Sæbø sword

The Sæbø sword is a captivating artifact from the early 9th century, discovered in 1825 in a burial mound in Sæbø, Vikøyri, situated in the picturesque Sogn region of Norway. Today, this Viking sword is housed in the Bergen Museum in Bergen, Norway.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Sæbø sword is the inscription on its blade. In 1867, George Stephens identified this inscription as runic and noted the presence of a swastika symbol. Although the blade is not well-preserved and the inscription is barely legible, if Stephens' interpretation is correct, it would mark the sword as a rare example of a Viking-era weapon with runic engravings.

Classified as a 'Type C' sword by the renowned archaeologist Jan Petersen, the Sæbø sword stands out due to its unique features. Notably, it has traces of metal thread along the upper hilt's broadsides, a feature uncommon in other swords of the same type. The inscription itself, crafted in iron inlay near the hilt, appears to be an imitation of foreign sword inscriptions, as it lacks parallels in native Viking traditions.

Stephens documented this inscription in his 1867 book, "Handbook of the Old-Northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England." He provided an illustration depicting five runes or rune-like characters with a swastika symbol in the center. Stephens interpreted the swastika as representing the syllable "þur" associated with the Norse god Thor, and expanded the reading to "oh Þurmuþ" which he translated as "Owns, Thurmuth." This interpretation linked the swastika symbol to Thor's hammer, a significant icon in Viking Age Norse paganism.

This interpretation sparked scholarly debate, particularly at the International Congress of Anthropology and Prehistoric Archaeology in Budapest in 1876, where experts discussed whether the swastika symbolized "blessing" or "good luck." Unfortunately, the sword suffered damage due to acid treatment at the Danish Museum, as noted by Stephens in 1889. This treatment severely compromised the inscription, rendering it nearly undecipherable. This damage was documented in a book by A. L. Lorange.