The claymore

A claymore (from the Scottish Gaelic claidheamh-mòr, meaning "great sword") is either the Scottish version of the medieval two-handed sword, or the Scottish version of a sword with a basket-shaped hilt. The first type is recognizable by a broad crossguard usually bent in an inverted V-shape and having two clover leaves at the ends. This type of sword was used between the 15th and 17th centuries and is an evolution of earlier longswords which also had a crossguard in an inverted V-shape.

The name claymore was first used in the 18th century. This name may not have been used in the 16th century when these weapons were important in Scotland and Ireland. The word claymore is an English form of the Gaelic claidheamh-mòr (“great sword”). In 1772, it was described as a “great two-handed sword”. The reference to the “basket-shaped sword” comes from the same time (1773), but this usage is often considered inaccurate. Nevertheless, it was very common. 

Other researchers, such as Paul Wagner and Christopher Thompson, assert that claymore was first used for the basket-shaped broadsword and only later for other Scottish swords. They already found examples from 1715 where claymore was used in that way, and even as a battle cry in 1678. Some believe that the word claybeg should be used (from claidheamh beag, "small sword"), but that does not correspond with the actual Gaelic usage. According to a Gaelic dictionary from 1825, claidheamh mòr simply means "broadsword," claidheamh dà làimh "two-handed sword," and claidheamh beag "small sword."

The two-handed claymore was a large sword used in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, particularly in the many clan battles and border wars with the English (1400–1700). In Ireland, some two-handed swords have been found that exhibit all the characteristics of the claymore. These may have been introduced by Scottish mercenaries such as the Gallowglass who fought as specialized professionals in the many Irish wars. The last major battle in which it was used en masse was probably the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. It was somewhat longer than most other two-handed swords. The two-handed claymore developed from earlier Scottish medieval longswords that had a distinctive crossguard in the shape of an inverted V and, according to the tombstones of the Western Isles, often had lobed pommels which may have been derived from Viking swords. These longswords were in turn developed from Oakeshott type XII swords such as the Cawood sword. 

An average claymore was about 140 cm long, with a grip of 33 cm, a blade of 107 cm, and a weight of around 2.5 kg. Some were heavier, for example, one described in 1772 as nearly 3 kg. In appearance, most claymores were quite similar: a round pommel (sometimes with a crescent-shaped upper part), an inverted V-shaped crossguard with forward-curving arms ending in cloverleaf shapes, and metal strips along the center of the blade. There was also another type, the so-called "shell-shaped claymore." This had a crossguard with downward-curving arms and two large, round plates that protected the hand. They resembled an open shell, hence the name. Some striking examples from Ireland have a straight crossguard and one has a double pommel, which was likely a decorative expression. After experiments, we concluded that crossguards like these can add value when parrying spear and pole weapons. Thus, the bearer of the claymore can step in on the enemy, with free space to strike with the grip or blade of the claymore.