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throughout the high and late medieval period. Early crossguards were straight metal bars, sometimes tapering towards the outer ends. While this simple type was never discontinued, more elaborate forms developed alongside it in the course of the Middle Ages. The crossguard could be waisted or bent in
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In the 14th to 15th century, many more elaborate forms were tried. A feature of such late medieval forms is the cusp or Ă©cusson, a protrusion of the crossguard in the center where it is fitted on the blade. Also from the 14th century, the leather chappe is sometimes replaced with a metal sheet. An
198:, the so-called Pontic swords. There are many examples of crossguards on Sasanian Persian Swords beginning from the early 3rd century. They might be the oldest examples. Crossguards were not only used to counter enemy attacks, but also to improve grip. They were later seen in late
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early example of this is a sword dated to c. 1320–40 kept at the
Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. A later example is the "Monza sword" of Estore Visconti (early 15th century), where the rain-guard is of silver and decorated with a floral motif.
218:, a piece of leather fitted to the crossguard. The purpose of this leather is not entirely clear, but it seems to have originated as a part of the scabbard, functioning as a lid when the sword was in the scabbard.
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in the 14th and 15th century also adopted a variant with quillons styled after the hilt of a sword. Quillon-daggers remained popular in the 16th century after the sword type it resembled had fallen out of use.
174:, essentially perpendicular to them, intended to protect the wielder's hand and fingers from opponents' weapons as well as from his or her own blade. Each of the individual bars on either side is known as a
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bent terminals as in style 4, but a more elaborate form with a hexagonal cross-section of the part fitted around the tang and a pronounced Ă©cusson, popular in the late medieval period.
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the bar curves strongly in the horizontal plane, forming an S-shape; this type dates to the end of the medieval period and is transitional to the early modern quillon types.
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The crossguard was developed in the
European sword around the 10th century for the protection of the wielder's hand. The earliest forms were the crossguard variant of the
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After the end of the Middle Ages, crossguards became more elaborate, forming first quillons and then, through the addition of guard branches, the
318:). The term, adopted into English only in the 19th century, arose in Middle French in the late 16th century. The French word is a diminutive of
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an elaborate late medieval type with the bar bent towards the blade and a flat diamond- or V-shaped cross-section and a pronounced Ă©cusson.
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a relatively short bar with a rectangular cross-section. Popular during 1150–1250 and again during 1380–1430.
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the arms of the bar taper towards the hilt rather than away from it; mostly also with a pronounced Ă©cusson.
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knobbed terminals, with round or rectangular cross-section, popular during the 15th to 16th centuries
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a plain horizontal bar, tapering towards the end. This is the basic shape found from the late
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Beginning in the 13th or 14th century, swords were almost universally fitted with a so-called
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the bar has a flat cross-section and is bent towards the blade; popular in the 14th century.
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Closeup of a sword, with a box highlighting the crossguard area
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is "either of the two arms forming the cross-guard" (
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139:"Quillon" redirects here. For the town in Chile, see
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the terminals of the bar are bent towards the blade.
57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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202:. Crossguards are a standard feature of the
255:waisted type, popular in the 15th century.
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206:of the 11th century and of the knightly
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136:Type of sword guard made of two quillons
322:"bowling pin", itself a loan of German
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356:(1964), chapter 4.
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