European medieval sword inscriptions

Fromhold K. · 22nd May 2005, 09:59 PM

Jim,
I knew soon after starting the project that it's formidable and has immense number of resources

. So probably it turns out to be quite general work and a prologue to my MA (as I hope). The work is rather interdisciplinary, I try to find how medieval people regarded swords using medieval legends and literature, markings on swords, texts on swords and medieval habits concerning the sword as sources and using the methods of archaeology, history, psychology, folklore and semiotics.

Hence the focus is not mottoes and markings only, this is just one way of many attempts to creep into medieval mind

. Of course, I do not think that my work is absolute or shows "how things actually were" and what did they "actually" thought (which is quite impossible). The deductions are just some of many possibilities.

Jim McDougall · 23rd May 2005, 12:08 AM

Hi Fromhold,
Thank you for going into the dynamics of your study, which really helps know more about how we can help. Actually the very elements you have described have been pretty much the basis of the study of swords and weapons in general for most of us for the time we have pursued this history. While we focus on ethnographic examples from various regions intermittantly, most of the time we return to the earlier swords in studying the development of the many later forms. It seems almost like 'sword geneology' if I could chose an analogy, and the medieval period is especially interesting to most of us here.

The thread you have started with the actual names of swords is also very interesting and it was very prudent of you to isolate that topic so it might be addressed with more focus separately.

I think we'll all head for the bookshelves to see what curious notes and anecdotes we can find that might apply to your subject matter...as we always say..the games afoot!!!

All the best,
Jim

22nd May 2005, 09:59 PM	#1
Fromhold K. Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Estonia Posts: 6	Jim, I knew soon after starting the project that it's formidable and has immense number of resources . So probably it turns out to be quite general work and a prologue to my MA (as I hope). The work is rather interdisciplinary, I try to find how medieval people regarded swords using medieval legends and literature, markings on swords, texts on swords and medieval habits concerning the sword as sources and using the methods of archaeology, history, psychology, folklore and semiotics. Hence the focus is not mottoes and markings only, this is just one way of many attempts to creep into medieval mind . Of course, I do not think that my work is absolute or shows "how things actually were" and what did they "actually" thought (which is quite impossible). The deductions are just some of many possibilities. Last edited by Fromhold K.; 22nd May 2005 at 10:17 PM.

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23rd May 2005, 12:08 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,749	Hi Fromhold, Thank you for going into the dynamics of your study, which really helps know more about how we can help. Actually the very elements you have described have been pretty much the basis of the study of swords and weapons in general for most of us for the time we have pursued this history. While we focus on ethnographic examples from various regions intermittantly, most of the time we return to the earlier swords in studying the development of the many later forms. It seems almost like 'sword geneology' if I could chose an analogy, and the medieval period is especially interesting to most of us here. The thread you have started with the actual names of swords is also very interesting and it was very prudent of you to isolate that topic so it might be addressed with more focus separately. I think we'll all head for the bookshelves to see what curious notes and anecdotes we can find that might apply to your subject matter...as we always say..the games afoot!!! All the best, Jim