The sword in Anglo-Saxon England : its archaeology and literature

by Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson

Paper Book, 1994

Status

Available

Call number

623.4/41

Genres

Collection

Gifts

Publication

Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK ; Rochester, NY, USA : Boydell Press, 1994.

Description

This book is an invaluable exploration of the significance of the sword as symbol and weapon in the Anglo-Saxon world, using archaeological and literary evidence. The first part of the book, a careful study of the disposition of swords found in peat bogs, in graves, lakes and rivers, yields information on religious and social practices. The second is concerned with literary sources, especially Beowulf.

User reviews

LibraryThing member DinadansFriend

These weapons have had a place in both literature and the history of technology since the second millenium BCE. The killing in the Iliad is mostly done with spears but there are enough mentions to believe the weapons were around by 800 BCE, if not before. Mr. Davidson concentrates on the weapon in

England, with some mention of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The references are well assembled, and the processes he surmises and describes are quite likely, so it is no surprise this book has been reprinted in this millenium. The prose is not lively.

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