A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – In the world of folklore and storytelling, swords were companions to the heroes, and the spirit of each blade was very sensitive to the spirit of its owner.

They have been made in many shapes and sizes since at least the second millennium BC. They ranged from the short sword (‘gladius’) dated to the Roman time used by gladiators to the famous Scottish claymore, which was almost as long as a man was tall (140 cm (55 in) in overall length).

The sword-kladenets is a hidden treasure and can only be obtained by a worthy hero. Credit: diter – Adobe Stock

Made from every metal that would hold an edge or a point from bronze to steel, the swords were often engraved with symbols, runes, or other signs.

From Times Of Ancient Greeks To Era Of Roman Emperor

Charlemagne, all heroes bore specially named swords. Legendary weapons have been described in legends and fables of ancient people in many cultures.

These weapons helped heroes ward off attacks fighting vicious enemies, defeat any evil force, free innocent hostages, or perform some of their famous feats.

In some heroic poems and ancient Russian legends, a sword Kladenets acts as a self-cutting sword, which, on the orders of its owner, can cut down an entire forest or at least the whole enemy army. Other weapons could heal or make their owners or holders – invulnerable. One of the unique weapons with extraordinary supernatural powers was Fragarach, known as “The Retaliator,” which was forged by gods for gods only. Fragarach – a unique, magical sword – could control winds and cut through wood and metal.

The folkloric tradition says that the sword-kladenets is a genuinely formidable heroic weapon with magical power that gives its owner invincibility. Such unbelievable abilities of the sword-Kladenets can be compared to those possessed by Paracelsus‘ mysterious sword. It was reported that his sword was alive! It could dance and frequently made a continuous rattling sound waking up Paracelsus’s neighbors.

Some old rumors say that Paracelsus had a strange sword that he slept with by his side. Did he keep it for his protection? The sword named Azoth was one reason Paracelsus became suspected of threatening behavior and contact with dark and evil forces.

Who Can Get A Sword-Kladenets?

The sword-kladenets – also known as  “sword of steel,” “hidden sword,” or “magic sword” – can only be obtained by a worthy hero. He has to find this precious object hidden in the ground, inside a wall, and sometimes can be hidden under/or behind a stove, a rock, or under a sacred tree.

In some cases, a hero must dig this sword from a mound or grave because, according to an ancient belief, the weapon belongs to the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ with exceptional magical powers.

The hero must prove his strength and ability to raise the stove, unfold the wall, or find a weapon in other places, such as under the decapitated body of a hero on the battlefield.

Why Was Sword-Kladenets A Treasure?

According to some scholars, the word in Russian means “treasure” of extraordinary value, and, in ancient times, this kind of weapon was considered a treasure.

Was it because it had magical properties or perhaps because it was made of steel, and in ancient times, steel swords were a rarity, which means they were ᴀssociated with magical properties.

Flawed quality pieces – usually corroded by rust –  were useless. After they were dug up and cleaned of rye, other swords still demonstrated the high-quality metal from which they were forged.

Sword Kladenets was not only in fabulous stories of East Slavic culture. In the ancient Greek myth, Aegeus, one of the primordial kings of Athens, buried his formidable sword under a huge rock. Then, he told his wife, who was waiting for a child, that if they had a boy who grew strong enough to roll away the stone and get the things beneath it, she could send him to Athens to claim his royal parentage.

The sword Kladenets, however, is traditionally attributed to legendary Russian heroes of mythical times.

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Written by – A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on December 27, 2022

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