No wonder it's her favorite. It's as close to time travel as we can get. This warrior wrote us a message 1500 years ago and upon reading it in the proper context we get to relive his life in our imagination. This is the kind of stuff that makes history real and reminds us that these ancient people were just us in a different time
leftyfourguns - "these ancient people were just us in a different time." Excellent observation ! (Just as 'Old People' are merely Young People who've been around a little longer)
There is something you expect to be drastically different about people 'back then', it's your brain's fantasy trying to fill in the gaps i guess. But when you see/read these old interviews you realise that people still were just people back then :p But you frased it better
"from these gray dust bunnies on the less decorative side of the sword, we can tell that the owner likely kept the sword on the floor under her desk, in the corner"...
@Pure Rust 1500yrs is such a tiny amount of time. Im sure humans will be alright. I would say that 1500 million years is a bit better number for human extinction.
I think about a warrior dying long ago, yet having his thoughts and feelings a analyzed by someone like Sue ages and centuries later. The life has faded but that one rune preserved a piece of his thoughts, his soul to this day that now lives in all of our minds. Very powerful.
Wow this is easily my favorite Curator's Corner by far, I loved the passion you can tell she has for these things and the history the swords themselves exude.
@@SimonWoodburyForget - I don't know if you noticed the name of the channel; it's the British Museum curator's channel, not the "Amaze Jaded Simon" channel. Some people!
@@SimonWoodburyForget RUclips and this entire world are not in fact here to please you. The only reason anybody cares about you is...I don't know. Perhaps your mother cares, but certainly not anyone else.
Sue reminded me of the woman who speaks for the Field Museum in Chicago. Sue is a particularly articulate presenter. Very informative and a delight to hear from someone who is both enthusiastic, deeply knowledgeable, and articulate. British Museum, you would be well served to have her present on more of her favorite topics. Well done indeed.
Dr Brunning, or as I’d like to call her; Sutton Hoo Sue, is so knowledgeable and a fantastic presenter! It’s no easy task to make historic objects as fascinating as she does!
This past summer I had the unbelievable pleasure and privilege of being part of a group that Dr. Brunning guided through the BM's Sutton Hoo collection as well as sharing her passion for swords and their importance in Anglo-Saxon society.
I first ran into honoring wear and tear of older items in my youth in the American west. One of the few jobs available to rural youth was "bucking hay", that is loading hay bails in the field onto wagons to be transported to hay yards. In that profession, we all wore haying chaps (pronounced sh-a-ps) to protect our legs. These were hard-worn utility items that were handed down father to son. Often repaired with heavy crude patches. You could tell a lot about someone's experience (or family back ground) by the chaps they wore. My own were third-generation chaps, ugly, stained and worn, but gave me instant acceptance on my first day of the job. Fifty years later, I am still using them and have added a few repairs of my own. Doubt I will be buried with them though. So when you talked about the wear and tear and the non-compatible decorations/repairs, it made a lot of sense to me.
Anglo Saxon and Danish lords are often described as "ring givers". I had always thought this meant they gave expensive finger rings as rewards and bribes. The information about the rings on the swords would indicate a ring giver was someone who inspired loyalty bound by oaths, which seems much more heroic than someone just doling out trinkets as gifts.
They're arm rings, definitely. This is well recorded in the Anglo Saxon chronicles as well as Scandinavian texts. It boils down to this:- the better, more successful warrior you are, the wealthier your lord or Jarl makes you.
forty mike mike The curator's corner suggested that they were rings attached to the cross piece of the sword. But perhaps there were two different rings involved.
@@mikemiller1646 Or perhaps it really has nothing to do with it and rings on the pommel served another purpose, if they were practical at all (maybe for a lanyard)
There was no nation wide coin making in Denmark at the time. So the usual way of paying was to snip off a piece of silver from an arm ring spiraling around the forearm. In Danish it is called paying with a "vikling". Translated to a winding aka apart of the winding of the ring/spiral. you then weighed it if in doubt and that represented a primitive form of coin/value. It is easy to go from paying with a part of a silver arm ring/spiral to think "ring giver".
Oh that would be great. “ROgueOne has a distinctive horizontal wrinkle on his forehead, probably indicative of aggravation from his kids. And here we see pattern baldness, very typical of the period and of this location. Even through preservation, we can see that his left arm was darker than his right. That would indicate dating of 1960’s or earlier because it was common among people who drove long distances but whose vehicles didn’t have air conditioning. If ROgueOne lived later than that, it would be an indication that he couldn’t afford vehicular air conditioning.”
I loved this video, I must admit I thought they buried them with "fancy" goods but it is interesting that these weapons where not treasures but personal and important to the warrior.
I love the Curators Corner! It is a wealth of knowledge in a few minutes. Your Curators are so passionate about each item that it is such a pleasure to watch them. Thank you for them sharing their expertise.
I also would like to see more about her corner of the museum. I'd be very pleased if she were to review my sword as well; a very personal piece, it also stands strong like an ash tree.
Thank you so much for this wonderful lesson! History becomes so much more tangible if it’s possible to show that an artifact is not just an old dead item, but once was used by a real person. That’s what I would call “living history”.
Someone who knows that the history of the owner is just as important as the piece that is preserved has my support and respect. Well done to Sue. Your dedication, experience, knowledge, professionalism and genuine interest in learning about history all go into preserving pieces of the tapestry that is the past. Excellent video and very informative. Kudos to the British Museum and Sue.
