Imperial sword (Norway)

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The Imperial Sword of Norway ( Norwegian Rikssverd ) is part of the Norwegian crown jewels and thus imperial insignia of the Norwegian royal family and is intended to symbolize the strength and power of the country.

history

In 1818 the Swedish King Karl XIV. Johann ascended as Carl III. Johan took the throne of Norway , which was then united in a union with Sweden . At this point in time there were no imperial insignia. Since the Norwegian parliament was unable to provide the funds for the coronation in Trondheim , the king paid for the crown and the other coronation insignia out of his own pocket.

Together with the imperial sword, the insignia consist of three crowns , two sceptres , two imperial apples and an anointing horn.

The king himself is said to have already carried the sword in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 . It is said that he was given the sword by Napoleon when he was French marshal and ruler of the small Italian principality of Ponte Corvo .

Due to the design of the sword, however, it must be assumed that only the blade could have been a part of this sword. But even this must have been changed when the imperial sword was made. Because the blade is decorated with motifs of the Norwegian-Swedish Union. On it are the Norwegian national coat of arms and the " three crowns " of Sweden.

The hilt of the sword is from the same period as the rest of the insignia and the pommel at the tip is in the shape of an acorn. The scabbard is decorated with chased oak leaves and mother-of-pearl . The sword is 110 cm long and weighs 1.3 kg.

Like the other imperial insignia, the Norwegian imperial sword is now kept in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

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