French (?) sword with strange number

Victrix · 17th May 2018, 10:23 AM

Yes these talismatic symbols meanings have been lost in time it seems. Perhaps it’s pointless to seek to rationalize them too much as they are based on superstitions. I think palindromes and repeated numbers were considered particularly strong. These were tough times and people desperately sought solace where they could.

I found this which might be relevant too: http://biblehub.com/exodus/14-14.htm
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

corrado26 · 17th May 2018, 11:33 AM

A helpful collector friend sent me copies of the relevant pages of the above mentioned book. Here they are - in French language. The explanations are really very interesting and would be worth while to have them translated.
corrado26

fernando · 17th May 2018, 04:13 PM

Well, walking the esoteric path, one can find a zillion interpretations of the number, more or less romantic, so to say.
I hesitated in quoting the whole text written in work HOMENS ESPADAS E TOMATES (page 171) by Rainer Daehnhardt, from which i posted a short note in post #6. But once we are diving into those waters, here goes a rough translation of the whole text where the number 1414 is at stake:

" The wide blades with the mark Lobo de Passau ( a running wolf ), and with the magic numbers 1414 or 1441, are the oldest examples, which origin is attributed to Portuguese Colonial Arsenals and the realms of Dom Manuel ( 1495-1521 ) untill Dom Sebastião ( 1557-1578). It is worth to mention that the numbers 1414 and 1441 were not the date of production ( under which very often they were classified ) but uniquely the application of a number considered magic. The study of numerology, a fashion of the period, attributed to figure 7, as to its multiples and combinations, a Divine value. While the Arab cried Allah il Allah, the Christian would engrave the number 7 or, more often the 14 ( this being two times 7 ), or 1414 ( this being two times 7 plus another two times 7 ) or 1441 ( being 14 and the palidrome of another 14) on his blade, wishing to express this way his cry for Divine help in all four directions, as from the moment he unsheathed his sword. Number 1414 is also a reference to the Bible; Job, chapter 14, paragrapgh 14: Man dying, will he live again? Every days of my combat i would wait, untill my change arrived (in the Catholic version). Luther, much considered in Germany in the XVI century, has translated the Greek original, offering in simple language,the following interpretation to this Biblic quotation: When a man dyes, he will live again. So i will continue fighting until my moment comes."

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17th May 2018, 11:33 AM	#2
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,226	A helpful collector friend sent me copies of the relevant pages of the above mentioned book. Here they are - in French language. The explanations are really very interesting and would be worth while to have them translated. corrado26 Attached Images

17th May 2018, 04:13 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	If i may ... Well, walking the esoteric path, one can find a zillion interpretations of the number, more or less romantic, so to say. I hesitated in quoting the whole text written in work HOMENS ESPADAS E TOMATES (page 171) by Rainer Daehnhardt, from which i posted a short note in post #6. But once we are diving into those waters, here goes a rough translation of the whole text where the number 1414 is at stake: " The wide blades with the mark Lobo de Passau ( a running wolf ), and with the magic numbers 1414 or 1441, are the oldest examples, which origin is attributed to Portuguese Colonial Arsenals and the realms of Dom Manuel ( 1495-1521 ) untill Dom Sebastião ( 1557-1578). It is worth to mention that the numbers 1414 and 1441 were not the date of production ( under which very often they were classified ) but uniquely the application of a number considered magic. The study of numerology, a fashion of the period, attributed to figure 7, as to its multiples and combinations, a Divine value. While the Arab cried Allah il Allah, the Christian would engrave the number 7 or, more often the 14 ( this being two times 7 ), or 1414 ( this being two times 7 plus another two times 7 ) or 1441 ( being 14 and the palidrome of another 14) on his blade, wishing to express this way his cry for Divine help in all four directions, as from the moment he unsheathed his sword. Number 1414 is also a reference to the Bible; Job, chapter 14, paragrapgh 14: Man dying, will he live again? Every days of my combat i would wait, untill my change arrived (in the Catholic version). Luther, much considered in Germany in the XVI century, has translated the Greek original, offering in simple language,the following interpretation to this Biblic quotation: When a man dyes, he will live again. So i will continue fighting until my moment comes." . Last edited by fernando; 19th May 2018 at 11:46 AM.

17th May 2018, 10:23 AM	#1
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 755	Yes these talismatic symbols meanings have been lost in time it seems. Perhaps it’s pointless to seek to rationalize them too much as they are based on superstitions. I think palindromes and repeated numbers were considered particularly strong. These were tough times and people desperately sought solace where they could. I found this which might be relevant too: http://biblehub.com/exodus/14-14.htm The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."