I agree about the pommel wear - it is a comfortable place to rest the hand and gives one a manly posture - one doesn't mess around with a bloke who has his hand on his sword. I have to say that my instant reaction when seeing the ring on the pommel was that this was for a wrist loop. As you say, there are a number of explanations for these rings appearing on pommels of this period, but I am reminded of Egil's Saga (chapter 60 in the 1893 translation into English by W. C. Green, from the original Icelandic 'Egils saga SkallagrÃmssonar'), which mentions that Egil wound the cord attached to the hilt of his sword around his arm and let the sword hang, so that he could handle his 'halberd' ('kesja' - a spear, or similar?) easily, while keeping the sword readily available. Lodging the pole weapon in Bergonund's ('Berg-Önundur's') shield, he was quickly able to retrieve his sword and despatch his opponent before the latter could draw his. A lanyard is jolly useful in preventing loss of a weapon during combat, e.g. modern military pistols are generally fitted with a lanyard ring. Well, it's just a theory and then there's another point - why didn't all swords of this period have rings fitted? Also, there's the use of friðbönd (peace straps) to fix the sword in the scabbard so that it could not be drawn where this was forbidden... could these be attached to the rings? I am, I admit, making reference to Viking period Sagas (Egil was a Norwegian) not Anglo-Saxon practices, but since both enjoyed beating each other up on a fairly regular basis, it's at least a possibility! Anyway, thank you so much, Sue, for a really fascinating video!
As she indicates it's not conclusively known at this time, but one indication that these rings may not have been used practically as you suggest is that as this ring adornment motif progresses over time the rings morph into more symbolic forms. The two rings become fused and the center open area that makes them actual rings disappears until you have what is essentially two fat disc shapes that intersect at right angles (disc-and-a-half actually). This would tend to imply that the rings were never meant to have anything pass through them, such as a cord, or the functional aspect would have been retained. The fact that the rings were symbolically retained would also address the issue of " why didn't all swords of this period have rings fitted?", since as she stated in the video it was possibly a symbol of fealty which not every warrior would posses.
In all seriousness, Mr Hall, Wow! I am hugely impressed with your thoughts. This was my first time hearing Dr Brunning talk, and her knowledge and obvious love of the topic are wonderful.
My first thought was also that it might be a lanyard ring. But on closer inspection, it doesn't make much sense. The ring or loop protruding from the pommel pretty much fills up the space inside the ring, and the ring fills up the space inside the loop. This doesn't leave room for any cord of substantial thickness. Proper lanyard rings have all or most of the hole in the ring available for a cord to be tied or clipped in. As it is, the pommel loop would serve as an anchor point of a lanyard without the ring there at all. So I believe Sue is right in that it has some ceremonial purpose, either to show fealty to a lord or some religious meaning. But then again, it might just be bling. The reference to "kesja" is a curious one. There are several references to pole arms with both tip and cutting edge under different names, such as kesja, høggspjut or atgeir in norse and islandic sagas. But there is no archaeological evidence of any such weapons in use by the norse. Spear heads found have all been of diamond cross section used for thrusting or throwing, and axes were single edged with no spikes for thrusting. Some references are from after the viking age, so it's quite possible later period weapons were referenced. Or that a few such weapons made their way to Scandinavia from foreign countries. The vikings travelled far and wide, and assimilated much from the cultures they encountered.
I think one has to consider the blacksmiths perspektive, the first time a ring was added was (most likely) just to try it out and when people started to use them and want them, whatever for, they kept making them, so people put ornate rings in there or a wristband or tassets or maybe a rope to throw the sword. Whatever go crazy the ring is already there so you may as well use it. In Conclusion (mine atleast) the rings are there because no blacksmith knows what everybody wants, they just put a ring on it and nobody complaint about it.
One of the lines in the Havamal, an old Norse poem (not the same culture, but certainly related,) is "mæki, er reyndr er," "praise no weapon until tried."
I have to admit, I like swords and stories about them. I especially like how she showed how the wear on that pommel came from years of resting a hand on it in that way. Amazing to think that over 1,000 years ago, that sword was some important person's most prized possession. Now you hold it in your hand.
@@DavidSmith-ss1cg I would also surmise that some of the wear was from use where the pommel also rubbed against the glove or bare hand of the wielder as I have found occurs with wielding a sword.
As a history student one of the most important lessons I have learned was: if you really get into subjects, they become interesting even if they weren't (to you) in the first place.
Thanks Sue - I feel very lucky to be living in Australia but able to dip into a couple of one-on-one lessons from the very clever folks at the British Museum in my lunch hour. A lovely introduction to your fascinating job!
Beautiful and honest, isn't it? Reminds me of how the oak was seen and worshiped historically in my home country Germany. It's still somewhat of a symbol for durability or even imperishableness today. We don't give trees nearly enough credit and respect nowadays, imho.
