Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Boydell Press (1998), Edition: New edition, Paperback, 286 pages
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
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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. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1962
Physical description
286 p.; 5.41 x 0.67 inches
ISBN
0851157165 / 9780851157160
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