[Martin Kyle]

...this person, that person, etc...

I am looking for a place where I can browse a list of historic people and find the swords attributed to them.

Does such a resource exist?

Martin

For example, are there swords attributed to any of the Norman Kings of England?

[Felix Wang]

To the best of my knowledge, no simple list exists. There are some swords with historical attributions, but some of the attributions are questionable. The other problem is that I believe there are cases where the blade may be the original historical artifact, but someone decided to "improve" the hilt at some later date.

There are swords attributed to King Edward III and Henry V (of England); replicas can be seen on the Arms & Armour website. I don't think there are any swords that go back to the Norman kings of England. Charlemagne has an interesting curved blade attributed to him - it may have been a gift from the eastern edges of his realm, which did extend to the border of the Avar lands. The sword of the cover of Oakeshott's Records is the sword of Sancho IV of (?)Castile, and if I remember correctly that book has a few other attributed blades. Armart makes a reproduction of a blade they ascribe to King Ottokar II of Bohemia (?).

Some non-royal blades include the sword of Svente(?) Nilsson, which has been reproduced - see the Albion website, and the swords of some saints: San Galgano and Saint Maurice (although there are two swords attributed to him, one in Turin and one in Vienna). The sword ascribed to William Wallace is probably not a sword he would have recognized, being either wholly of later date or much modified.

Anyone else?

[Jeffrey Hull]

I know of no such comprehensive list, though it would be nice to have one.

This is tangental to your post, yet I understand that Oliver Cromwell is said to have stolen a sword from near or within the tomb of Edward the Black Prince -- quite rude of OC, I must say.

So, does anyone know more about the truth of this episode, and if the sword was ever returned?

Thanks,

JH

[Steve Maly]

[Glen A Cleeton]

I'm not sure how relevant or useful this might be. I brought it up a couple of years ago on another board. While there is not much of a description of the swords themselves, it may be a good list for further searches.

Cheers

GC
~~~~
Famous swords, names and makers, fact or fiction?
Found on the net at a site; http://bootlegbooks.com
Sword Owners' names for their swords.
___(1) AGRICANE'S was called Tranchera. Afterwards BRANDEMART'S.
___(2) ALI'S sword was Zulfagar.
___(3) ANTONY'S was Philippan, so named from the battle of Philippi. (Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra, ii. 4.)
___(4) ARTEGAL'S was called Chrysaor. (Spenser: Faërie Queene.)
___(5) ARTHUR'S was called Escalibar, Excalibar, or Caliburn; given to him by the Lady of the Lake.
___(6) SIR BEVIS'S OF HAMPTOUN was called Morglay.
___(7) BITEROLF'S was called Schrit.
___(8) BRAGGADOCHIO'S was called Sanglamore. (Faërie Queene.)
___(9) CÆSAR'S was called Crocea Mors (yellow death). (See Commentaries, bk. iv. 4.)
" `Erat nomen gladio `Crocea Mors,´ qua nullus eyadebat vivus qui eo vulnerabatur."- Geoffrey of Monmouth, iv. 4.
___(10) CHARLEMAGNE'S were Joyeuse or Fusberta Joyosa, and Flamberge; both made by Galas.
___(11) THE CID'S was called Colada; the sword Tizona was taken by him from King Bucar.
___(12) CLOSAMONT'S was called Hauteclaire, made by Galas.
___(13) DIETRICH'S was Nagelring.
___(14) DOOLIN'S OF MAYENCE was called Merveilleuse (wonderful).
___(15) ECK'S was called Sachu.
___(16) EDWARD THE CONFESSOR'S was called Curtana (the cutter), a blunt sword of state carried before the sovereigns of England at their coronation, emblematical of mercy.
___(17) ENGLISH KINGS' (the ancient) was called Curtana.
___(18) FRITHIOF'S was called Angurvddel (stream of anguish).
___(19) HACO I.'S OF NORWAY was called Quern-biter (foot-breadth).
___(20) HIEME'S was called Blutgang. ___(21) HILDEBRAND'S was Brinnig.
___(22) IRING'S was called Waskë.
___(23) KOLL, THE THRALLS, Greysteel.
___(24) LAUNCELOT OF THE LAKE'S, Aroundight.
___(25) MAHOMET'S were called Dhu' l Fakar (the trenchant), a scimitar; Al Battar (the beater); Medham (the keen); Halef (the deadly).
___(26) MAUGIS'S or MALAGIGI'S was called Flamberge or Floberge. He gave it to his cousin Rinaldo. It was made by Wieland.
___(27) OGIER THE DANE'S, Courtain and Sauvagine, both made by Munifican.
"He [Ogier] drew Courtain, his sword, out of its sheath."- Morris: Earthly Paradise, 634.
___(28) OLIVER'S was Haute-Claire.
___(29) ORLANDO'S was called Durindana or Durindan, which once belonged to Hector, and is said to be still preserved at Rocamadour, in France.
___(30) OTUEL'S was Corrougue (2 syl.).
___(31) RINALDO'S was called Fusberta or Flamberge (2 syl.). (See above, Maugis.)
___(32) ROGERO'S was called Balisarda. It was made by a sorceress.
___(33) ROLAND'S was called Durandal, made by Munifican. This is the French version of Orlando and Durandana.
___(34) SIEGFRIED'S was called Balmung, in the Nibelungen-Lied. It was made by Wieland. Also Gram. Mimung was lent to him by Wittich.
___(35) SINTRAM'S was called Welsung.
___(36) STRONG-I'-THE- ARM'S, Baptism, Florence, and Graban, by' Ansias.
___(37) THORALF SKOLINSON'S- i.e. Thoralf the Strong, of Norway- was called Quern-biter (foot-breadth).
___(38) WIELAND. The swords made by the divine blacksmith were Flamberge and Balmung.