Bassalicious Y’all Germans just love wood. All of your wooden stuff tends to be high quality. Even your Christmas ornaments. It’s like y’all see a piece of wood on one of the million hiking trails you have and go “that’s a nice piece. I think I’ll make a crescent moon out of it”
I am an Anglo-Saxon re-enactor, and some years ago I wore a copy of the Sutton Hoo helm for some filming at West Stow Anglo-Saxon village. Not only is it heavy- it gets hot very quickly! Fighting with period weapons is quite strenuous, and in the Sutton Hoo helmet the heat has nowhere to go but up! Also, as Sue notes, your senses are restricted- forward vision is OK, but you have very little peripheral vision- and if you cast your eyes down you cannot see your own feet! Hearing is also very limited. Great for a pitched battle (apart from the possible heat exhaustion), or if you have bodyguards, but limiting in a fast-moving skirmish. The Coppergate or Woolaston helmets have a bit less protection, but are more practical. Another thing to consider is that for the earlier Anglo-Saxons, kings were marked not by a crown, but a helmet: as late as the 9th century coins show kings in helmets, not crowns.
@@johnmayer3433 That is possible- although I have been advised that John Mortimer's copy of the Sutton Hoo helm (a better reconstruction than the BM one!) has better peripheral vision than I experienced. Another aspect of the helm recently discovered by Mortimer is that the left and right eyes would have looked different: garnets in AS jewel-work usually have a diaper-cut gold foil behind, to make them reflect. One eye has the diaper cut, one is plain- so it would have seemed less bright. This is almost certainly not accidental, but relates to the one-eyed god Woden (the Norse Odin). So was the Sutton Hoo helm just ceremonial? Possibly, but the majority of surviving early medieval helms are decorated: in the case of the Staffordshire Hoard helm (reconstructed from fragments of the gold sheathing, the iron does not survive) as richly as Sutton Hoo- if not more so. There is ample evidence, largely from swords, of richly decorated items that are nonetheless quite functional. Bejewelled war-gear was a statement on the battlefield, as well as in the hall.
What a beautifully and eloquently presented video, thank you Sue, I love your passion for these historic articles and your articulate way of presenting such, again thank you
A great video that is very interesting, What makes it so good is that you can tell Sue has real passion for the subject. Sue is badass, more of Sue, and I like her tattoos.
Loved so much about this video. So engaging, filled with knowledge, hands on history, presented with so much passion but respectful. This was so well cut and shot - the facts were interesting, the presenter so likable. I could listen do this for a lot longer. What a great format, thank you, British Museum!
Perfect format. Experts often have the most profound insights simply because of the time they've spent considering the subject. Just let them talk. Simple.
I did sport fencing for years. Fencers always had their 'favorite' weapons, and they were always the most beat-up ones. The guards (we call them bells) were always beat to shit.
I could sit down with her and talk for hours about history and not experience a single second of boredom, I would be fixated on the edge of my seat at every work she says.
I'm sure my username gives me away, but more of this please! The early Anglo-saxon period is murky, yet gives us an incredible insight into a fascinating era. Most people aren't familiar with concepts such as the Heptarchy, Tribal Hidage or remnants of pre-Christian gods/goddesses of England such as Eostre (Easter). I learnt things in this video I never knew before. 10/10 quality video!
A bit over 50 years ago, when the Society for Creative Anachronisms was a harmless bunch of eccentrics, I could stride through the woods of Ann Arbor with my Tizona del Cid. No more.
@@ratpatooti5080 okay that's a dumb counterpoint. If Tesla called to ask Usain Bolt to help sell vehicles, you wouldn't say, "maybe don't try selling a car to people that like to sprint." You still get from point A to point B, except one option is going to enhance that experience...and you can still sprint whenever you want.
I love the story of rings on the sword.... at first I thought you were going with the idea that it would create a nice place to anchor the sword to its owner so that he couldn't theoretically lose it during battle. But nope. lol. Very well done. Thanks!
What you said about things not being perfect on an old sword may have been something owner my be proud of.. Stirred a memory of mine.. When I was in Navy Boot Camp in San Diego California back in the mid 60s.. I remember our daily Dungarees were pressed and wrinkle free, except for where they were folded the day we got them.. Recruits that had been in boot camp longer.. they're dungarees looked wrinkled and faded a bit.. they showed they'd been there a while.. I couldn't wait for my cloths to look like that and get the shine off me dungarees. Just thought I'd share that with you...
marius schoenmaker seems the legend is rather Celtic, so, either a sword in the leaf pattern style, or antennae sword... if very late, a spatha, obviously resembling the Germanic style, since many implements at use by the Romans in the last period, were introduced to the artistic and artisan currents of the Germanic tribes during those years, resulting in the works that we have found of the migration period
I want to give her a hug, for narrating the story of this beautiful sword. That demonstration of how the pommel was worn down just made it real to me, and the way she smiles during it is like remembering a dear friends ancient Anglo-Saxon joke.
What a great presentation! It’s amazing to see that a warrior has chosen the symbol of ash to mark his sword. Ash is a majestic tree. It stands tall and beautiful. As material it is really tough: strong yet flexible enough to resist impacts. It is still being used for making sport tools.
As a knife maker I can really appreciate this and to see how they made it back then, just incredible the maker put a lot of thought in the making of this sword... thanks Sue this was a cool learning experience !
Loved this video and impressed with your knowledge of swords. Just wanted to mention one type of pommel and ask a related question. The Scythians and Sarmatians usually, or frequently used a sword with a ring as part of the pommel. These are found across Asia and eastern Europe, going back at least three millennia. Are you familiar with these? My interest is that there was a related tribe, that I understand never left the Altai that was known as master metalsmiths. They had made swords of superior. manufacture and metallurgy, and I was surprised to see a couple of mentions of one found somewhere in northern Britain in recent years in a burial that was remarkably intact. The report mentioned that it was probably made by the tribe known as Kalibers, or Calibars, or similar. Are you familiar with this find, these swords, or this tribe? Extremely little on the net about this, but it is where I saw reference to the burial.
