European sword names

Fromhold K. · 22nd May 2005, 09:18 PM

I don't know if it is good custom on this forum to bomb people with different questions, but since you guys have been so helpful, I'd like to ask your help once more.

As probably all of you know, medieval people used to name their swords. Arthur "had" Excalibur, Roland Durendal, Siegfried Balmung and Charlemagne had Joyeuse. Vikings also named their swords (and other weapons) a lot: Fotbitr, Gramr etc.

First question is, was naming common in other parts of the world, too (in Japan it was, as far as I know...?)
And second question: does anyone of you know other occasions when somebody has named his/her sword? And with what name, who was it, where is it mentioned etc. Of course, this doesn't have to be "historical fact" as such, it can be just a medieval legend or story, but this is exactly as good.

The reason for asking is that naming a sword is putting a proper name (semiotical term, if you are familiar) to sword. Which shows the importance of the sword. And mythological thinking (which proliferated in the Middle-Ages) often understands the proper name, the named item and even the user of the item as the same (sword=knight the owner, which seems absurd to logical thinking). Also, considering the mythological thinking again, it shows that sword had kind of a "soul" in the mind of medieval persons. If an item has a proper name, it is a semiotical subject, it has its own history, shades, meanings etc.

And of course, any ideas concerning the topic are more than welcome.

wolviex · 22nd May 2005, 10:33 PM

In Poland the most important sword is Szczerbiec (The Jagged Sword) (word comes from sword wyszczerbic - to jag in English). This sword is coronation sword of Polish kings. Its name is from legend, and is used to say that it was belonged to first Polish king Boleslaus Chrobry, who during his campaign against Russ in 1018, has jagged this sword on the gate of Kiev. But of course it is only a legend, while the sword is a bit later, from the 2nd quarter of the 13th century. By the way your first post, we can find here some inscriptions on the handle of this sword: on the pommel HEC FIGURA VALET AD AMOREM REGUM PRINCIPUM IRAS IUDICUM; on the grip Apostles with inscr. IHOANNES MMTHCUS MARCUS LUCAS; on quillons CON CITOMON EEVE SEDALAI EBREHEL on one side, QUICUMQUE HEC NOMINA DEI SECUM TULERIT NULLUM PERICULUM EI OMNINO NOCEBIT on the other.

Regards

Aqtai · 22nd May 2005, 11:33 PM

Off the top of my head the only Islamic sword with a name I can think of was one the of the swords of the Prophet Muhammad, which was called Dhu-l-Faqqar. I'm sure there were others though.

22nd May 2005, 09:18 PM	#1
Fromhold K. Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Estonia Posts: 6	European sword names I don't know if it is good custom on this forum to bomb people with different questions, but since you guys have been so helpful, I'd like to ask your help once more. As probably all of you know, medieval people used to name their swords. Arthur "had" Excalibur, Roland Durendal, Siegfried Balmung and Charlemagne had Joyeuse. Vikings also named their swords (and other weapons) a lot: Fotbitr, Gramr etc. First question is, was naming common in other parts of the world, too (in Japan it was, as far as I know...?) And second question: does anyone of you know other occasions when somebody has named his/her sword? And with what name, who was it, where is it mentioned etc. Of course, this doesn't have to be "historical fact" as such, it can be just a medieval legend or story, but this is exactly as good. The reason for asking is that naming a sword is putting a proper name (semiotical term, if you are familiar) to sword. Which shows the importance of the sword. And mythological thinking (which proliferated in the Middle-Ages) often understands the proper name, the named item and even the user of the item as the same (sword=knight the owner, which seems absurd to logical thinking). Also, considering the mythological thinking again, it shows that sword had kind of a "soul" in the mind of medieval persons. If an item has a proper name, it is a semiotical subject, it has its own history, shades, meanings etc. And of course, any ideas concerning the topic are more than welcome.

22nd May 2005, 10:33 PM	#2
wolviex Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Poland, Krakow Posts: 418	Szczerbiec In Poland the most important sword is Szczerbiec (The Jagged Sword) (word comes from sword wyszczerbic - to jag in English). This sword is coronation sword of Polish kings. Its name is from legend, and is used to say that it was belonged to first Polish king Boleslaus Chrobry, who during his campaign against Russ in 1018, has jagged this sword on the gate of Kiev. But of course it is only a legend, while the sword is a bit later, from the 2nd quarter of the 13th century. By the way your first post, we can find here some inscriptions on the handle of this sword: on the pommel HEC FIGURA VALET AD AMOREM REGUM PRINCIPUM IRAS IUDICUM; on the grip Apostles with inscr. IHOANNES MMTHCUS MARCUS LUCAS; on quillons CON CITOMON EEVE SEDALAI EBREHEL on one side, QUICUMQUE HEC NOMINA DEI SECUM TULERIT NULLUM PERICULUM EI OMNINO NOCEBIT on the other. Regards Attached Images

22nd May 2005, 11:33 PM	#3
Aqtai Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Merseyside, UK Posts: 222	Off the top of my head the only Islamic sword with a name I can think of was one the of the swords of the Prophet Muhammad, which was called Dhu-l-Faqqar. I'm sure there were others though.