——— Fig. 337.—Harbyrnrigge. ½ ———— Fig. 338.—Shropshire. ¼
In Fig. 335 is shown another blade much like that from Ballygawley, but found near Falkland, Fifeshire. The metal appears to be nearly pure copper, and it is doubtful whether it ever had more than one rivet-hole, though there are notches for the reception of two besides the rivet still left in the blade. It would, however, be fairly secured in its handle by a second rivet in the notch on the left, while a third at the back of the midrib would prevent the blade from being driven into its handle by a blow.
In the Antiquarian Museum at Edinburgh are several of these halberd-like blades, some of them curved. One from Sluie,[982] Edinkillie, Elginshire, is 11 by 3½ inches, and has four rivet-holes arranged in a semicircle. It was found with two flat celts. Three others, from 10 to 13½ inches by 3 inches, were found together at Kingarth,[983] Bute. They are described as of reddish bronze.
The original of Fig. 336 was found near Stranraer,[984] Wigtonshire, and is now in the Antiquarian Museum at Edinburgh. It is 12½ inches long and 4½ broad, and weighs nearly 1¾ lbs., so that if mounted as a halberd, it must have been a formidable weapon. The rivets are an inch in length.
In England and Wales the blades which can with any degree of confidence be regarded as those of halberds are by no means common. I think, however, that the example from Harbyrnrigge,[985] Crosby Ravensworth, Westmoreland, shown in Fig. 337, must be looked upon as a halberd rather than as a dagger. It is in the collection of Canon Greenwell, F.R.S.
Another blade of much the same character is shown on the scale of one-fourth in Fig. 338. It was found in Shropshire,[986] but the exact locality is not known. Another (11¼ by 4 inches), bearing much resemblance to that from Shropshire, was found near Manea,[987] Cambridgeshire. It is provided with four rivets, and has a small rib running down the thickened centre of the blade. It is now in the Museum of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.
The late Mr. J. W. Flower, F.G.S., bequeathed to me a blade of this character (9¾ by 3½ inches) thickened out in the middle like Fig. 334, and with three large rivet-holes in the base, which is somewhat of a trefoil form. It was found with broken sword-blades and spear-heads at Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, and appears to be formed of copper.
The only Welsh example which I have to mention was found in the parish of Llansanffraid,[988] Cwm Deuddwr, Radnorshire. It is 9 inches long and 4 inches wide, and weighs 15 oz. In form and character it closely resembles the Irish and Scotch specimens (Figs. 334 and 335), having a plain midrib, bevelled edges, and three rivet-holes.
A large blade, with a strong midrib and three rivets, found in Zealand, and engraved by Madsen,[989] may have belonged to a halberd of this class.