Salaams all ... Just bring on the pictures I was talking about....Highlander Mercs at Stettin with the Swedish Army in 1630, A skit by the English at the time of the Jacobite Rebellion, Sword Styles on a Kelso Abbey Charter 12thC? ...which by accident triggers the question when did the Basket Hilt and Sword appear in Scottish hands? It is interesting that the sketch at Stettin shows no basket swords and I attach the other two pictures since the weapons shown are of that period and for interest....and comment.
My suggestion is that as the Highlanders were referred to as Irishmen that the term migrated later when referring to the Irish Basket Hilt when in fact there was no such thing. As a general pointer I tend to agree with the Gaalic connection but I doubt if there was ever an Inniskillin Irish Sword as such. I suppose that there could have been the odd one off item but insofar as a mass bulk store of Irish Basket Hilts ...no I don't think so.
Regarding the
S and what initially appear as Fleur De Lys shapes on Baskets ...this is also not as I first thought since it is clear from references like MAZANSKY that the
S shape was purely coincidental and stood for no word such as
Scotland or
Stirling but was a very effective blocking shape easily arrived at on the nose of the anvil...The Fleur de Lys having nothing to do with the romantic idea of that design linking it to France (rather unfortunately in my opinion) but simply to bull horns.
An excellent idea to keep it all together here as one big thread and Cathey has reminded me with her excellent opener at #1 that would it be possible to have all/most of the main Bibliography references at the front end automatically attached ?...Assuming that there is a program that will do that...and as a humble request to the Forum electronic Wizards...
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
