When culling the many sword-related press items that one finds when searching for those rare columns featuring things-HEMA/WEMA; one has to wade through a lot of lines about sports teams ‘putting the loser to the sword’; and politicians ‘jousting’ for advantage. Even when you discover a title that gives you three, potential medieval-themed words in the title, you can be disappointed.
Buried Treasure - HEMA/WMA Style
BERGENS TIDENDE (Norway) 06 January 14 Fant sjeldent vikingsverd i Kvam (Gerhard Flaaten)
Bård Gauden was wandering the family farm with a metal detector, and managed to locate some of the oldest, Iron Age weapons ever found in the Kvam area of Norway.
After an initial cursory inspection of the discovered ‘viking’ sword and axe, Mr Gauden did the right thing … covered everything up in the original position as best he could remember, and went for the proper archaeological specialists.
Buried Treasure - HEMA/WMA Style II
KTHV (Little Rock, Arkansas) 16 January 14 1800s-era sword dug up in downtown Little Rock (Lindsey Tugman)
And if you needed some indication about the differences in sword history between the New World and the Old, one only has to read about a 19th century sword being discovered in the U.S. Again, museums got involved early.
Fascinating though, the amount of corrosion on both … you might not think that there were centuries between them.
Burying a Tradition
WIRTUALNA POLSKA (Warsaw, Poland) 27 December 13 Ostatni pojedynek Polaków
The last Polish sword duel with intent happened just after the Second World War … between two soldiers … using sabres!
The result?
The loser took a Schmiß … and just before his wedding!
And We don’t think that the photo is related to the story … We seem to remember that perhaps the picture actually depicts a duel in France.