Engravings and inscriptions on swords and shields

[Sir Edward]

Good sir Joe Metz on the Days of Knights facebook thread just showed us the shield he reworked, and he put an inscription on the back edge that reads: "Deo duce, Ferro comitante" (meaning roughly "God is my leader, Iron my companion", or substitute "sword" for "iron").

I think we've talked about this sort of thing before, but other than discussing naming swords, I didn't find a specific thread about it.

What sorts of things would you consider inscribing on a sword or shield?

I threw a few things into google translate and got these ideas:

* Ego sum ​​hoste pessimo.  (I am the worst enemy)

* Gladium meum in Dei obsequium. (My sword in the service of God)


I just thought it might be fun to bounce some ideas around. I haven't come up with anything for myself specifically yet... though I finally put that "truth and honor" thing under my avatar into Latin.

[Sir Rodney]

Our mercenary company uses "Inquit Corvus" which literally translates as "said the raven" and grammatically translates as "quoth the raven".  This ties to Edgar Allan Poe and thus our name (Nevermore), principal charge (a raven) and any other The Raven tie-ins you can dream up.

1845 isn't very medieval, but Poe's alot of fun! 

... `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' ....

[Thorsteinn]

http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/armor.shtml

Find "Kennings for Weapons".

My helm now reads "Sverdbrjotr' (Sword-breaker) in Elder Futhark.

[Sir Edward]

"Suus iustus a caro iniuriam"  (It's only a flesh wound)

[Sir Gerard de Rodes]

"Suus iustus a caro iniuriam"  (It's only a flesh wound)

LMAO 
G.

[Sir Wolf]

che sara sara

[Joshua Santana]

Gladium meum in Dei obsequium. (My sword in the service of God)

I like that quote!   

If I had to come up with an engraving, it would be something like this:

"Honorare scutum meum, veritas mea gladio" = "Honor my shield, Truth my sword"

[Sir William]

I like this one: "Corpora tecta ferro, eorum animas per fidem"

loosely translates to:  "Their bodies covered by iron, their souls by faith", ascribed to Bernard of Clairvoux. 

[Joshua Santana]

I like this one: "Corpora tecta ferro, eorum animas per fidem"

loosely translates to:  "Their bodies covered by iron, their souls by faith", ascribed to Bernard of Clairvoux.

That is awesome!  Very good quote!   

[Sir William]

I thank Sir Nathan for bringing it to my attention as he's used the English translation for quite some time.

[Joshua Santana]

Excellent!  This is what I call fun with Latin engravings, these quotes are good ideas for personal mottos.  I think I have found my personal motto. 

[Sir William]

I tend to use this one on other forums:  "Odi et amo, excrucior."  Translated:  "I hate and I love, it hurts."

That's as human as it gets, in my humble opinion.

[Joshua Santana]

I tend to use this one on other forums:  "Odi et amo, excrucior."  Translated:  "I hate and I love, it hurts."

That's as human as it gets, in my humble opinion.

Human? I say that is awesome and true.   

[Thorsteinn]

"Alea Iacta Est. Moriamur Et In Media Arma Ruamus. Una Salus Victis Nullam Sperare Salutem."

~ The die is cast. Let us be killed even as we rush into the midst of battle. The one hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety (a paraphrase of the Aeneid).

 

[Sir James A]

Depends on the audience, but "confringam ventus in ducis directionem" could be a fun one.