Paul Glynn many Sarmatians served as mercenaries for the Romans if I recall correctly, and the Alani tribes travelled west during the Germanic Migration Period. Then again, maybe it was a holdover tradition among Nordic peoples from their Indo-Aryan roots.
Ring pommels are such a wide spread phenomenon that we can not automatically assume they are connected in any way. We find ring swords as far east as China and Japan. the earliest ring pommel that I am aware of is on a dagger from Egypt dated to the first half of the second century. The ring pommels in use in Europe seems to have developed from the antennae swords of late bronze/early iron age. Some stone age flint daggers from Europe and obsidian daggers from the Americas have handles made to resemble entwined and twisting snakes, creating a loop at the pommel end. But I don't count these as ring pommels as such.
This wonderful presentation is full of fascinating information concerning these artifacts - infused with her love for them and what they tell us about the Anglo-Saxon Age.
Completely compelling personal investment in the finer points of the full body of history attendant to these special objects. Thank you for sharing your passion.
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“This is my sword, there are many like it but this one’s mine” an Anglo Saxon soldier probably
That bloke stole my sword. Look at it. Its mine. It has a barely perceptible "A" I carved on the pommel...
An Anglo-Saxon Marine, presumably.
Probably
No wonder it's her favorite. It's as close to time travel as we can get. This warrior wrote us a message 1500 years ago and upon reading it in the proper context we get to relive his life in our imagination. This is the kind of stuff that makes history real and reminds us that these ancient people were just us in a different time
leftyfourguns -
"these ancient people were just us in a different time."
Excellent observation !
(Just as 'Old People' are merely Young People who've been around a little longer)
@@nateman10 nice bro i read all that
There is something you expect to be drastically different about people 'back then', it's your brain's fantasy trying to fill in the gaps i guess. But when you see/read these old interviews you realise that people still were just people back then :p But you frased it better
you are me from 4 months ago. ;-) (i also think people haven't changed much mentally in 30,000 thousand years.)
aren't dumb people smart people before they grew out of being dumb? @@marvinc999
Sue is a very good presenter.
I concur with this statement.
Shame she isnt presenting more videos
She also adorable. imo.
Translation: shes really hot
And she can cleave you from shoulder to hip with her favorite blade.
1500yrs from now someone will find a foam sword remains somewhere and study it.
1500 yrs from now they will dig up a blunted butter knife in London, and laugh out loud.
@Pure Rust I bet you're great at parties.
mining the great pacific garbage continent
"from these gray dust bunnies on the less decorative side of the sword, we can tell that the owner likely kept the sword on the floor under her desk, in the corner"...
@Pure Rust 1500yrs is such a tiny amount of time. Im sure humans will be alright. I would say that 1500 million years is a bit better number for human extinction.
I love Sue. She has such a passion for history that it is infectious. I already love history but Sue just makes it that bit extra special. Thanks Sue.
I think about a warrior dying long ago, yet having his thoughts and feelings a analyzed by someone like Sue ages and centuries later. The life has faded but that one rune preserved a piece of his thoughts, his soul to this day that now lives in all of our minds. Very powerful.
more visits to Sue's corner please! Anglo saxon history is my favourite :D.
Sue is an absolute natural at presenting and has a great teaching style. Great videos.
Wow this is easily my favorite Curator's Corner by far, I loved the passion you can tell she has for these things and the history the swords themselves exude.
@@SimonWoodburyForget - I don't know if you noticed the name of the channel; it's the British Museum curator's channel, not the "Amaze Jaded Simon" channel. Some people!
@@SimonWoodburyForget His point is your jaded and expect the world to please you like a spoilt child seems pretty clear tbh nevermind accurate.
@@SimonWoodburyForget Don't need to...it's not shit.
@@SimonWoodburyForget RUclips and this entire world are not in fact here to please you. The only reason anybody cares about you is...I don't know. Perhaps your mother cares, but certainly not anyone else.
@@SimonWoodburyForget Did you intend that as a threat? Careful how you answer...your account is at risk.
Sue reminded me of the woman who speaks for the Field Museum in Chicago. Sue is a particularly articulate presenter. Very informative and a delight to hear from someone who is both enthusiastic, deeply knowledgeable, and articulate. British Museum, you would be well served to have her present on more of her favorite topics. Well done indeed.
That connection with the rune poem at the end is a great detail; one of the most interesting Curator's Corners yet
Dr Brunning, or as I’d like to call her; Sutton Hoo Sue, is so knowledgeable and a fantastic presenter! It’s no easy task to make historic objects as fascinating as she does!
This past summer I had the unbelievable pleasure and privilege of being part of a group that Dr. Brunning guided through the BM's Sutton Hoo collection as well as sharing her passion for swords and their importance in Anglo-Saxon society.
Congratulations. I hope many more can share such an experience in years to come.
I first ran into honoring wear and tear of older items in my youth in the American west. One of the few jobs available to rural youth was "bucking hay", that is loading hay bails in the field onto wagons to be transported to hay yards. In that profession, we all wore haying chaps (pronounced sh-a-ps) to protect our legs. These were hard-worn utility items that were handed down father to son. Often repaired with heavy crude patches. You could tell a lot about someone's experience (or family back ground) by the chaps they wore. My own were third-generation chaps, ugly, stained and worn, but gave me instant acceptance on my first day of the job. Fifty years later, I am still using them and have added a few repairs of my own. Doubt I will be buried with them though. So when you talked about the wear and tear and the non-compatible decorations/repairs, it made a lot of sense to me.
