The Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damian, also known as the Sword of Essen, is a

ceremonial weapon A ceremonial weapon is an object used for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority. They are often used in parades and as part of dress uniforms. Although they are descended from weapons used in actual combat, they are not normally use ...

Essen Abbey Essen Abbey (''Stift Essen'') was a community of secular canonesses for women of high nobility that formed the nucleus of modern-day Essen, Germany. It was founded about 845 by the Saxon Altfrid (died 874), later Bishop of Hildesheim and saint, ...

. The sword itself dates to the mid 10th century, the gold decoration was added at the close of the 10th or the onset of the 11th century, while the silver mounts with the inscription were added 15th century. The sword was formerly thought to have been a gift by

Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of Ge ...

to the convent in Essen in AD 993, and taken to commemorate the martyrdom of

Saints Cosmas and Damian Cosmas and Damian ( ar, قُزما ودميان, translit=Qozma wa Demyaan; grc-gre, Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός, translit=Kosmás kai Damianós; la, Cosmas et Damianus; AD) were two Arab physicians in the town Cyrrhus, and were r ...

, the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

s of that city. An examination of the sword in the 1990s led to the conclusion that the sword most likely dates to the third quarter of the 10th century, and had probably been used in combat before it was decorated at the end of the 10th century. The dating of the decorations is based on the close similarity of the spiral patterns to those of a bronze chandelier in Essen cathedral which bears an inscription associating it with abbess

Mathilde, Abbess of Essen Mathilde (also Mahthild or Matilda; 949 – 5 November 1011) was Abbess of Essen Abbey from 973 to her death. She was one of the most important abbesses in the history of Essen. She was responsible for the abbey, for its buildings, its precious re ...

(d. 1011). H. Westermann-Angerhausen, "Zur Entstehungszeit und zum Stil des Schmucks am Schwert der Essener Äbtissinnen" in Pothmann (1995), 108-125. The blade is 93.6 cm long. It features

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, ma ...

though not much of this remains, along with precious stones and decorative enamel plates.Laking, Guy Francis
A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries: Chapter I Part 2 - Swords
Accessed 26 August 2011. The scabbard is lined with beechwood and covered in embossed gold plates, some of which have at some time been restored, that depict spirals, foliage and animals. The silver locket mounts show images of Saints Cosmas and Damian, along with the Latin inscription: ("the sword, with which our patrons were beheaded").

References

*Alfred Pothmann (ed.), ''Das Zeremonialschwert der Essener Domschatzkammer'', Aschendorff, Münster (1995), . Medieval European swords Essen Christian relics Individual weapons {{Germany-hist-stub