Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 10th August 2015, 05:56 PM

Essentially tapestries were the news or noticeboards of the day, however, anyone with the skills could render a completely fictional character real ...from myth and legend. See the tapestry of the fictional King Arthur at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur

Trying to deduce what is meant on blade inscriptions is quite interesting since it is not known if the deliberate mistakes (if indeed they are mistakes) were introduced by the sword maker/engraver or insisted upon by the sword owner...or a total error?

If in the case of a Monastic order being involved ... to oversee the correctness of the inscription or possibly as the manufacturer of the swords which in their own right were religious icons in many cases... (it is assumed there was some collusion because of the + ) the religious cross often at both ends of the inscription...e.g +VLFBERHT+) how or why were simple mistakes made in the spelling? Perhaps the assumption that religious orders were involved is in fact wrong?

The spelling mistakes therefor could have been simply the result of the blacksmith being illiterate....or he was simply following the orders of the person commissioning the weapon...Perhaps equally illiterate?

There is of course the other possibility that the mistakes were planned and deliberate.

There is one peculiar aspect of medieval swords which does intrigue...the seemingly across the board idea of chucking ones sword into a lake or river...in a sort of ritual and one which is apparent in legends like the one I opened with at para 1; The Arthurian Legend.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

10th August 2015, 05:56 PM	#13
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Essentially tapestries were the news or noticeboards of the day, however, anyone with the skills could render a completely fictional character real ...from myth and legend. See the tapestry of the fictional King Arthur at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur Trying to deduce what is meant on blade inscriptions is quite interesting since it is not known if the deliberate mistakes (if indeed they are mistakes) were introduced by the sword maker/engraver or insisted upon by the sword owner...or a total error? If in the case of a Monastic order being involved ... to oversee the correctness of the inscription or possibly as the manufacturer of the swords which in their own right were religious icons in many cases... (it is assumed there was some collusion because of the + ) the religious cross often at both ends of the inscription...e.g +VLFBERHT+) how or why were simple mistakes made in the spelling? Perhaps the assumption that religious orders were involved is in fact wrong? The spelling mistakes therefor could have been simply the result of the blacksmith being illiterate....or he was simply following the orders of the person commissioning the weapon...Perhaps equally illiterate? There is of course the other possibility that the mistakes were planned and deliberate. There is one peculiar aspect of medieval swords which does intrigue...the seemingly across the board idea of chucking ones sword into a lake or river...in a sort of ritual and one which is apparent in legends like the one I opened with at para 1; The Arthurian Legend. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 10th August 2015 at 06:15 PM.