I like the way she cuts through to to the heart of the topic!
Another guy took a stab at it but he didn't have the chops.
That may be, but we're no match for your side-splitting wit!
I am so pleased there are people who know about wear patterns on anglo-saxon weaponry, and who can share it in such a likeable and interesting manner.
Anglo Saxon and Danish lords are often described as "ring givers". I had always thought this meant they gave expensive finger rings as rewards and bribes. The information about the rings on the swords would indicate a ring giver was someone who inspired loyalty bound by oaths, which seems much more heroic than someone just doling out trinkets as gifts.
Mike Miller and a possible root to our marriage ceremonies. A person swears lifelong service to someone and is rewarded by an imperishable ring.
They're arm rings, definitely. This is well recorded in the Anglo Saxon chronicles as well as Scandinavian texts. It boils down to this:- the better, more successful warrior you are, the wealthier your lord or Jarl makes you.
forty mike mike The curator's corner suggested that they were rings attached to the cross piece of the sword. But perhaps there were two different rings involved.
@@mikemiller1646 Or perhaps it really has nothing to do with it and rings on the pommel served another purpose, if they were practical at all (maybe for a lanyard)
There was no nation wide coin making in Denmark at the time. So the usual way of paying was to snip off a piece of silver from an arm ring spiraling around the forearm. In Danish it is called paying with a "vikling". Translated to a winding aka apart of the winding of the ring/spiral. you then weighed it if in doubt and that represented a primitive form of coin/value. It is easy to go from paying with a part of a silver arm ring/spiral to think "ring giver".
I wish someone would look at me the way Sue looks at that sword....
Bruh
LOL :)
Oh that would be great. “ROgueOne has a distinctive horizontal wrinkle on his forehead, probably indicative of aggravation from his kids. And here we see pattern baldness, very typical of the period and of this location. Even through preservation, we can see that his left arm was darker than his right. That would indicate dating of 1960’s or earlier because it was common among people who drove long distances but whose vehicles didn’t have air conditioning. If ROgueOne lived later than that, it would be an indication that he couldn’t afford vehicular air conditioning.”
I wish Sue would look at me the way she looks at that sword.
😂😂😂@@koshersalaami
Such interesting stories you can derive from the litlte details of the swords!
Sue is just an incredible person. I love to listen to what she has to say. Her knowledge is appreciated
I loved this video, I must admit I thought they buried them with "fancy" goods but it is interesting that these weapons where not treasures but personal and important to the warrior.
I love the Curators Corner! It is a wealth of knowledge in a few minutes. Your Curators are so passionate about each item that it is such a pleasure to watch them. Thank you for them sharing their expertise.
Thanks Sue. Fascinating. I would love to see more about your corner of the museum.
Is that a euphemism?
I also would like to see more about her corner of the museum. I'd be very pleased if she were to review my sword as well; a very personal piece, it also stands strong like an ash tree.
@@whalebrigade Is it really not possible for male human beings to not sexualize a woman in every context?
😂 yeah I bet you would
I too would be very interested to see more of Sue's corner........
Thank you so much for this wonderful lesson! History becomes so much more tangible if it’s possible to show that an artifact is not just an old dead item, but once was used by a real person. That’s what I would call “living history”.
I think nobody is going to be upset about having more of Sue Brunning's corner here.
I love her pay her more she’s so good at this
Someone who knows that the history of the owner is just as important as the piece that is preserved has my support and respect. Well done to Sue. Your dedication, experience, knowledge, professionalism and genuine interest in learning about history all go into preserving pieces of the tapestry that is the past. Excellent video and very informative. Kudos to the British Museum and Sue.
I agree about the pommel wear - it is a comfortable place to rest the hand and gives one a manly posture - one doesn't mess around with a bloke who has his hand on his sword. I have to say that my instant reaction when seeing the ring on the pommel was that this was for a wrist loop. As you say, there are a number of explanations for these rings appearing on pommels of this period, but I am reminded of Egil's Saga (chapter 60 in the 1893 translation into English by W. C. Green, from the original Icelandic 'Egils saga SkallagrÃmssonar'), which mentions that Egil wound the cord attached to the hilt of his sword around his arm and let the sword hang, so that he could handle his 'halberd' ('kesja' - a spear, or similar?) easily, while keeping the sword readily available. Lodging the pole weapon in Bergonund's ('Berg-Önundur's') shield, he was quickly able to retrieve his sword and despatch his opponent before the latter could draw his. A lanyard is jolly useful in preventing loss of a weapon during combat, e.g. modern military pistols are generally fitted with a lanyard ring. Well, it's just a theory and then there's another point - why didn't all swords of this period have rings fitted? Also, there's the use of friðbönd (peace straps) to fix the sword in the scabbard so that it could not be drawn where this was forbidden... could these be attached to the rings? I am, I admit, making reference to Viking period Sagas (Egil was a Norwegian) not Anglo-Saxon practices, but since both enjoyed beating each other up on a fairly regular basis, it's at least a possibility! Anyway, thank you so much, Sue, for a really fascinating video!
Severely underrated comment!
