Subject: laird 'lord'
Culture: Lowland Scottish
Setting: Stuart dynasty, Scotland 17thc
Evolution:
Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)
*
Sword
* Coe/Connolly/Harding/Harris/LaRocca/Richardson/North/Spring/Wilkinson 1993 p72 (Anthony North, "Seventeenth-century Europe" p72-83)
"Mention should ... be made of the large two-handed claymores used in Scotland in the early part of the century. These are notoriously difficult to date, but is seems likely that the type with downward-curving quillons and two large shell guards continued in use throughout the seventeenth century, and may in fact be of later date than hitherto appreciated."
* Tarassuk/Blair 1979 p120
"One form of the Lowland sword had quillons in the form of an arched cross, and in the center a solid oval plate bent down as an extra guard for the hands. Although Lowland swords have been dated to the second half of the 16th century and those with arched quillons and plates have been dated to the early 17th, little evidence is at present available that would lead to more precise dating."
* Wilkinson 1978 p98
"The true claymore, the original great sword, claidheamh mór, was a large, two-handed weapon with a broad blade and acutely angled, down-sweeping quillons, ending in a pierced quatrefoil. These had been carried in Scotland from the sixteenth century and during the seventeenth century extra protection to the hand was given by a large plate situated at the centre of the quillons."
* Cannan 2009 p86
"The two-handed sword was still used, and would be until the late seventeenth century. Around 1600 the older Highland and Lowland varieties had been joined by a new type of two-handed sword. This was the 'clam-shellit' two-hander, so-named because of the clamshell-like guard that had been added to give extra protection to the hand. Yet again, their blades are usually German. Two-handed swords were used less and less as the century wore on."
Dagger
* Neumann 1973 p230
"Early Development, Circa 1650-1700 This period reflected the initial variance from the ballock dagger. It usually had a wide flat pommel, cylindrical wooden grip with minimal carving, two small rounded lobes at the base, and a long straight tapering single-edged blade (mostly from cut-down swords) averaging 12 to 17 inches."
Pistol
* Bull 1991 p115 caption (describing a Scottish 'snaphance' pistol, mid seventeenth century)
"Scottish pistols followed a line of development largely independent of English or European mainstream styles. Characteristic of Scottish weapons was the long-continued use of the 'snaphance' lock ball or lobate triggers and an extensive use of metal, even in butt and stock."
Costume
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