A TEXAN duo have made a stomach-churning video showing off the awesome power of the Claymore sword.
The “experimental archaeologists” created a model of a human head which is then sliced cleanly in half with a single blow from the two-handed Scottish sword.
The pair’s “carnage test” – posted on their YouTube channel – also involves stabbing car bonnets and chopping thick rolls of magazines as well as showing off the sharpness of the blade by cutting an individual sheet of paper.
The 41-inch (104cm) steel blade they use is a museum replica of the sword used by Scottish soldiers as far back as the first war of independence with the English in the 13th century
The blade was most famously used by Scots hero William Wallace, and many will recognise it as the same used by Mel Gibson in the 1995 Braveheart epic.
The history buffs from Corpus Christi, who go by the names of “Thrand” and “Eldgrimr”, have had 2.75 million combined views on their channel.
They tell viewers: “Sit back, grab some Scotch, ale or mead, and enjoy this epic display of cutting power and carnage that would make William Wallace proud.”
Thrand pulls the sword from it’s scabbard, saying: “We want to see how bad this is.”
Garbed in mail and emitting “authentic” battle-cries, Thrand cuts through thick rolls of paper and two huge bottles of water at once.
He then shows the blade cutting a replica of a human skull – complete with fake brains and blood – clean in half.
In a dramatic finale he shows one blow from the sword cutting clean though one replica head, before dealing what would be a fatal blow to a second.
A metal car bonnet is next up before they test 15th century armour, where the sword once again proves its power, dealing fatal blows through the protective metal, into a butcher’s set of pork ribs used to replicate the human torso.
One enthusiastic viewer responds: “Wow that looks badass – might have to pick up one of my own.”
Another suggested they were underplaying the power of the claymore, observing: “You are T-Rexing all your cuts. They would be much more effective with properly extended arms.”
The word claymore is an anglicisation of the Gaelic, “claidheamh-mòr”, meaning “great sword”, and the massive two-handed “Highland” claymore was used by the Scottish clans in medieval battles with the English.
The broad and heavy blade was associated with status and power, and historically the weapon would run about 55 inches in length – even longer than the one featured in this video.
The sword dates back to those used in the first war of independence with the British from 1296, although blades dating back that far were somewhat smaller.
The weapons was even wielded by Scots hero William Wallace, with a 52-inch blade supposedly belonging to him currently lying preserved at his national monument in Stirling.