As she indicates it's not conclusively known at this time, but one indication that these rings may not have been used practically as you suggest is that as this ring adornment motif progresses over time the rings morph into more symbolic forms. The two rings become fused and the center open area that makes them actual rings disappears until you have what is essentially two fat disc shapes that intersect at right angles (disc-and-a-half actually). This would tend to imply that the rings were never meant to have anything pass through them, such as a cord, or the functional aspect would have been retained. The fact that the rings were symbolically retained would also address the issue of " why didn't all swords of this period have rings fitted?", since as she stated in the video it was possibly a symbol of fealty which not every warrior would posses.
In all seriousness, Mr Hall, Wow! I am hugely impressed with your thoughts. This was my first time hearing Dr Brunning talk, and her knowledge and obvious love of the topic are wonderful.
My first thought was also that it might be a lanyard ring. But on closer inspection, it doesn't make much sense. The ring or loop protruding from the pommel pretty much fills up the space inside the ring, and the ring fills up the space inside the loop. This doesn't leave room for any cord of substantial thickness. Proper lanyard rings have all or most of the hole in the ring available for a cord to be tied or clipped in. As it is, the pommel loop would serve as an anchor point of a lanyard without the ring there at all. So I believe Sue is right in that it has some ceremonial purpose, either to show fealty to a lord or some religious meaning. But then again, it might just be bling.
The reference to "kesja" is a curious one. There are several references to pole arms with both tip and cutting edge under different names, such as kesja, høggspjut or atgeir in norse and islandic sagas. But there is no archaeological evidence of any such weapons in use by the norse. Spear heads found have all been of diamond cross section used for thrusting or throwing, and axes were single edged with no spikes for thrusting. Some references are from after the viking age, so it's quite possible later period weapons were referenced. Or that a few such weapons made their way to Scandinavia from foreign countries. The vikings travelled far and wide, and assimilated much from the cultures they encountered.
I think one has to consider the blacksmiths perspektive, the first time a ring was added was (most likely) just to try it out and when people started to use them and want them, whatever for, they kept making them, so people put ornate rings in there or a wristband or tassets or maybe a rope to throw the sword. Whatever go crazy the ring is already there so you may as well use it.
In Conclusion (mine atleast) the rings are there because no blacksmith knows what everybody wants, they just put a ring on it and nobody complaint about it.
Swords are always poetic. Wonderful and informative video.
If you carried through the fight of your life, I can see the strong emotional connection.
One of the lines in the Havamal, an old Norse poem (not the same culture, but certainly related,) is "mæki, er reyndr er," "praise no weapon until tried."
I was thinking this too!
It's solid advice.
"Beware the old man, in a place where men die young."
Havamal, "The sayings of the High Ones" ie The Gods.
What I like about this channel is I would have never thought before that Anglo-Saxon sword hilts were a particularly interesting subject.
I have to admit, I like swords and stories about them. I especially like how she showed how the wear on that pommel came from years of resting a hand on it in that way. Amazing to think that over 1,000 years ago, that sword was some important person's most prized possession. Now you hold it in your hand.
it is the small things in history that always carry the big picture within them. which is awesome.
@@DavidSmith-ss1cg I would also surmise that some of the wear was from use where the pommel also rubbed against the glove or bare hand of the wielder as I have found occurs with wielding a sword.
@@karl-dragonstar7958 - Indubitably. Thanks for your thoughtful and polite comment. Merry Christmas!
As a history student one of the most important lessons I have learned was: if you really get into subjects, they become interesting even if they weren't (to you) in the first place.
Thanks Sue - I feel very lucky to be living in Australia but able to dip into a couple of one-on-one lessons from the very clever folks at the British Museum in my lunch hour. A lovely introduction to your fascinating job!
Best curators corner so far. Also such a beautiful lady!
Yeah
What a joy to listen to----the way History should be presented!!
"The ash is extremely tall, prescious to mankind, strong on its base. It holds its ground as it should, although many men attack it."
Beautiful and honest, isn't it? Reminds me of how the oak was seen and worshiped historically in my home country Germany. It's still somewhat of a symbol for durability or even imperishableness today.
We don't give trees nearly enough credit and respect nowadays, imho.
Standing Stout.
@@Bassalicious lol
I don't have any tattoos, but if I was to get one, I'd get the ash rune inked on me somewhere. Nobody's ever attacked me; I just think it's cool.
Bassalicious Y’all Germans just love wood. All of your wooden stuff tends to be high quality. Even your Christmas ornaments. It’s like y’all see a piece of wood on one of the million hiking trails you have and go “that’s a nice piece. I think I’ll make a crescent moon out of it”
Sue is intelligent, well articulated, great presenter. We need more of her.
Yes , more of this please ..
Thumbs up for your enthusiasm , there chap
Gentlemen of quality and taste, we meet again.
I am an Anglo-Saxon re-enactor, and some years ago I wore a copy of the Sutton Hoo helm for some filming at West Stow Anglo-Saxon village. Not only is it heavy- it gets hot very quickly! Fighting with period weapons is quite strenuous, and in the Sutton Hoo helmet the heat has nowhere to go but up! Also, as Sue notes, your senses are restricted- forward vision is OK, but you have very little peripheral vision- and if you cast your eyes down you cannot see your own feet! Hearing is also very limited. Great for a pitched battle (apart from the possible heat exhaustion), or if you have bodyguards, but limiting in a fast-moving skirmish. The Coppergate or Woolaston helmets have a bit less protection, but are more practical. Another thing to consider is that for the earlier Anglo-Saxons, kings were marked not by a crown, but a helmet: as late as the 9th century coins show kings in helmets, not crowns.