~~~~~~~
Sword-makers
___ANSIAS, GALAS, and MUNIFICAN made three swords each, and each sword took three years a-making.
___ANSIAS. The three swords made by this cutler were Baptism, Florence, and Graban, all made for Strong-i'-the-Arm.
___GALAS. The three swords made by this cutler were Flamberge (2 syl.) and Joyeuse for Charlemagne; and Hauteclaire for Closamont.
___MUNIFICAN. The three swords made by this cutler were Durandal, for Roland; Sauvagins and Courtain for Ogier the Dane.
___WIELAND ("the divine blacksmith") also made two famous swords- viz. Flamberge, for Maugis; and Balmung, for Siegfried.
___N.B. Oliver's sword, called Glorious, hacked all the nine swords of Ansias, Galas, and Munifican "a foot from the pommel." (Croquemitaine.)

~~~~
___An alphabetical list of the
famous swords: -
___Al Battar (the beater), one of Mahomet's swords.
___Angurva (stream of anguish), Frithiof's sword.
___Aroundight (? Æron-diht), the sword of Launcelot of the Lake.
___Balisarda, Rogero's sword, made by a sorceress.
___Balmung, one of the swords of Siegfried, made by Wieland, "the divine blacksmith."
___Baptism, one of the swords of Strong-i'-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make.
___Blutgang (blood-fetcher), Hieme's sword.
___Brinnig (flaming), Hildebrand's sword.
___Caliburn, Arthur's sword.
___Chrysaor (sword of gold, i.e. as good as gold). Artegal's sword.
___Colada, the Cid's sword.
___Corrougue, Otuel's sword.
___Courtain (the short sword), one of the swords of Ogier the Dane, which took Munifican three years to make.
___Crocea Mors (yellow death), Caesar's sword.
___Curtana (? the short sword). (See Edward the Confessor and English kings.
___Dhu' l Fakâr (the trenchant), Mahomet's scimitar.
___Durandal, same as Durandan. Roland's sword, which took Munifican three years to make.
___Durandan or Durandana (the inflexible), Orlando's sword.
___Escalibar or Excalibar, the sword of king Arthur. (Ex cal[ce]liber[are]. to liberate from the stone.) (See below, Sword Excalibar.)
___Flamberge or Floberge (2 syl., the flame-cutter), one of Charlemagne's swords, and also the sword of Rinaldo, which took Gallas three years to make.
___Flamborge, the aword of Maugis or Malagigi, made by Wieland, "the divine blacksmith."
___Florence, one of the swords of Strong-i'-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make.
___Fusberta Joyosa, another name for Joyeuse (q.v.).
___Glorious, Oliver's sword, which hacked to pieces the nine swords made by Ansias, Galas, and Munifican.
___Graban (the grave-digger), one of the swords of Strong-i'-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make,
___Gram (grief), one of the swords of Siegfried.
___Greysteel, the sword of Koll the Thrall.
___Haute-claire (2 syl., very bright), both Closamont's and Oliver's swords were so called. Closamont's sword took Gallas three years to make.
___Halef (the deadly), one of Mahomet's swords
___Joyeuse (2 syl., joyous), one of Charlemagne's swords, which took Gallas three years to make.
