Mortuary Sword - first use of the term?

Triarii · 6th January 2022, 10:22 AM

Hello,

I've searched about and not found any sort of answer.

It's widely accepted that the name 'Mortuary Sword' is a misnomer as the faces found on some hilts don't commemorate Charles I (or Henrietta Maria for that matter) and that it's a 'Victorian' term.
Of course some of the hilts don't feature faces at all or faces that even vaguely resemble Charles I, and that there is an example with the Commonwealth arms on the blade and a couple of examples that are purported to have belonged to Cromwell.

Does anyone know who first coined the phrase, or when the name first appeared, or who popularised it?

Thanks.

6th January 2022, 10:22 AM	#1
Triarii Member Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 97	Mortuary Sword - first use of the term? Hello, I've searched about and not found any sort of answer. It's widely accepted that the name 'Mortuary Sword' is a misnomer as the faces found on some hilts don't commemorate Charles I (or Henrietta Maria for that matter) and that it's a 'Victorian' term. Of course some of the hilts don't feature faces at all or faces that even vaguely resemble Charles I, and that there is an example with the Commonwealth arms on the blade and a couple of examples that are purported to have belonged to Cromwell. Does anyone know who first coined the phrase, or when the name first appeared, or who popularised it? Thanks.