Maybe it wasn't meant for battle but for representation. As you said they did not wear crowns back then.
@@johnmayer3433 That is possible- although I have been advised that John Mortimer's copy of the Sutton Hoo helm (a better reconstruction than the BM one!) has better peripheral vision than I experienced. Another aspect of the helm recently discovered by Mortimer is that the left and right eyes would have looked different: garnets in AS jewel-work usually have a diaper-cut gold foil behind, to make them reflect. One eye has the diaper cut, one is plain- so it would have seemed less bright. This is almost certainly not accidental, but relates to the one-eyed god Woden (the Norse Odin). So was the Sutton Hoo helm just ceremonial? Possibly, but the majority of surviving early medieval helms are decorated: in the case of the Staffordshire Hoard helm (reconstructed from fragments of the gold sheathing, the iron does not survive) as richly as Sutton Hoo- if not more so. There is ample evidence, largely from swords, of richly decorated items that are nonetheless quite functional. Bejewelled war-gear was a statement on the battlefield, as well as in the hall.
The rune certainly makes the one sword rather special and unique. Understandable why it's her favirite sword.
What a beautiful and educational video! There is always so much that swords have to teach us
What a beautifully and eloquently presented video, thank you Sue, I love your passion for these historic articles and your articulate way of presenting such, again thank you
A great video that is very interesting, What makes it so good is that you can tell Sue has real passion for the subject.
Sue is badass, more of Sue, and I like her tattoos.
I love hearing history nerds talk about things that excite them. Exudes positive energy. Thanks!
Loved so much about this video. So engaging, filled with knowledge, hands on history, presented with so much passion but respectful.
This was so well cut and shot - the facts were interesting, the presenter so likable. I could listen do this for a lot longer.
What a great format, thank you, British Museum!
I'm here for the thirsty jokes. Don't disappoint me.
i could listen to her talk all day....
Sue's the best - I could listen to her talk about artefacts all day!
Just discovered this channel. Couldn't be happier to sub after watching Sue and her knowledge and enthusiasm. Cheers!
Perfect format. Experts often have the most profound insights simply because of the time they've spent considering the subject. Just let them talk. Simple.
I did sport fencing for years. Fencers always had their 'favorite' weapons, and they were always the most beat-up ones. The guards (we call them bells) were always beat to shit.
Sue Brunning knows her stuff that's for sure. Also, I couldn't help but notice that she's very pretty as well as being smart. Great channel
Fascinating!
Jesus Christ, it's Jesus Christ!
Nice to see Jesus has the same inclination for quality education content that I do. What a nice guy that Jesus is
Hope youre doing good Jesus. youre content and life story is really inspirational, and youre one of the most amazing and unique people on this planet
@@zyourzgrandzmaz His lies led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of humans in the last 2000 years.
@@deathmetalpotato I think they're talking about the guy who runs the channel
The amount of work she put into this is top-notch
I’m in love with Sue.
Could listen to her for hours. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion.
I immediately think of one of my favorite movies, "Highlander".
I could sit down with her and talk for hours about history and not experience a single second of boredom, I would be fixated on the edge of my seat at every work she says.
Beware of an old man in a profession where the men die young
I could listen to Sue talk about history all day. 👌
I'm sure my username gives me away, but more of this please! The early Anglo-saxon period is murky, yet gives us an incredible insight into a fascinating era. Most people aren't familiar with concepts such as the Heptarchy, Tribal Hidage or remnants of pre-Christian gods/goddesses of England such as Eostre (Easter).
I learnt things in this video I never knew before. 10/10 quality video!
It is always edifying when Dr. Sue closely inspects some big helmets and swords in her 'corner' :-)
Thank you for a very informative presentation.
So interesting. Thank you Sue for making history connect with us.
I want to go around in public wearing a sword just so I can rest my hand on the pommel and be lordly.
Well it’s 5 years for a blade longer than 2 inches so i wouldn’t. Im not sure how lordly you will be treated in belmarsh prison 😉
Move to the States, who knows, might be that we soon are left with only swords and bows if we lose the 2nd amendment.
A bit over 50 years ago, when the Society for Creative Anachronisms was a harmless bunch of eccentrics, I could stride through the woods of Ann Arbor with my Tizona del Cid. No more.
@@thisguy4614 If you're trying to get people on your side, I don't think saying we'll have to go around carrying cool swords is the way to do it
@@ratpatooti5080 okay that's a dumb counterpoint. If Tesla called to ask Usain Bolt to help sell vehicles, you wouldn't say, "maybe don't try selling a car to people that like to sprint." You still get from point A to point B, except one option is going to enhance that experience...and you can still sprint whenever you want.
Brilliant! A truly great presentation about a fasclnating subject! Thank you very much indeed Sue, and the British Museum.
Excellent content, and great presenter. More of her and Anglo Saxon artifacts please!
Absolutely fantastic!!! I agree, embracing grey hairs and wrinkles gives us strength!!!
I find Sue to be incredibly attractive.
I love the story of rings on the sword.... at first I thought you were going with the idea that it would create a nice place to anchor the sword to its owner so that he couldn't theoretically lose it during battle. But nope. lol. Very well done. Thanks!
