Could rare sword have belonged to Ivan the Terrible?

Siberian Times ^ | 21 November 2014 | Anna Liesowska and Derek Lambie

[SunkenCiv]

Intrigue over how German-made 12th century blade, adorned in Sweden, reached Siberia...

An exciting new theory has now emerged that it could have belonged to Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and came from the royal armoury as a gift at the time of the conquest of Siberia. The hypothesis, twinning an infamous Russian ruler and a revered battle hero, could turn it into one of the most interesting archaeological finds in Siberian history, though for now much remains uncertain.

What Siberian experts are sure about is that the beautifully engraved weapon was originally made in central Europe, and most likely in the Rhine basin of Germany before going to the Swedish mainland, or the island of Gotland, to be adorned with an ornate silver handle and Norse ruse pattern...

'Both sides of the blade have 'rune' inscription which was abbreviated', said archaeologist Vyacheslav Molodin, the man who led the excavation - in Vengerovo district - which found the weapon. 'The style of calligraphy proves that it was made by people with knowledge of advanced epigraphic writing techniques'.

Russia's leading experts at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg decoded the Latin wording on the one metre long blade.

The main inscription reads: N[omine] M[atris] N[ostri] S[alva]t[ORis] Et[eRni] D[omini] S[alvatoRis] E[teRni], with an additional one on the same side of the blade saying C[hRis]t[us] Ih[esus] C[hRis]t[us]. This means:'In the name of the mother of our saviour eternal, eternal Lord and Saviour. Christ Jesus Christ.'

The inscription on the reverse side is harder to read, but the first word 'NOMENE' - clearly seen - helps reconstruct the rest as 'N[omine] O[mnipotentis]. M[ateR]. E[teRni] N[omin]e', which means 'In the name of the Almighty. The Mother of God. In the name of Eternal'...

[IronJack]

I don’t think a gladius had a blood gutter.

[Celtic Conservative]

I’ve seen them both with and without. But the handle, pommel, guard and general shape of the blade are the same.

CC

[Talisker]

Obviously, the sword was owned by a “Highlander”-style immortal from 12th century Germany, who had to flee his homeland after rising from the dead and being labeled a vampire by the townsfolk. He fled to Sweden, where he was trained by another immortal, and then wandered the world before the Kurgan tracked him down in Siberia and lopped his head off to acquire his power.

Well how else could they start the Democrat Party?

[Bruce Buckley]

That’s not a big deal in Russian museums.

I was involved with an art show in the 1990s with the State Historical Museum on Moscow’s Red Square, entitled The Sacred Art of Russian from Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great. In included the Central Iconostasis from the Novedevichi Convent, before it was reconsecrated by the Patriarch.

There were hundred of icons and fragile objects.

When visiting the textile portion of the collection in moscow, we were asked if we wanted to try on Peter the Great’s robes.

[Domangart]

Think of this metal as a stack of paper. Rust will form on all the exposed areas after it is restored. The entire area exposed to O will begin to oxidize. You must treat the surface with a sealer.

[Joe 6-pack]

Sword Ping!

[Freelance Warrior]

Well, a XII century sword belonging to a XVI century tsar. Isn't it a bit outdated to be a gift in the XVI century? The sword must have come to Siberia centuries before Yermak if it's an authentic, of course.

The hilt is of a X-XI century type, the blade is narrowing to the end too much for a sword of that age. But still... I doubt that Yermak, a Cossack ataman, was a collector of some sort, while different swords were used during his lifetime. It was already the age of firearms. You can find some pictures of XVI-XVII Russian swords here.

[SunkenCiv]

I think this house organ of Pooty-Poot’s just participating in the peace offensive he’s been waging.

[Ramius]

Thanks Joe!!

Sword Ping!!!

[annalex]

The sword doesn’t look late-medieval. That it was a cherished gift that Yermak carried around I can understand but the legend that he actually fought with it seems far-fetched. Soldiers tend to prefer weapons modern to them; a commander would also want to encourage the men to use their customary weapons and so would not want to provide an example to the contrary. The Russian infantry weapon as Freelance Warrior showed was a saber, not a straight double-edge sword.

[Polynikes]

Your right a gladius doesn't have a blood gutter and neither does this sword. It has a fuller.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/sword-making1.htm
“Fuller - Often called the blood groove or gutter, the fuller is a narrow groove that runs most of the length of many swords. Most people believe that it is there to allow the blade to be easily removed by blood escaping through the channel, thereby reducing suction. Contrary to popular belief, the fuller is not a channel for blood to run along. The actual reason for the fuller is to decrease the weight of the blade without diminishing the strength. Use of a fuller allows a blade smith to use less material to comprise the blade, making it lighter without sacrificing too much structural integrity. This is similar to the use of an I-beam when building a skyscraper. “

The design is Viking in design. You see it in the pommel.It would be nice to find it is an Uthbert original design.

[GeronL]

Looks elven to me!

or maybe nordic

[IronJack]

I thought all Ulthberts had the distinctive markings inset into the blade.

[Polynikes]

There are”knockoff” Uthberts out there. Even back then manufacturers would counterfeit. I doubt this is an Uthbert because there would be the signature marking. The design is definitely Viking though.

‘knockoff