Medieval life was brutal and often short, but viewed from the safety of today, highly romantic, throughout history the sword has been used as a symbol of personal power and authority. Used for defense of the person in lawless times and for one on one combat in the heat of a battle, a definition of the sword is a personal weapon commonly found with two, sometimes only one cutting edge. The is pointed and sharp for stabbing terminating in Hilt which is held in your strong hand, often the hilt is encased with metal to protect your hand when engaging in battle.
The medieval sword is thought to have evolved from the simple hand dagger used back in to pre history, there is evidence that as long ago as 1500BC that the common form of sword that would recognise day was in common usage. Medieval swords followed in this tradition the earlier generation of English swords are the predecessor to that of the Medieval England (500 BC - 1500 AD). At the start of what we call the middle ages swords would appear from teh evidence to not have been more than 3 feet in length with one handed grip.
While one hand was with the sword the other could usefully be employed to hold a defensive item like a shield.
As time passed and one period transformed into another a style of weapon called a Spatha was at the height of it popularity. A simple early Medieval sword measuring around two and half feet in length and was commonly used by the Romans occupying England, the design proved to popular and so continued in use after the Romans had gone. One of the practical uses of this sword in Medieval times was a cavalry weapon. At around 1100 AD its design was worked upon and the sword of knights was born from then on Norman sword design favoured the crossguard for hand protection, this is sometimes known as the quillon.
The Crusades ran from the 12th through to the 13th century and the all swords in use carried a quillon these crusaders being devout Christians saw the design of their swords as a sign from god as their weapons with the quillon were cruciform in layout, a few of these weapons had a pommel at the end of the hilt. Medieval swords had very thin blades at the end with a nasty point as it was found that you did more damage with a good thrusting stab that with a slash. A stabbing thrust was far more awkward to knock away with a defensive move called a parry. Modern improvements in armour worn by combatants meant that the shield also lost its importance as a battle field weapon.
So now two handed hilts came into the design equation and were wisely adopted by most users of medieval swords. During the period known as the Renaissance a wide selection of hilt designs came into being, hilt design became almost a fashion in its self. Time was now getting on for the sword as a personal weapon due to the first sighting of gun powder on the battlefields of Europe.
The design of swords at this point was drawn into two schools, one of southern Europe being Greece and Italy and the other belonging to the north of Europe namely England. The southern part tended to favour very short swords with two cutting edges and a pointed end while the other, northern Europe, lent towards a two handed version. During the Middle Ages the best blades were developed by the Arabs in Damascus and Toledo the use of swords became rampant in the Middle East, East Asia and Europe. The scimitar, a curved steel sword, was used by the Persians and Arabs during this time.
In South east Asia - Japan - the samurai sword was being carried by the dominant warrior class it has become one of the most recognisable designs carried by troops, officers, in to battle through out world war two. It has a curved single edge thats razor sharp and large two handed handle.
Symbolicaly it represented several facets of a Samurai life - give up your sword and you submit to the receivers power. Swords also reflect the dignity of an officer or a gentleman, once it was a custom to confiscate his sword and break the blade when he was court marshalled and removed from his post.
The sword also stood for the Christian cross during the Crusades and later periods, because of its shape.
The 16th century saw the fading away of plate armour and the rise of firearms. The practice of developing swords with increasing sizes came to a halt after the large Döppelhanders. The lighter one-handed weapons started to reappear in early Modern Age. The sword, during the period was considered the most versatile and prestigious weapon for close combat. With the further advancement of warfare technology, the sword was mostly used in civilian self-defence rather than in military combats. Eventually, the sword ceased to be a brandishing-weapon. And, not much later, the sword found its way into the showcase corners of some military units or museums where it remains to this day.