A Crusader sword found in the Mediterranean…

A probable Crusader sword has been discovered under the sea off Israel. As yet it’s covered with the marine accumulation of centuries, and I await eagerly for when it’s been cleaned and its true identity revealed. It’s hard to believe it was just lying there on the sea bottom as in the photograph above. And…

Did medieval spiral staircases swing to the left or right….?

  Myths abound about the medieval period, and some of them seem logical enough…yet they turn out to be untrue. One such is that spiral/newel staircases were built to be advantageous to those who use their right hand. So, as the majority of the human race is right-handed, this seemed a good, sensible idea. Yes?…

Detectorist finds Bronze Age treasure in Scotland….

And still these detectorists keep coming up with the goods. Now it’s a Bronze Age wonder. “….on June 21, 2020, an amateur metal detectorist uncovered an exceptionally rare Bronze Age treasure hoard in a field near the village of  Peebles, about 22 miles (36 kilometers) south of Edinburgh. The prize of this Bronze Age treasure cache…

Is this the sword of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln….?

  Thanks to a question and response on the Richard III’s Loyal Supporters Unaffiliated Facebook group, and another reference on Twitter, I’ve learned that the sword of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, was presented to the city of Lincoln by Henry VII after the Battle of Stoke in 1487. At least, tradition names…

Swords associated (one way or another) with Richard III….

The sword was a vital weapon in the medieval period (as can be seen in the hand-to-hand combat in the illustration of Bosworth above) and there would not have been a knight, lord, magnate or king who did not possess a minimum of one. Most would have had a number. We will never know how many…

Blacksmiths for Gods and Heroes: Tracing the Magical Blacksmith through Myth

Originally posted on Giaconda's Blog:
? ? Hephaestus from an Attic red Kylix vase decoration. Who Were the Legendary Smiths?: The figure of the often deformed or maimed blacksmith who forges remarkable weaponry and armour for gods or heroes is a re-occurring archetype in myth across many cultures. We have Hephaestus in Greek myth…

THE MOURNING SWORD ON DISPLAY AT SUDELEY CASTLE

Sudeley Castle certainly seems to be making the most of its Ricardian connections these days.The latest news is that they will temporarily have Gloucester’s ‘Mourning Sword’ on display up until October 20th. This sword was given to the city by Richard while he was on his first progress in 1483. He also gave them his…

A sword made for Richard’s son….?

The following is taken from an item in one of the Mortimer History Society newsletters. It was by a member, Stefan Zachary, and concerns a sword of state in the British Museum.   Mortimer Heraldry on a Sword of State  This sword is dated c1460-70 and it is said to be a ceremonial sword of the…

Parallel lives – and deaths?

Many of the facts about Anne Boleyn are well known nowadays. As the second “wife” of Henry VIII, she was beheaded for treason by adultery in 1536. Their marriage was annulled shortly before her execution but it was quite possibly bigamous anyway and invalid by affinity in that Henry had previously slept with her sister.…