MYSTICAL SWORDS AND SWORDS-MAKERS
Excerpt from
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
E. Cobham Brewer
SWORDS
Owners’ names for their swords.
(1) AGRICANE’S was called Tranch’era. Afterwards BRANDEMART’S.
(2) ALI’S sword was Zulfagar.
(3) ANTONY’S was Philippan, so named from the battle of Philippi. (Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra, ii. 4.)
(4) ARTEGAL’S was called Chrysa’or. (Spenser: Faërie Queene.)
(5) ARTHUR’S was called Escalibar, Excalibar, or Caliburn; given to him by the Lady of the Lake.
(6) SIR BEVIS’S OF HAMPTOUN was called Morglay.
(7) BITEROLF’S was called Schrit.
(8) BRAGGADOCHIO’S was called Sanglamore. (Faërie Queene.)
(9) CÆSAR’S was called Crocea Mors (yellow death). (See Commentaries, bk. iv. 4.)
“Erat nomen gladio ‘Croc&echeck;a Mors’ qua nullus eyadebat vivus qui eo vulnerabtur.”—Geoffrey of Monmouth, iv. 4.
(10) CHARLEMAGNE’S were Joyeuse or Fusberta Joyo’sa, and Flamberge; both made by Galas. (11) THE CID’S was called Cola’da; the sword Tizo’na was taken by him from King Bucar. (12) CLOSAMONT’S was called Hauteclaire, made by Galas.
(13) DIETRICH’S was Nagelring.
(14) DOOLIN’S OF MAYENCE was called Merveilleuse (wonderful).
(15) ECK’S was called Sacho.
(16) EDWARD THE CONFESSOR’S was called Curta’na (the cutter), a blunt sword of state carried before the sovereigns of England at their coronation, emblematical of mercy.
(17) ENGLISH KINGS’ (the ancient) was called Curta’na.
(18) FRITHIOF’S was called Angurva’del (stream of anguish).
(19) HACO I.’S OF NORWAY was called Quern-biter (foot-breadth).
(20) HIEME’S was called Blutgang.
(21) HILDEBRAND’S was Brinning.
(22) IRING’S was called Waskë.
(23) KOLL, THE THRALLS, Greysteel.
(24) LAUNCELOT OF THE LAKE’S, Ar’oundight.
(25) MAHOMET’S were called Dhu’ l Fakar (the trenchant), a scimitar; Al Battar (the beater); Medham (the keen); Halef (the deadly).
(26) MAUGIS’S or MALAGIGI’S was called Flamberge or Floberge. He gave it to his cousin Rinaldo. It was made by Wieland.
(27) OGIER THE DANE’S, Courtain and Sauvagine, both made by Munifican.
“He [Ogier] drew Courtain, his sword, out of its sheath.”—Morris: Earthly Paradise, 634.
(28) OLIVER’S was Haute-Claire.
(29) ORLANDO’S was called Durinda’na or Durindan, which once belonged to Hector, and is said to be still preserved at Rocamadour, in France.
(30) OTUEL’S was Corrougue (2 syl.).
(31) RINALDO’S was called Fusberta or Flamberge (2 syl.). (See above, MAUGIS.)
(32) ROGERO’S was called Balisarda. It was made by a sorceress.
(33) ROLAND’S was called Durandal, made by Munifican. This is the French version of Orlando and Durandana.
(34) SIEGFRIED’S was called Balmung, in the Nibelungen-Lied. It was made by Wieland. Also Gram. Mimung was lent to him by Wittich.
(35) SINTRAM’S was called Welsung.
(36) STRONG-I’-THE-ARM’S, Baptism, Florence, and Graban, by Ansias.
(37) THORALF SKOLINSON’S—i.e. Thoralf the Strong, of Norway—was called Quern-biter (foot-breadth).
(38) WIELAND. The swords made by the divine blacksmith were Flamberge and Balmung.
SWORDS-MAKERS
ANSIAS, GALAS, and MUNIFICAN made three swords each, and each sword took three years a-making.
ANSIAS. The three swords made by this cutler were Baptism, Florence, and Graban, all made for Strong-i’-the-Arm.
