Sword of state
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A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolising the authority and power of a monarch[1], other high official[2] or, sometimes, an institution.[3] It is sometimes borne in front of the monarch or official.[4]
It is known to be used in following monarchies:
- Reichsschwert of the Holy Roman Empire, see Imperial Sword
- Kingdom of Denmark, see Danish crown regalia
- United Kingdom, see Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
- Joyeuse, used for the sacre of the king of France. Reputed to be the sword of Charlemagne.
- Kingdom of Hungary[5]
- Kingdom of Bohemia (Czech Republic) – Sword of Saint Wenceslas
- Kingdom of England, later Great Britain, then United Kingdom; see British crown jewels#Swords
- Kingdom of the Netherlands, see Dutch Royal Regalia (made in 1840 for enthronements)
- Kingdom of Norway, see Regalia of Norway
- Kingdom of Scotland, see Honours of Scotland
- Kingdom of Sweden, see Swedish Royal Regalia, where it is the oldest of the Vasa regalia
- Kingdom of Poland – Szczerbiec, Grunwald Swords, Sigismundus Iustus
- Kingdom of Mysore – Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, ending with the Krishnaraja Wodeyar II
- Kingdom of Thailand or Siam- the Sword of Victory, one of the five Regalia of Thailand.
- The former Kingdom of the Isle of Man (now a British Crown dependency), bearing the triskelion symbol, annually used on Tynwald Day
- Empire of Russia, see Regalia of the Russian tsars
- The Kingdom of Georgia
- Shangfang Baojian (simplified Chinese: 尚方宝剑; traditional Chinese: 尚方寶劍) of Chinese dynasties from Han dynasty to Qing dynasty
- The Eodo of Taejo of Joseon Dynasty, Korea[6]
- The Sword of Osman, given to Sultans of the Ottoman Empire;
- Kusanagi, kept by the Emperor of Japan;[7]
- In the former sultanate of the Maldives, being invested on the Monarch in a traditional gong ceremony
- Also in the Malay world, notably in
- the sultanate of Perak, where it gave the name to a 'national' order of knighthood [citation needed]
- Sarawak (on Borneo)
Swords of state are also used in some republics, as in the Senate of the state of South Carolina in the United States of America.
See also
[edit | edit source]- Sword of justice – similar part of regalia
- Ceremonial weapons – several types can be part of regalia
- Sword of the State – a title
- Signature weapon
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Conway, Adrian. 2025. Royal Roots: The Definitive Genealogy of Britain's Royal Families
- ^ Proceedings of the society of antiquaries of London. November 19 1885 - June 30 1887. Second series, vol. XI. Thursday, April 8th, 1886. P. 133.
- ^ Goodsell, Charles T. 2001. The American Statehouse. Interpreting Democracy's Temples. P. 88
- ^ Albert Gallatin Mackey. 1889. An Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences. P. 779-780.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Websters