04-10-2008, 05:38 AM
Pretty much like Matt said. We have a pretty good knowledge of the various Roman religions and their beliefs in the afterlife. I have seen no indication that they believed that weapons left on the body would carry over into the afterlife. Romans don't seem to have the same kind of attachment to their weapons as some other cultures either. There is no indication that they named their weapons or treated them in a similar manner to other groups such as some Germanic practices. The Romans seem to value the sword more as a functional tool to use and discard once it has outlived its value. If the body was buried then it is quite likely that someone who valued the sword or a particular sword might be buried with one much like burying your grandfather in his favorite suit, but not likely for the Roman culture using cremation. Do you believe your grandfather wears his suit in the afterlife or are you just burying him in the suit because it has a strong positive connection with him, etc.? Modern people do not typically include burial items with cremated remains either. I think it is important to not be too hasty in making judgments on such issues. Think of how many modern practices could be misinterpreted the same way by another culture or years from now.
Something I've never heard in discussing Germanic burial practices is how often it is written in some of the more believable sagas of people digging up burial mounds and utilizing the weapons found. Aside from passing down a favored sword, having a sword or other weapons buried with you or even in a mound possessing no body provides a certain allure. Is it not an intriguing concept that years from now someone could wield a sword, sax, spear, etc. credited to your name, carrying on your legacy, and in a way your story goes on even after death. Surely if that persons later saga is mentioned people probably either know your own or the inclusion would create curiosity. I kind of like the concept that even beyond ones bloodline, one could have a certain kind of immortality on the material plane by having his weapon continue its journey in a new hand creating new legends. At least the concept intrigues me.
Something I've never heard in discussing Germanic burial practices is how often it is written in some of the more believable sagas of people digging up burial mounds and utilizing the weapons found. Aside from passing down a favored sword, having a sword or other weapons buried with you or even in a mound possessing no body provides a certain allure. Is it not an intriguing concept that years from now someone could wield a sword, sax, spear, etc. credited to your name, carrying on your legacy, and in a way your story goes on even after death. Surely if that persons later saga is mentioned people probably either know your own or the inclusion would create curiosity. I kind of like the concept that even beyond ones bloodline, one could have a certain kind of immortality on the material plane by having his weapon continue its journey in a new hand creating new legends. At least the concept intrigues me.
Derek D. Estabrook
