News: The Mystery of the Black Blade

[Rob Hansen]

Hmmmm.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...ef=mostpopular

[Atticus]

Hmmmm.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...ef=mostpopular

agreed

[Jack Of Shadows]

It's of Melnibonean origin and the inscription translates "please return to Elric".

[Miqque]

The inscription reads:

+NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+

Or, in modern terminology,
"Souls for Arioch!
Copyright © 10, 191 Melnebonéan Era, Mournblade Technologies"

[postodave]

The inscription reads:

+NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+

Or, in modern terminology,
"Souls for Arioch!
Copyright © 10, 191 Melnebonéan Era, Mournblade Technologies"

"If this sword should dare to roam
Box its ears and send it home"
The Witham runs through my town by the way.

[Lanjis Liho]

"I'm not the Black Sword, I'm a very naughty dagger."

[Michael Moorcock]

Could the inscription be related to Finnish ?

[Rob Hansen]

Since we're discussing a black blade, it occurs to me that newer members who weren't around back then might find this reworked page from four years ago amusing:

http://www.multiverse.org/fora/showthread.php?t=24189

[Pietro_Mercurios]

Could the inscription be related to Finnish ?

You mean something like, "If I stab you you'll be finished"?

I think it's early text speak for, "no damned socks, chewed right de sword violet".

[Atticus]

The inscription is a spell of power that no one can read except the person who coded it.

However the purpose of this spell of power is now obvious: It creates confusion and perplexity and fear of the unknown on anyone who casts their eyes on it, a highly potent advantage in a sword fight to the death.

[Pietro_Mercurios]

The VI could be a six, in Latin numerals.

[The Nid Hog]

It's really quite simple. Basic Old Norse instructions, transliterated into the Roman alphabet for ease of inscription. Roughly translated, it reads:

"Pointy End Toward Enemy"

[Reinart der Fuchs]

When you take the negative and play it backwards you can hear the following:

"A new life awaits you in the Off-World Colonies. The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure. Lets go to the Colonies!"

[MartinLightfoot]

SwordsRUs

The Witham also runs through where I'm currently incarnated. I've seen this sword in Lincoln Museum and it is very obviously a knight's broadsword, so a lot smaller than Stormbringer (and still very hefty). And it isn't really black, it's the colour you'd expect a sword to be.
It really, really is a runesword or in kiddyspeak, a magic (probably Christian magic) sword though.
The most interesting thing to me is - and there are several others from out of there, though this is the biggest and best - despite that, people - and very posh, at least potentially educated people - were carrying on an Iron Age religious practice of sacrificing things in water over 1,500 years later under a completely different and fairly intolerant religion.
It's comparable to but even more surprising than (from Fenland Notes and Queries) 19th century Lincolnshire "cunning folk" still praying to "Wod and Lok" - they were a secret and transgressive community. Knights weren't!

[Rothgo]

While the Scottish highlands and islands are often seen as very strictly Christian, in the midst of all that has been a goodly mix of folklore (a.k.a. charms a.k.a. magic). A great wee team looking into such are the Carmichael Watson project at Edinburgh university.