When will Sue be reviewing the buster sword?
That would truly be my Final Fantasy.
god this was a fantastic little video, learned tons and felt totally immersed in her passion about those objects and their history.
Sue is a shiny happy person ⚔️
Swords, or as we see them today - bars of rust.
Cute and full of history and knowledge. Would love to spend an evening talking to her.
Why you gotta make it weird homie
@@stover14 What's wierd about wanna have a conversation with a person full of knowledge..? Or is it that she's cute that makes it wierd..?
@@bongfuhrer idk I was pretty drunk when I said that
@@stover14 Stay away from internet when drunk. I learned that years ago..
Man I wish some of my professors were this passionate about what they were teaching, it makes learning so much more enjoyable.
So freaking smart and cute. Keep it up.
What you said about things not being perfect on an old sword may have been something owner my be proud of.. Stirred a memory of mine.. When I was in Navy Boot Camp in San Diego California back in the mid 60s.. I remember our daily Dungarees were pressed and wrinkle free, except for where they were folded the day we got them.. Recruits that had been in boot camp longer.. they're dungarees looked wrinkled and faded a bit.. they showed they'd been there a while.. I couldn't wait for my cloths to look like that and get the shine off me dungarees.
Just thought I'd share that with you...
Great video! I'm a big fan of this lady.
Can't stop watcing. Thanks a lot! Very informative and fun to watch.
If Excalibur was real it would have looked like a early Anglo-Saxon sword
marius schoenmaker seems the legend is rather Celtic, so, either a sword in the leaf pattern style, or antennae sword... if very late, a spatha, obviously resembling the Germanic style, since many implements at use by the Romans in the last period, were introduced to the artistic and artisan currents of the Germanic tribes during those years, resulting in the works that we have found of the migration period
Sue your my favorite in any museum. lol. so beautiful and intelligent! I could listen to you for hours.
I bet she has killed so many vampires and creatures of the night.
Then she needs to wield something more substantial than a foam sword. :-D
I want to give her a hug, for narrating the story of this beautiful sword. That demonstration of how the pommel was worn down just made it real to me, and the way she smiles during it is like remembering a dear friends ancient Anglo-Saxon joke.
Top tier content!
What a great presentation! It’s amazing to see that a warrior has chosen the symbol of ash to mark his sword. Ash is a majestic tree. It stands tall and beautiful. As material it is really tough: strong yet flexible enough to resist impacts. It is still being used for making sport tools.
The rune is paying respects to a fallen comrade
Runes have comrades? Fellow runes?
@@jimsy5530 If you don't get it don't worry XD
@@judechauhan6715 Facetious remark on my part concerning the poor grammar on yours.
@@jimsy5530 My god sir! that is most rude and I shall withdraw from any further discussion, Good Day Sir!
also no u
I could listen to Sue talk about swords for hours.
I misread the title as "Sue's favourite Anglo-Saxon word".
Could someone please kindly ask her what her favourite Anglo-Saxon word is?
Her favourite Old English word is probably "sweord" or sword.
That was phenomenal - you really unlocked the objects, not only in a historical way, but in a philosophical sense as well. Thanks so much for this.
Give Sue a documentary series on BBC naooow!
As a knife maker I can really appreciate this and to see how they made it back then, just incredible the maker put a lot of thought in the making of this sword... thanks Sue this was a cool learning experience !
Loved this video and impressed with your knowledge of swords. Just wanted to mention one type of pommel and ask a related question. The Scythians and Sarmatians usually, or frequently used a sword with a ring as part of the pommel. These are found across Asia and eastern Europe, going back at least three millennia. Are you familiar with these? My interest is that there was a related tribe, that I understand never left the Altai that was known as master metalsmiths. They had made swords of superior. manufacture and metallurgy, and I was surprised to see a couple of mentions of one found somewhere in northern Britain in recent years in a burial that was remarkably intact. The report mentioned that it was probably made by the tribe known as Kalibers, or Calibars, or similar. Are you familiar with this find, these swords, or this tribe? Extremely little on the net about this, but it is where I saw reference to the burial.
Paul Glynn many Sarmatians served as mercenaries for the Romans if I recall correctly, and the Alani tribes travelled west during the Germanic Migration Period. Then again, maybe it was a holdover tradition among Nordic peoples from their Indo-Aryan roots.
Ring pommels are such a wide spread phenomenon that we can not automatically assume they are connected in any way. We find ring swords as far east as China and Japan. the earliest ring pommel that I am aware of is on a dagger from Egypt dated to the first half of the second century. The ring pommels in use in Europe seems to have developed from the antennae swords of late bronze/early iron age. Some stone age flint daggers from Europe and obsidian daggers from the Americas have handles made to resemble entwined and twisting snakes, creating a loop at the pommel end. But I don't count these as ring pommels as such.
I can watch videos like this all day , thank you .
At least, she is wearing gloves.
This wonderful presentation is full of fascinating information concerning these artifacts - infused with her love for them and what they tell us about the Anglo-Saxon Age.
Can we have more content from Sue Brunning?
Excellent presentation and thoroughly enjoyable. I have studied this period but still learned from watching this video.
In 1,500 years some archaeologist is going to dig up that foam sword and make a RUclips video about it, mark my words.
From the epic age of the LARP-plastic cultures.
Completely compelling personal investment in the finer points of the full body of history attendant to these special objects. Thank you for sharing your passion.