Viking Sword

Victrix · 7th January 2021, 10:44 AM

As a Swede I don’t particularly recognize the decorations as traditional viking style. Look more Celtic to me. Could it be an Irish iron age sword? Also looks like some kind of strange baton depicted in the decoration on one side?

Although not very knowledgeable on viking swords I understand that kind of pommel is more associated with Frankish swords. I was also surprised that the decorative elements survived so much better than the underlying material although silver and gold don’t corrode like iron.

ariel · 7th January 2021, 04:21 PM

It is not so much a matter of corrosion of the silver and gold: it is the matter of rusted steel.

With this (fully expected) condition of the blade, the channels into which the wire is hammered get destroyed and the wire just falls out.

Not a single part of the inlay is lost here despite pronounced rusting. IMHO, this is very suspicious for a relatively recent application of the inlay in carefully chosen sections.

Several Forumites here have already commented on the incompatibility of the sword itself with its decoration. This, IMHO, further strengthens the suspicion of a later ( recent?) applications of the lnlay by a not very informed engraver.

Similar situation is seen very often on Indian blades, only there it is more often koftgari instead of deeper inlay: intact koft on the background of pockmarked steel underneath.

Kirill Rivkin, in his book about “ Eastern sword” mentioned that as the evidence of “prettifying” the blade for charging a higher price.

My antennae are twitching:-)

7th January 2021, 10:44 AM	#1
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 755	As a Swede I don’t particularly recognize the decorations as traditional viking style. Look more Celtic to me. Could it be an Irish iron age sword? Also looks like some kind of strange baton depicted in the decoration on one side? Although not very knowledgeable on viking swords I understand that kind of pommel is more associated with Frankish swords. I was also surprised that the decorative elements survived so much better than the underlying material although silver and gold don’t corrode like iron.

7th January 2021, 04:21 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	It is not so much a matter of corrosion of the silver and gold: it is the matter of rusted steel. With this (fully expected) condition of the blade, the channels into which the wire is hammered get destroyed and the wire just falls out. Not a single part of the inlay is lost here despite pronounced rusting. IMHO, this is very suspicious for a relatively recent application of the inlay in carefully chosen sections. Several Forumites here have already commented on the incompatibility of the sword itself with its decoration. This, IMHO, further strengthens the suspicion of a later ( recent?) applications of the lnlay by a not very informed engraver. Similar situation is seen very often on Indian blades, only there it is more often koftgari instead of deeper inlay: intact koft on the background of pockmarked steel underneath. Kirill Rivkin, in his book about “ Eastern sword” mentioned that as the evidence of “prettifying” the blade for charging a higher price. My antennae are twitching:-)