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Swords at Grave sites

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Corvus:
Here is a question for you Knight-historians:

I have seen many movies where the heroic fallen are buried with their swords buried blade first, hilt up at the head of the grave.

I have wondered about that, given the fact that in reality a good sword was worth a pretty big amount of money.

I personally have seen the precedent of interring a blade - in several instances in fact. My own Master bid me take his sword after his passing and bury it in a certain small cave on a mountain he held as special. Yet in this case the blade was actually buried. I could not see people simply walking away from a perfectly good sword stuck in the ground.

Hollywood affectation or what? Is there a historical precedent for the sword-stuck-in-the-grave practice?  Thoughts?

Sir Edward:


Yeah, I think that's completely invented by Hollywood. Medieval Europeans were very practical. The sword was likely to be inherited by a family member, and not left out to rot. There's little evidence of people being buried with their gear.

Sir James A:
I vaguely recall something about "higher" tier vikings being buried with their gear; sword(s), armor, etc. Something recently about a viking buried along with a ship, too, though I can't find the link in my bookmarks. Viking is way earlier than my couple centuries of interest, so best I can do is point you towards that as a possibility - but as far as being done a la Highlander with the sword upright - no, none that I know of.

Sir William:
I'd think, none that would've remained untouched/unsullied.  What Sir James stated is what I also have read- kings and chieftains may have been put aboard a ship w/a hoard of treasure and maybe some of their most loyal slaves to keep them company in the afterlife; but by and large I have come to think that such items amongst the rank and file would've probably been handed down from father to son until it was no longer serviceable.  Extant examples of older blades rehilted with more modern furniture seem to bear this out somewhat.

Sir Edward:
Right, I'm talking more about knights, rather than Vikings, but that is true. :)  (as in, using the sword as a cross-shaped grave marker)

Vikings often were buried with their gear, with the blades warped and bent to discourage grave-robbers, if I recall.

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