GALAS. The three swords made by this cutler were Flamberge (2 syl.) and Joyeuse for Charlemagne; and Hauteclaire for Closamont.
MUNIFICAN. The three swords made by this cutler were Durandal, for Roland; Sauvagine and Courtain for Ogier the Dane.
WIELAND (“the divine blacksmith”) also made two famous swords—viz. Flamberge, for Maugis; and Balmung, for Siegfried.
N.B. Oliver’s sword, called Glorious, hacked all the nine swords of Ansias, Galas, and Munifican “a foot from the pommel.” (Croquemitaine.)
An alphabetical list of the famous swords:
Al Battar (the beater), one of Mahomet’s swords.
Angurva (stream of anguish), Frithiof’s sword.
Ar’oundight (? Æron-diht), the sword of Launce-lot of the Lake.
Balisarda, Rogero’s sword, made by a sorceress.
Balmung, one of the swords of Siegfried, made by Wieland, “the divine blacksmith.”
Baptism, one of the swords of Strong-i’-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make.
Blutgang (blood-fetcher), Hieme’s sword.
Brinnig (flaming), Hildebrand’s sword.
Caliburn, Arthur’s sword.
Chrysaor (sword of gold, i.e. as good as gold). Artegal’s sword.
Colda, the Cid’s sword.
Corrougue, Otuel’s sword.
Courtain (the short sword), one of the swords of Ogier the Dane, which took Munifican three years to make.
Crocea Mors (yellow death), Cæsar’s sword.
Curtna (? the short sword). (See Edward the Confessor and English kings.)
Dhu’ l Fakdr (the trenchant), Mahomet’s scimitar.
Durandal, same as Durandan. Roland’s sword, which took Munifican three years to make.
Durandan or Durandana (the inflexible), Orlando’s sword.
Escalibar or Excalibar, the sword of King Arthur. (Ex cal[celiber[are]. to liberate from the stone.) (See below, SWORD EXCALIBAR.)
Flamberge or Floberge (2 syl., the flame-cutter), one of Charlemagne’s swords, and also the sword of Rinaldo, which took Gallas three years to make.
Flamborge, the sword of Maugis or Malagigi, made by Wieland, “the divine blacksmith.”
Florence, one of the swords of Strong-i’-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make.
Fusberta Joysa, another name for Joyeuse (q.v.).
Glorious, Oliver’s sword, which hacked to pieces the nine swords made by Ansias, Galas, and Munifican.
Graban (the grave-digger), one of the swords of Strong-i’-the-Arm, which took Ansias three years to make,
Gram (grief), one of the swords of Siegfried.
Greysteel, the sword of Koll the Thrall.
Haute-claire (2 syl., very bright), both Closamont’s and Oliver’s swords were so called. Closamont’s sword took Gallas three years to make.
Halef (the deadly), one of Mahomet’s swords
Joyeuse (2 syl., joyous), one of Charlemagne’s swords, which took Gallas three years to make.
Mandousian swords (q.v.).
Medham (the keen), one of Mahomet’s swords
Merveilleuse (the marvellous), Doolin’s sword.
Mimung, the sword that Wittich lent Siegfried.
Morglay, i.e. mor-glaif (big glaive), Sir Bevis’s sword.
Nagelring (nail-ring), Dietrich’s sword.
Philippan. The sword of Antony, one of the triumvirs.
Quern-biter (a foot-breadth), both Haco I. and Thoralf Skolinson had a sword so called.
Sacho, Eck’s sword.
Samsamha Haroun-al-Raschid’s sword.
Sanglamore (the big bloody glaive), Braggadochio’s sword.
Sauvagine (3 syl., the relentless), one of the swords of Ogier the Dane, which took Munifican three years to make.
Schrit or Schritt (? the lopper), Biterolf’s sword.
Tizna (the poker), King Bucar’s sword. (See CID.)
Tranchra (the trenchant), Agricane’s sword.
Waske(2 syl.), Iring’s sword.
Welsung, both Dietlieb and Sintram had a sword so called.
Zuflagar, Ali’s sword.
