Ah thank you Bruno!

Yes, quite right!...Coventina.

All the best,

Richard.

Sirs-I'm for the ritual theory myself, and the majority of experts are too. T he sword was thrown away as a sacrifice to gain luck .Also, as Oakshott points out in Records it is human to want to keep a valued and beloved object to yourself, and since the Church didn't allow burying sacrifices in the grave. the water sacrifice was kept up.

If you're going to champion the ritual theory, you better make sure to define time and place you're referencing, as was discussed at much length on the other thread . Ritual won't hold water at all places in all times. :-)