The mystery of the magical 'Ulfberht' Viking sword - Researchers close in on the German 'supermonks'

UK Daily Mail ^ | December 18, 2014 | Mark Prigg

[SteveH]

An isotopic analysis of trace elements would reveal the source of the iron.

Here is a link to a recent paper on iron isotope analysis (for pottery of the Nasca, Peru region, but IMHO the principles should be the same):

http://www.academia.edu/4652199/Iron_isotope_analysis_of_red_and_black_pigments_on_pottery

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Since I am no expert in Germanic languages could be.

Wolf bright: I extrapolated from Anglo Saxon. (I do at least have a textbook in this. never got more than 5 chapters into it.) The sword makers were in Germany so it would probably be old German, old high German, something like that.

wulf, es; m. I. a wolf

briht bright. Lk. Hat. 11, 34, Lye. v. bryht, beorht.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

See the link in post 37.

“Ulfberht ist ein fränkischer Name. Er taucht in verschiedenen Schreibweisen in einer Handschrift des Klosters Sankt Gallen auf: Uolfberht, Wolfbert, Uolfbertus. Eine Urkunde aus dem Jahr 802 bekundet, dass ein Mann eine Villa am Niederrhein als Stiftung für seinen Vater Wulfberti widmete. Nirgends aber findet man den Namen Ulfberht in Zusammenhang mit einer Waffenmanufaktur.”

My German is marginal; a cleaned up Babelfish translation gives;

Ulfberht is a Frankish name. It occurs in various spellings. In a manuscript from the Monestery of St. Gallen is its spelled Wolfbert, Uolfberht, Uolfbertus. A document from 802 for his father(?). (Donated to the Monestery?) You will not find any written record of the name Ulfberht connected to any armory.

Check a Frankish dictionary, I guess, but I think that Wolf-bright is good.

[Polynikes]

“Ulfberht” is probably a Nordic Dialect Term for

“Made in China.”

You are not far off. Chinese metallurgy as well Eastern furnace design were quite advanced in ancient times. Nothing like the reputation for cheap junk like these days. Nova had a special on this sword some time ago. They deduced the Vikings acquired billets of high carbon or crucible steel from eastern trade routes when they worked the rivers of Russia. The Vikings were not only a burn and plunder bunch they also traded and explored. The furnace design was critical it was the only way the heat could be made high enough to work the metal.