poland and survived into the 19th century under the name of 'karabela' (perhaps after the Iraqui town ,Kerbela'). This name, however, should be confined to parade examples, usually lavishly decorated and occasionally extremely valuable, mounted in silver or gold and studded with precious and semi-precious stones. Simple battle sabres with hilts of this type are called 'sabres with the karabela-type hilt'. Despite the widespread beliefs, neither 'karabela' nor even the battle sabres with the 'karabela-type hilt' are an exclusively or typically Polish version. It is true that sabres of this type were mass mounted or even produced in Poland but they are also known from other parts of Europe (Hungary, Saxony, Russia) as well as from their original Oriental homeland, from where they were exported to European markets."
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with an "anatomic" grip in the form of an eagle head, known also as a combat karabela, is divided into 3 basic types.
1. Sabre No. IIa with a blade of variable curvature and double-edged pronounced yelmen. The knob is wide, thus giving effective support of the palm while making circular cuts. These sabres were used in the 17th and the first half of t[he 1]8th century.
2. Sabre No. IIb with a blade of circular curvature, without a pronounced yelmen. The knob is narrow. The sabre is still good for circular cuts because of its well distributed weight (center of gravity)[.]
3. Sabre No. IIc with a short and broad blade, a wide knob and bent down quillions.
"Sabre No. IIa and IIb are excellent for circular cuts while fighting on foot and for swinging cuts from horseback. Most probably high on-guard positions and flying parries were used. Effective palm support made possible cross rotation, given by quick wrist movements from a stiff elbow. Similar sabres were used in Turkey, the Balkan countries, in Russia, Moldavia and Armenia. The principal difference between these and Polish sabres IIa consists of the grip[']s design. Only the Polish sabres perform well in circular cuts. Others were presumably used for horseback fighting only.
"Sabres No. IIc are convenient for swinging cuts from the elbow (the splitting blow) and were used only for fighting on foot. Many type-II sabres were produced solely for decoration."
* Marsden 2013 p23
"... Karabela ... have an eagle-pommel, and are without thumb-rings or knuckle-bow."
Ordynka
* Nadolski 1974 p37
"Also of Eastern origin is the last in the group of more important varieties of sabre with the open hilt, used in Poland in the period under discussion. These are the so-called 'smyczki' or 'ordynki', incorrectly called ,ormianki'. These sabres with a characteristic slim outline and specific details of the mount are linked, via the Tartars, to the very old forms typical of the nomads of the vast Eurasian steppe."
* Marsden 2013 p23
"Saber type IV (Zabłocki typology) is known as the Polish Battle Saber or sometimes as the Armenian Saber, although Zabłocki described it previously as the Tartar Saber. They have open hilts and pistol-shaped grips making them similar to the Cossack szaszka."
* Zablocki online
"Polish military sabre with small cross-like quillons and pistol-shaped grip, also called the Tartar sabre, is an extremely efficient weapon for swinging cuts when fighting on horse-back. Points-thrusts [SIC] can also be performed very efficiently. Most probably these sabres were produced for Tartar warriors fighting alongside the Polish nobility. Blade[']s arc of circular shape, quillons short and delicate, the knob is bent forward at an angle of 45o."
