Odd Sword

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Ian

Ibrahiim: Your last post may be on target. While, at one time, the second inscription may have meant something to someone, that meaning seems to have been lost over time and today we are left with an unintelligible mystery. Thanks for your pursuit of many and varied possibilities, even in scripts that are archaic today!

Ariel: Western Europe may well be the source, and I think there is a general consensus that this is a European blade.

Ian

Salaams Ian, For sure the blade is European ...I would say Portuguese, Italian or German style like Papenheimer or something similar... but the script...whilst it may mean nothing is taunting since it is so close to some of the varieties like OCS and Hebrew... I just cant match a European alphabet to it... I still think Hebrew may be the answer however I am sure it will turn up some day...

Actually, though it would be nice to crack the code it doesn't really matter since the essence of the idea and the peculiar circumstances of this blade and others like it into and out of the Red Sea Arena are more clearly understood with such examples albeit with much skulduggery attached. Fortunately we have uncovered this practice of hilt switching having shone the bright light (of field research) into that dark corner..

It's no great surprise since even great museums around the world are infiltrated with very clever stuff...As they say... "If only they could talk" ?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.