___Mandousian swords (q.v.).
___Medham (the keen), one of Mahomet's swords
___Merveilleuse (the marvellous), Doolin's sword.
___Mimung, the sword that Wittich lent Siegfried.
___Morglay, i.e. mor-glaif (big glaive), Sir Bevis's sword.
___Nagelring (nail-ring). Dietrich's sword.
___Philippan. The sword of Antony, one of the triumvirs.
___Quern-biter (a foot-breadth), both Haco I. and Thoralf Skolinson had a sword so called.
___Sacho, Eck's sword.
___Sansamha Haroun-al-Raschid's sword.
___Sanglamore (the big bloody glaive), Braggadochip's sword.
___Sauvagine (s syl., the relentless), one of the swords of Ogier the Dane, which took Munifican three years to make.
___Schrit or Schritt (? the lopper), Biterolf's sword.
___Tizona (the poker), King Bucar's sword. (See Cid.)
___Tranchera (the trenchant), Agricane's sword.
___Waske (2 syl.), Iring's sword.
___Welsung, both Dietlieb and Sintram had a sword so called.
___Zuflagar, Ali's sword.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/data/1195.html

[Glen A Cleeton]

I'm not sure what's up with the last url, I'll try again.
BREWER: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1195-1196
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseA.../1195.html

That looks much better

Cheers
GC

[Martin Kyle]

Thanks:

Interesting list...

I thought Quern-biter (Old English) meant "cuts mill stones" from the Old Norse: "Kvernbit"

In the historical record “Early Kings of Norway” by Thomas Carlyle (1875), we read of King Hakon who wields his sword quernbiter in battle. Quernbiter is a name that refers to the swords ability to cut through millstones.

The current definition of quern is “a primitive hand mill for grinding grain” (Merriam-Webster, 2001). We also know from this source that the origin of quern is Middle English. It, too, is derived from Old English: cweorn; akin to Old High German quirn hand mill. The word is dated pre 12th century.

Martin

[Martin Kyle]

I may have to start building such a list and post it.

Martin

[Russ Ellis]

Hey Steve,

Are you sure about that story? Are you mixing two different ones? I thought the sword that we think of as the "Black Prince" sword was found at a rummage sale with the blade broken? The one that was found with the walking sticks is that one with the little beasts heads at the terminals of the cross? Of course it may be that I'm creating two stories out of one. I should really look this up but it is late...

[Jeffrey Hull]

Thanks for the replies guys. I shall consult Oakeshott's AOW, as I am now reminded that it seems to address the Black Prince sword. He had so many cool stories, that I get them mixed up myself Good luck, JH.

[Steve Maly]

[Russ Ellis]

Ahh very good to similar stories...

[Jeffrey Hull]

Yes, I had the pleasure of seeing A&A's nice replica of the Black Prince sword in their new catalogue just yesterday. JH

[Martin Kyle]

Here is a nice pic of the Black Prince's effigy:

http://www.digiserve.com/peter/bprince.htm

Martin