"1 day - 1 exhibit": Carolingian sword
The weapon, especially the ancient weapon, always draws the attention of visitors to the museum, causing the imagination to play out, what kind of things were done with the help of these blades? How did this weapon from Western Europe get into Volga Bulgaria a thousand years ago? The story of this sword of the Carolingian era is mysterious. Today, look at the sword more closely ...
Usually the visitor who came to the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan is primarily interested in the past, connected with the history of our region, as well as the states that originated here and included its territory - Volga Bulgaria, Ulus Juchi, Kazan Khanate. A special place here is the history of military matters, including weapons. Archaeologist and historian Andrei Likhachev was one of the first who directly addressed the subjects of Bulgarian weapons. In his collection and his work "Household Monuments of the Great Bulgaria", sword blades, knives, axes, kisteni and maces, spearheads and arrows, chain mails, armor details and much more were presented. It is important that many of these items were found here, in our region.
"The Bulgars ride on horseback, wear chain armor and have full arms," wrote the Persian geographer Ibn Ruste in the 10th century. The sword is in the hall dedicated to the trade relations of the Volga Bulgaria with neighboring states. Most likely this sword came to Bulgaria thanks to the merchants. The territory of the Volga Bulgaria is the easternmost point of distribution of such weapons - here found 12 swords and their wreckage. Western weapons were in demand in the East, especially since for that time it was a high-tech product.
"A sword blade must have several properties. It must be firm. The harder, the better, to chop off the opponent's armor, chain mail, swords. But the harder the material, the more fragile it is. At the same time, the sword should be flexible so as not to break with a blow, "says Vladislav Khabarov, head of the Department of Scientific Reconstruction of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan - And it was produced in a so-called batch way, from several metal bands: inside was put a solid steel material, perhaps slightly recoiled steel, and on the outside, layers of softer metal were riveted. Interestingly, when used, the effect of a self-sharpening blade appeared, as the softer metal was quickly erased. "
The Carolingian sword is a fairly heavy weapon with a straight, wide blade and a massive handle. One of the interesting features of these blades is the inscriptions printed on the dale in large Latin letters. Similar inscriptions appeared on Kazan's swords. In a special clearing in Leningrad, on one side of both blades, it was possible to disassemble the pattern from the interlacing strips, and on the other - to read the inscription "+ VLFBERHT +". The Ulfbert brand is well known to historians and archaeologists, it stands for the brand of one of the workshops that produced swords of very high quality. There is an assumption that initially it was the name of the blacksmith, especially famous for his skill, and then it passed to his heirs and was assigned to a group of gunsmiths or workshops. Swords with a similar inscription occur between the end of IX and the beginning of the XI century throughout Europe, especially often in the north and east.
Scientists localize the place of their manufacture by the area of the Middle Rhine, approximately in the area between the cities of Mainz and Bonn. "Carolingians" had a double-edged blade about 78-96 cm long with a deep cut, a short handle with a small guard and massive pommel, the total weight of them was from 2 to 2.6 kg.
"Sheaths, which had three ties, relied on such a blade, around the handle of the blade, the so-called" string of good intentions. " "Says Vladislav Khabarov." During the period of peaceful life, they were tied up, so that in the heat of the dispute, after a flash, a person could not quickly reach the sword and strike. In the meantime, you untie these shoelaces, maybe you will get cold, and think about whether it's worth it. "
The sword from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan is fairly well preserved, it is referred to the second half of the X - first half of the XI century. The sword has a massive knob of the handle, consisting of three parts, rounded at the end and fastened with rivets with a transverse base. The crosshair at the ends slightly widens. Initially, the entire surface of the handle parts was covered with a silver notch with an engraved ornament. It remained only fragmented, but it is still possible to distinguish a woven ribbon pattern. In the depressions between the parts of the pommel, small remnants of twisted silver wire have been preserved.
The exact location and circumstances of the finding of the sword are unknown, and one can only assume whether it belonged to Bulgarian soldiers or Scandinavian merchants, and maybe was part of a trading party transported from far Europe to the East. Such a luxury weapon at all times was of great value. Only a noble and rich man could possess them. In the Scandinavian sagas, such swords often appear as a treasure, they are sacredly preserved, endowed with magical properties, they are paid for, they are inherited as a patrimony. You can touch the world history in the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Photos: Anton Raikhstatt
Anton Raikhtatt, together with the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan.