[Jim McDougall]

I have been repeatedly drawn back to this thread by this intriguing sword, which of course at first glance has the compelling gestalt of a Frankish sword of Migration to Viking periods, and each time have been almost taunted by this strange pommel, and the configuration of the hilt at the blade root.

I must admit being a bit intimidated as I enter this sector in placing observations as Lee has of course pretty much the final word on these type swords with his many years of experience and research, which as noted, began these forums. Also I would note that Michaels note suggesting the 'katzbalger' potential seems to be ultimately plausible, and the similarity in the pommel profile he has shown is also compelling.

With that, I am really looking forward to the katzbalger Lee has cited in Zurich with a Migration period blade. That is absolutely phenomenal, to think of a blade with a secondary working life many centuries later, but in those days a good blade was to be used, not placed in a museum.

While it does seem that a katzbalger sword with a Migration period blade might be feasible as an anomaly on the Continent, such a combination excavated in England suggesting its being in situ from these early periods is truly puzzling.
The extreme goethite encrustation has eliminated it seems the definition in the sword elements that would help us in better identification, but as noted, the blade does have essentially the profile of these Frankish blades.

In Ellis-Davidson (p.48), it is noted that of these Frankish blades, which of course Ulfbehrt comes to mind, the Ingelrii (Ingelrilt, Ingelrd) blades which though contemporary, continued much later and in were known as late as 12th century. Also mentioned is that these blades were distributed appararantly differently in being found in England and Sweden.

While we know that the Viking period closed around 11th century, and that these blades are known as late as 12th c. and in England, these blades would, as evidenced, continue as working blades for some time later, even centuries, and into the period where these quite different type pommels and mounts would have been in place. The katzbalger swords seem to have thier origins around 15th century and continued into the 17th.

I am wondering if this might be a type of transitional or atavistic sword in England which might have been mounted in traditional style of earlier swords actually carrying an earlier blade, possibly even Ingelrii, and with pommel fashioned more toward other developing forms , perhaps around the 13th-14th century.

All best regards,
Jim