Indian Steel . 
1885.] 
711 
The chief object of the human race in all countries, when 
commencing steel manufacture, was to produce good sword- 
blades and fish-hooks. 
Our forefathers, the Danes, appear to have used swords 
of two sorts in their earlier period before the conquest of 
Anglo-Saxon England, and even before their earlier success- 
fullDUCcaneering expeditions into Rhineland, Frankland, and 
Neustria. The Eddaic poems, both Mythologic and Heroic, 
refer to the “ yellow gleam of the falchion ” as well as to 
the biting iron and the steel blade, valued at a chief s ransom 
or a chief’s daughter’s dowry, when the master of fighting 
men carried spears and shields. Such swords had names, 
as Brimir (Grimnismal), and were carefully proved (Havamal). 
They were capable of severing the head from an ox, as 
effected by the Lord of Goats, Thor, or Jack the Giant- 
killer, in the Hymiskvidha, and are specially mentioned as 
made of steel tHyndluliodh), at a time when the ploughs 
and sickles were probably of malleable iron, and an iron 
chest with locks, and even an iron bridge of some sort and 
unmentioned size, was known to exist. < 
Before quitting this branch of the subjeCt let us also 
notice the references in the later Eddaic or Heroic poems. 
The sword of Volund, Weland, or Wayland, was a skil- 
fully tempered blade (Volundarkvidha), and not a mere piece 
of ornamental jewelled smith’s work, Volund being a Finnish 
prince of Ulfdal, Sweden.* A certain sword was specially 
known by repute (Helgakvidha) among a set of forty-six : it 
would pierce shields, which at this period were of malleable 
iron, or partly so. A special spear (probably steel-headed) 
is borrowed for an occasion. Segurd’s sword, named Gram, 
cuts through Regin’s anvil, and cleaves a piece of wool in 
water ; Regin and Fafuir have both named or reputed 
swords. Guthorm, or Gorram, is cut asunder below the 
arm-pits by a thrown sword (Gram). After, this, however, 
the keen-edged iron is mentioned (Sigwrtharkvidha 
Thirdhja) ; and a sworded and helmed host is distinctively 
a prince’s following,— that is, a group of nobles and gentle- 
men jarls and thanes, in distinction to the hus-carls, churls, 
and ’thralls, who carried other weapons, bows and spears 
^Thef valuable sword-blades of this period were Walish 
(Oddrumargratz), either in the sense of Hunnith as then 
* We may here notice that Volund was a princely goldsmith and jeweller- 
nnt a iewel-mon2er or tradesman, but a craftsman : much of his gold and 
jewels probably came by some course from India, and, if so, also his best steel, 
in the form of the present muffin-shaped ingots, or kurs. 
