Ulfbert Swords , also known as Ulfbert Swords , is the common name for more than 170 [2] medieval swords dating from the 9th and 11th centuries. They are distinguished by the high quality of workmanship for Western Europe of the early Middle Ages , as well as the massiveness and uniformity of the marks + VLFBERH + T on the blade.
+ VLFBERH + T | |
---|---|
The inscription "Ulfbert" on the sword of the IX century. German National Museum , FG 2187. | |
Type of | Carolingian sword |
A country | Western Europe |
Service History | |
Years of operation | X-XII centuries. |
In service | Vikings, frank army, etc. |
Wars and conflicts | Viking age |
Production history | |
Total released | over 170 [1] |
Specifications | |
Weight kg | |
Length mm | |
Blade length mm | 91 |
Width mm | 5 cm |
Blade type | straight |
Type of hilt | open |
Content
Description
The sword is Carolingian type , straight, double-edged, as a rule, with a direct short guard . Most of them belong to type X according to the Oakshott typology . Most have a geometric pattern in addition to the inscription [3] . It is noteworthy that the latest dated Ulfberts in addition to the usual brand has the inscription “In the Name of the Lord” (“in nomine domini”, + IINIOMINEDMN in the original [4] ). The main external indicator of this type of blade is the stigma + VLFBERH + T, made of iron, and more often - damask wire, hot encrusted in the upper third of the dale of the blade on both sides of it [1] .
The inscription is made in Latin capital type and was located in the upper third of the valley of the sword. Usually, its length was 14–16 cm [1] . In the finished form of the sword, the inscription clearly stood out against the background of the blade [5] . A large volume of red copper and brass wire was wound onto the surface of the top and crosshairs, often with the inclusion of silver stripes. As a result, the handle shimmered in the light, giving the weapon a “shimmering” appearance [3] .
Unlike the modern European swords made using the “false Damascus ” technology, Ulfbert is made of crucible steel with a high carbon content - up to 1.2% [6] . Finds of this type of swords are often found with a pattern uncharacteristic for it, covering the hilt and guard, which probably indicates the export of blades to third countries [7] .
Research History
Despite the fact that most of the “Ulfberts” are found in Northern Europe , their region of origin, apparently, is Australia [9] . Due to the shape of the Ulfbercht name, the Frank origin of the swords was assumed for a long time, however, the blade found in Lower Saxony in 2012 had lead mined in the Taunus region, which strengthened the hypothesis of the Ulfbert proto-manufactory Frankish theory of origin. From there, swords were sold throughout Europe, up to the Volga Bulgaria [8] . As of 1997, 20 similar swords were found in the territory of the modern Russian Federation and Ukraine. Most of them were found on the territory of Scandinavia, which is to some extent explained by the pagan Scandinavian funeral rite, in which the owner’s sword often had an important role. According to the theory of A. N. Kirpichnikov, swords were both exported in batches and sold to professional soldiers, for example, Normans [10] .
According to some researchers, the name “Ulfbert”, originally belonging to the master blacksmith, was probably assigned to the mass product [11] , which was produced by several generations of the blacksmiths of his family [6] . A certain number of imitations are also known, with inscriptions made in a similar style. As a rule, they are identified by a lower carbon content, in the range of 0.5–0.7% [12] . However, there are also imitations of extremely high quality by the standards of Medieval Europe, for example, the pseudo-Ulfbert from a private collection with a hardness of up to 450 Vickers units made of steel with a carbon content of up to 1% [13] In the 1990s, a group of researchers in which included, in particular, A. Stalsberg and A. N. Kirpichnikov , studies of the funds of the Scandinavian museums were carried out. As a result of a comprehensive study using stereo imaging, x-rays and other methods, it was possible to identify 47 more previously unknown swords with previously unrecognized brand marks “Ulfbert” in addition to 132 previously known [2] .
The carbon content in all samples is heterogeneous and varies between 0.7-1.2% depending on the sample and the part under study. The hardness of the edge of the blade reaches 470 Vickers units, however, closer to the core it drops to 355 [14] . There are also specimens with defects whose hardness reaches only 256 units, according to Alan Williams, in these cases, overheating of the workpiece due to a blacksmith's error or forgery is likely [15] . Unusual technology in Europe makes some researchers believe the imported metal origin for the Ulfberts, possibly Persia or India [12] .
Literature
- Kirpichnikov A.N. Swords with the inscription ULFBERHT in Northern Europe // Slavs and Finno-Ugric peoples. Archeology, history, culture. Reports of the Russian-Finnish symposium on archeology .. - 1997. - No. 6 .
- Williams, Alan R. Crucible Steel in medieval swords // Metals and Mines: Studies in Archaeometallurgy. - 2007. - No. 6 .
- Edge, David. Some early medieval swords in the Wallace Collection and elsewhere // Gladius. - 2003. - No. 1 (23) .
Links
- The spread of Ulfbert's swords // Slavs and Scandinavians: Sat. Art. : Per. with him. / Total. ed. E. A. Melnikova . - M .: Progress, 1986. - 416 p.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 115.
- ↑ 1 2 Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 115-116.
- ↑ 1 2 Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 117.
- ↑ Herrman, J. and Donat P. (eds.), Corpus archäologischer Quellen zur Frühgeschichte auf dem Gebiet der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (7.-12. Jahrhundert), Akademie-Verlag, Berlin (1985), p. 376.
- ↑ Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 116.
- ↑ 1 2 Williams, Alan R., 2007 , p. 234.
- ↑ Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 120-121.
- ↑ 1 2 Viacheslav Shpakovsky, David Nicolle, Gerry Embleton, Armies of the Volga Bulgars & Khanate of Kazan, 9th-16th centuries , Osprey Men-at-Arms 491 (2013), p. 23f.
- ↑ Der älteste Metallfund aus Niedersachsens Steinzeit und ein legendäres Schwert aus dem frühen Mittelalter (German) (link not available) . Leibniz Universität Hannover . www.uni-hannover.de. Date of treatment January 26, 2017. Archived on November 7, 2017.
- ↑ Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 121.
- ↑ Kirpichnikov, 1997 , p. 118.
- ↑ 1 2 Williams, Alan R., 2007 , p. 240.
- ↑ Edge, D., 2003 , p. 2203.
- ↑ Williams, Alan R., 2007 , p. 235.
- ↑ Williams, Alan R., 2007 , p. 236.