Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-17
THE SWORDslN HISTORY.
Evolution Of the Weapon from legen-
dairy Times.
II Has Played Prominent Part in the History
Of Nations.

flaming sword, (which turned every
way. to keep the way of the tree of
life" And through the years that
have followed, the sword has every
where played a prominent part as a
means of protection and defence. The
white Arm as it has been styled,
has reached far and wide over the face
Of the earth, and has been mighty
power for good and evil In the days
of mythology it was consecrated to the
gods, and was the symbol of courage
solemnized by kissing the sword-hlt
and it's touch still confers the order of
knighthood. The degraded army Off
GER has his sword taken from him. as
the sullied hand no longer has the
right to WELD it. while the voluntary
surrender of the weapon signifies sub
mission. In times past, sentiment ana
:rong personality attached themsel-
yes to sword tried and true. and it
became the second self of its possess
or, and was sometimes dignified by a
aame of it's own. This personality
was heightened by the fact that no
two swords can be made exactly alike.
Each weapon has it's own characters
tics and individuality.
The word sword is the Scandinavian
@vard, the Danish svaerd, and the
Anglo-Sa sweord or suerd. In the
Old German we have svert, now
changed into the modern form schwert.
While the Scotch gives the word
swerd.
The evolution of the sword as we
now see it, from the first rude weap-
ons of the ancients. is an interesting
study to those concerned with the his
tory of arms and armor. 1t may be
that in the first ages of the world
the sword-fish. the walrus, elephant
and hippopotamus, armed with sharp
and natural weapons of defence, and
fashioned their own weapons as like
to these as possible. From such mis-
siles as stones, and from the club. the
spear and the axe, they advanced to
swords of various kinds.
The Caribs made huge swords Of
palm wood and the Indians of Viz
gina We're discovered using weapons
of like form and structure. One tribe
of Africa shaped the sword blade into
the form of wings, and by another it
was made to resemble the head of a
bird.
was the combination of wood and
stone. and the weapon assumed new
and more important aspect. Speci-
mems of blades of flint. presumably
used as sword blades, are found in the
old burial mounds of Western coun-
tries. After these primitive weapons
of wood and stone come swords of
bronze. copper. and brass. and finally
of iron or steel. Much time and
thought was given to improving the
methods of construction, and by Ger
tain manufacturers plates We're buried
in the ground until the weaker part
was corroded. and only the well-tested
portion remained for use.
ct,11v nf ha bictnr,- of q
sword we cannot go much farther
back than to ancient Egypt. whence
its manufacture and use was distri-
buted throughout Palestine. Syria. and
Asia Minor, and on to Persia and In
dia. and SO throughout the known
world. -
1t was in Egypt that the three
shapes of the sword blade originated
these beng the straight. the curved
and the half-curved. AS the shapes
became more settled and more sym
metrical, great attention was given to
the adornment of the sword. or more
especially the hilt. and again, ir
Egypt, were found swords blue in
color with hits of gold. A sword OF
the Pharaohs had pommel sur
mounted by a hawks head, symbolica
of the sun. while pins and studs OF
gold ornamental the handle.
An Eastern writer claims that in In
da the sword was introduced by
Brahma. and relates how the sword
God appeared on the summit of one o.
the Himalayas. shaking the founda
tions of the earth, and illuminating
the sky. The arm of this God wa:
given by Brahma to the diety, SILVA
and from him ii was passed on t.
various parts of India. or so the leg
end runs. Among the Moslems tn,
highest title given to warrior of re
nown is The Sword of Allah" ant
the allegorical use of the word il
found in many parts of the Bible
while Roman literature abounds in al
lusions to the sword. And so the sym
Doilsm of courage, integrity. and pow
er has never been lost. although Their
mas been misuse and abuse of TIL
weapon in all ages
At Mycenae DR.. Schliemann mad
very important discoveries of ancien
swords, many of which were curious
~ carved and engraved. Upon the hill
OF one of these disinterred weapons i
carved the figure of a goat, while an
other has the shape of lion cub TIL
roman sword was of greater size thai
tnat of the IN,