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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
I think this is a remarkably fascinating aspect of these medieval swords, from the earliest inscriptions and inlaid names etc of earlier examples to the later copies and commemorative style applications. It is one of the most esoteric factions of arms study, and probably one of the least attended to and most avoided academically, due primarily to the highly subjective nature of the subject matter.
While most interested in these early swords likely pursue their own degree of study on these esoteric topics quite privately, and as can be seen here, most typically avoid any open discussion on them. There are of course varied studies which have been undertaken by some of the key figures in arms scholarship, but these are seemingly stalled at point, and are seldom ever brought into any sort of furthering or advancement condition .
Here we have the British Museum asking for ideas on discovering the meaning of the inscription on this sword, as if it was a new find. In reality, this is just one of a number of swords found in the River Witham, and each with similar cryptic inscriptions, and these finds go back to 1788 as well as through the 19th century. When Oakeshott wrote his seminal work "The Archaeology of Weapons" in 1960, there was not much more perspective on these inscriptions than today. While even then, he and others could recognize many of the religious invocations and may of the symbols and devices, there is virtually zero advancement among arms scholarship with respect to the presence of magical and occult symbolism in these kinds of inscriptions.
I consider this a very regrettable circumstance reflecting the situation in the study of arms, but one becoming more prevalent as general attitudes with political correctness issues affecting museums and such holdings, and the trend toward more casual interaction in arms oriented venues such as forums. I write with results of my seemingly relentless researching on these fascinating subjects, and always hope there will be others who share this enthusiasm to advance the disposition of our collective knowledge on them.
I always appreciate the well reasoned and learned entries of Fernando in many entries on these subjects, as well as the continued enthusiasm and tenacity of Ibrahiim in his efforts to create viable discussions here.
While I have little expectation that further discourse will ensue on this sword or the topic in general, I wanted to enter another soliloquy to express my personal view on these matters. I would have very much welcomed ideas or perspectives on the curious inscriptions seen on this sword and others like it on these pages, but clearly these are not forthcoming. Personally, there have been some good observations.......such as the 'M' which is indeed upside down.....the nature of some of the characters which seem aesthetically aligned toward magical alphabets, as well as the potential for numeric values even Hebrew lettering. All of these certainly worth review and discussion.
My research has been intense and gets more intriguing as I learn more on these topics, and has been so since I was first inspired by this post. I hope others have been equally moved even if we do not see such entries here, as even if we cannot solve this mystery wholly, the study of it will certainly benefit those of us who find this fascinating.
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