Functionalities
Power and prestige are not just macho-descriptors for brute strength and battlefield triumphs. Rather, power and prestige can be represented symbolically through social status as well. The medieval sword represents this duplicity well. While most swords were used for warfare, many swords that are preserved today, due to their recipient's high-profile statuses, were used for ceremonial purposes to award an individual based on virtue, valor or bravery.
As a result, to be in possession of a ceremonial sword became a status symbol for many knights. The sword became more than a weapon; it became a measuring stick of social hierarchy. In this section, we examine two swords, one practical and one ceremonial to analyze the various functionalities of the medieval sword.