Quote:
Originally Posted by Victrix
Intererestingly the Google translation reads: “Crusader sword. Made of forged iron in 14thC. The blade is sharp with damasked gold cross. It was found near the river Bedjna at Pusta Bela fortress.” Turns out Pusta Bela fortress, 16km South of Varazdin, was built by the Knight Hospitallers and the nearby town is named after them to this day. Legend has it that King Richard Lionheart stayed here on his way back from the Holy Land. It’s known that King Richard financed the construction of the cathedral in Ragusa (Dubrovnik) after surviving a shipwreck there so it’s not too farfetched.
|
If the Hospitallers were present until 1405, then the apparent dating (late 14th) of the sword allows for it to belonged to one of them, though being found nearby does not guarantee this.
I wonder if the label "crusader sword" at least partly stems from the "gold cross" on the blade - I think you can often find the term used casually in such cases. I suspect the marking is the same as the one which I take to be the shape of a sword or dagger. From what I can see, the proportions better match examples of the latter than actual cross markings, which are common and need not all be associated with crusaders.