Much of the 'lore' of weapons, particularly of course, the sword, is found in the creatively written and often highly embellished works of literature. Without elaborating, here is an example which may apply to our discussion:
"...lay thy hand upon the cross of the sword, say a paternoster over in thy heart, and thou shalt be protected from the mischief of this inquisition".
"Abdalla the Moor and the Spanish Knight: A Romance
of Mexico" (1839, p.34)
Robert Montgomery Bird 1806-1854)
The tale is set in the early 16th century.
We may wonder if this passage, though not describing the same dots or holes but the act of reciting a paternoster on a sword, might have been read or somehow known by Burton and transmitted in his book in 1884. Burton, who was a well known scholar of the sword, seems to have used varying degrees of license in his landmark reference on the history of the sword.
Last edited by Jim McDougall; 28th July 2022 at 06:09 PM.
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