The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: Its Archaeology and Literature

by H.R. Ellis Davidson

This book is an invaluable exploration of the significance of the sword as symbol and weapon in the Anglo-Saxon world, using archaeological and literary evidence. The first part of the book, a careful study of the disposition of swords found in peat bogs, in graves, lakes and rivers, yields information on religious and social practices. The second is concerned with literary sources, especially Beowulf.

Genres: History, Anglo Saxon, Nonfiction, British Literature, Medieval History, Military History, Archaeology

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson was an English antiquarian and academic, writing in particular on Germanic paganism and Celtic paganism.

Reviews

[Edoardo Albert]

This might be a relatively venerable work (first published in 1962, which makes it slightly older than me!) but it remains just as relevant - in its fairly specialised area - as ever. Hilda Ellis Davidson was an extraordinarily accomplished scholar, fluent in Old Norse, Latin, German, Russian, Icelandic, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, who was the first to combine literary and historical knowledge with archaeological evidence. The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England is a perfect example of this approach, combining a thorough examination of the archaeological evidence at the time with a truly broad investigation of the literary sources. As such, it serves as a model for the best sort of historical investigation and while the archaeology may now have more examples, the literary evidence has not changed and, as a mark of the excellence of her work, Davidson's book remains relevant, interesting and seminal today. A landmark in Anglo-Saxon studies.

[Fred Baerkircher]

If you're obsessed with reconstructed archaeology and sword construction, this might be detailed enough for you.