The Runic Inscription on the Isle of Wight Sword
On page 459 of the third volume of his Old Northern Runic Monuments, and on page 245 of his Handbook, Stephens gave a cut of an Anglo-Saxon sword found on the Isle of Wight and now in the British Museum, Of this he wrote the following facts and fancies: “Found about the middle of this century in an Old English grave. But the runes were first seen in 1882 by Aug. W. Franks, Esq., the Director. . . . The runes are on the inner side of the silver scabbard-mount, and were only seen lately when the piece was cleaned. Hence their perfect preservation, tho so slightly cut-in. They have been hidden for some 1300 winters! . . . In this case the owner had cut this spell, singing therewith some chaunt of supernatural power, to overcome the easier his unsuspecting enemy. All such witchcraft and amulet-bearing etc. was strictly forbidden. Whatever the staves mean, this is the only such secret rune-risting yet found.” Stephens' rendering is, as usual, quite worthless: “? Awe (terror, death and destruction) to-the-seve (brynie, armor, weapons, of the foe)!”