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Old 25th November 2016, 03:59 PM   #24
Tordenskiold1721
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From a theoretical point of view the matter could be more complex with regard to the way the southern Germans weapon took to Norway. That both the Scottish and the Norwegian peasants could be equipped with such weapons. There is nothing known about it.
We do have archives confirming that delivery from 1589 up until around 1611(17) of this swords to Bergen in Norway. I will try to give a short as possible answer to your statement that I inter-pit as a question as there is a lot of details, dates numbers and archives documenting the below:

04 December 1604 King Christian IV passed a law "In The Book of Christian IV Norwegian law" detailing what type of arms the peasant militia must be armed with. There is also archives that confirms numbers and types of weapons in the different districts and areas of Norway. Based on this we know the Norwegian militia at Kringen 26 August must have been armed with Tessack's. We know pretty much in detail how the Norwegian militia was armed from 1604 based on the law passed making all Peasant part of the militia and their size of land and position / financial status details what type of arms they should carry. Inspections of the weaponry was done every Sunday outside Church where those that was not armed according the law of 1604 would be fined. This was a serious matter !!

If we want to approach this law from an academical angle it is probably Professor. Brandt literature from The Institute for Archaeology and History in Norway that is most detailed about the law it self as it is a modernization of the "Leidang" from the Viking age and early middle ages on arming and taxation for arming of the Kings "army".

Some of the literature you are referring to is unfortunately a bit outdated. The examples you show above from Sweden was collected by The Swedish national museum in Norway during the period Norway was part of Sweden 1814 - 1905. The Swedes took the "matter fairly easy" and mixed some of this weapons with Venetian Schiavona etc as you show in your literature. Just because it is written it is not necessarily always the truth...

On the Leidang law on arming and taxation for financing arms, later modified in Christian IV law for Norway 04 December 1604(The law leading to the Tessack and other arms being exported to Norway) :

Use google translate:

https://snl.no/leidang

Use google translate:

http://www.hf.uio.no/iakh/forskning/...ilder/chr4web/

Use google translate:

http://www.wikiwand.com/no/Tessak

So, we have the law(Document) and the archives that documents the Tessack's delivery to Norway and the documentation on what the law is built on. Date and numbers of delivery and inventories held in Church books and archives from districts.

What is correct in what you assume that there is nothing that confirms that the Scott's where armed with the Dussage, other than some examples in museums that is said to be captured at Kringen 26 August 1612 but this examples could be misgivings and actually weapons from the militia.

The term "Sinclair Sabre" could very well have come to be because the Tessack was the sword type used against the Scott's just as in Denmark and Norway certain types of swords are called "Schwedendegen" as they where intended to be used against the Sweds. There is a lot of literature on this but unfortunately not in the English language.

The good thing about history and antique weapons is when we Digg deep enough we find the answers or the right questions in most cases.

Here is one of my Tessak's with a Solingen blade that I bought from a Scottish dealer. We call this "A" type(Per Terje Norheims Typology) This hilt type is the most commonly found in Norway. We see this type with both straight and curved blades:
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Last edited by Tordenskiold1721; 25th November 2016 at 05:58 PM.
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