14 The History of the Spur 



Here, again, is an instance of an enthusiast, as regards 

 armour, devoting but little of his attention to spurs. 



There is one curious fact which I may mention here before 

 I begin any detailed description of ancient spurs, and which 

 has been mentioned by James and by several other writers on 

 the subject, but of which no satisfactory explanation has as 

 yet been given. 



It is an undoubted fact that in numerous instances where 

 the graves of warriors, buried during the eleventh and 

 twelfth centuries, have been explored, one spur only has been 

 found upon the body, and that always on the left heel. This 

 has been noticed in Switzerland, and more often in Northern 

 Europe. One case only has been observed in this country, that 

 of a knight of the Brougham family, one Udard de Broham, 

 who, it is believed, went to the First Crusade, and died in 

 the reign of Henry I., and was buried in Brougham Church, 

 Westmorland. Some have thought that as the spur in these 

 cases has always been found on the left heel, it was worn 

 on that side in order to keep the horse up close to an 

 adversary, who would usually be on the right side of the 

 warrior in a single hand-to-hand combat. Others have thought 

 it unlikely that knights ever rode with one spur only. In 

 the third volume of the Transactions of the A rchcBological 

 Association for the year 1847, ^"^^ ^- Kirkman gives an 

 account of a curious ivory carving which he believes to be of 

 the period of Edward I. On this carving is represented, on 

 one panel, the flight of a number of Saracens, and on the other 

 panel a group of knights, all with one spur only, but that 



