So here’s the situation. Your intense match of ‘pokey chest’ with your salles’ alpha Red Cord did not go quite as planned; and your favourite side sword is now part of your estate being sorted by your executor.
If you have any sort of social standing in your city or country, and your sword was at any time used ‘in service’, there may be some interesting challenges to who actually ‘owns’ your blade.
Is it ‘the state’ that lays claim to the steel as a national symbol of service, valour or sacrifice? Something important to be shared by all.
Is it a ‘family heirloom’ passed down from armoured glove to ungloved, oily, sweaty hand as ‘something nana used to use carry’ … until it ends up as a branch lopper up at the cottage?
Or does it belong to the young gentleman that picked it up for a steal at the estate sale to use as part of his cosplay presentation?
Is It Mine?
CANBERRA TIMES (Australia) 24 April 13 Sword of Gallipoli: the mystery and the myth (David Ellery)
“It’s a plot that could have come straight out an Indiana Jones movie. In 1944, while World War II was at its height, the Australian government launched a search to unearth its own Excalibur.”
One of the challenges in determining the authenticity of any particular historical sword, is establishing an unbroken (and verifiable) linage of possession. Is this truly the blade of (insert name of favourite hero here) … recovered after years out of the public eye (for whatever reason)? And how far to you go to ‘prove’ it?
Sometimes just the idea or history that the sword represents can take a moral precedence over the historical-reality of the actual physical blade itself … but sometimes, sometimes not.
“The myth and mystery surrounding the Lalor sword linger to this day …”
What’s Mine is Yours
SUNDAY TIMES (Valetta, Malta) 05 May 13 Historians differ over rightful owners of de Valette’s sword
The sword and dagger of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, given to him by a grateful King Philippe II of Spain in recognition of the former’s valiant service in Spain (c.1565), was gifted/stolen by Napoleonic France (c.1796) and taken to the Louvre in Paris.
So … who owns this historical and nationally symbolic artifact?
“Apart from the sword, which was a symbol of courage, Bonaparte was also struck by the accompanying dagger which he seems to have carried to all his later battles as a talisman.”
Found Digging a Mine?
TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG (Innsbruck, Austria) 26 April 13 Letzte Ruhe mit Schwert und Sporen (Matthias Reichle)
The final resting place of a 15th C. Germanic nobleman has been found … complete with a very functional-looking (albeit corroded) 1.2 metre (four foot) long sword.
Honour (Squared).
KANSAS FIRST NEWS 29 April 13 Army officer’s sword on display at Kansas fort (Rocky Arnold)
A sword presented to Civil War-era officer Frank Dwight Baldwin by the Michigan Horse Guards will be on permanent display at Fort Larned National Historic Site.
Why?
Baldwin is one of only 19 soldiers to have received two Medals of Honor.
Snippets
BANGKOK POST (Thailand) 06 May 13 Way of the warrior
Trying to combine new sword technology with traditional ways to effectively recreate a martial art? Trying to educate and maybe increase your student base through social media? Want to push your salles’ swordplay to a level of national awareness?
Sounds like the challenges faced by any HEMA/WMA salle, eh?
HUFFINGTON POST (USA) 03 April 13 A Total Maniac's Guide To 18th Century Sword Fighting
“… just stab and stab and stab and stab.”