A Viking Sword With Inscribed Blade in a Moscow (?) Museum

Jeff Pringle · 28th August 2009, 03:22 PM

I had a go at the sign that accompanies this display, (hoping to determine if the sword is an original or a copy) and was able to glean a little more about the sword despite my complete lack of Russian. The sword is signed on the blade, Ulfberht-style, with the name ‘Leutlrit,’ and thus may have been made by the same sword smith who forged the more famous River Withham sword in the British Museum. That one is graced with an excellent Anglo-Saxon hilt, this wears a Petersen Type H. The section on the River Withham sword in “Swords of the Viking Age” mentions another in Russia, and since the spelling of the name and find place of the artifact match, this must be that sword at the State Historic Museum in Moscow. The illustration in Kirpicnikov is labeled “Альметьево, бывш. Чистопольский у. Казанской губ. (тип Н, X в., ГИМ, хр. 12/1) which corresponds well with the signage.
The sword is in a case of what are pretty clearly re-constructed garments, and each description on the info plaque ends in “Late 19th Century,” so I was inclined to think it might be display copy of the original artifact. A Russian friend did not have enough English to confirm this reading for me, and in fact seemed to say that the sword was found or acquired by the museum in the late 1800s, so maybe they just like less precise signage in Russian museums than I am used to seeing.
Via on-line translators, under the headline “Male dress of the Viking Period” the first sub-head says “Sword (Carolingian type).” Then perhaps - “Kazan prov., Chistopolsky. Find place - Almetevo by V. I. Sizova. End of XIX century.”

Меч каролингского типа
Железо, медный сплав, ковка, инкрустация
Казанска губ, Чистопольский у., ст Альметьево
Дар В. И. Сизова. Конец XIX в.

28th August 2009, 03:22 PM	#3
Jeff Pringle Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 189	I had a go at the sign that accompanies this display, (hoping to determine if the sword is an original or a copy) and was able to glean a little more about the sword despite my complete lack of Russian. The sword is signed on the blade, Ulfberht-style, with the name ‘Leutlrit,’ and thus may have been made by the same sword smith who forged the more famous River Withham sword in the British Museum. That one is graced with an excellent Anglo-Saxon hilt, this wears a Petersen Type H. The section on the River Withham sword in “Swords of the Viking Age” mentions another in Russia, and since the spelling of the name and find place of the artifact match, this must be that sword at the State Historic Museum in Moscow. The illustration in Kirpicnikov is labeled “Альметьево, бывш. Чистопольский у. Казанской губ. (тип Н, X в., ГИМ, хр. 12/1) which corresponds well with the signage. The sword is in a case of what are pretty clearly re-constructed garments, and each description on the info plaque ends in “Late 19th Century,” so I was inclined to think it might be display copy of the original artifact. A Russian friend did not have enough English to confirm this reading for me, and in fact seemed to say that the sword was found or acquired by the museum in the late 1800s, so maybe they just like less precise signage in Russian museums than I am used to seeing. Via on-line translators, under the headline “Male dress of the Viking Period” the first sub-head says “Sword (Carolingian type).” Then perhaps - “Kazan prov., Chistopolsky. Find place - Almetevo by V. I. Sizova. End of XIX century.” Меч каролингского типа Железо, медный сплав, ковка, инкрустация Казанска губ, Чистопольский у., ст Альметьево Дар В. И. Сизова. Конец XIX в. Attached Images