A bizarre thought on sword making

[Marcus Julius]

If you would want to carry your ancestor into battle, the grip would be a more obvious place, as mixing the ashes with heated resin would get you a non-slip material that could be moulded around the tang. A cover of thin leather would prevent the resin becoming hot and sticky during prolonged carry. Oh well, just my two cents worth

Or, why not just carve a new handle of the ancestor's bones, but then you're almost getting onto the edge of cannibalism. While not quite eating the "flesh" it is using part of the person's body to gain their power.

Anyway, weren't swords more commonly buried with their owner, so they could be used in the afterlife, especially with those who might have been significant or important enough to want to maintain their power? How else could Caligula have donned Alexander's armor from his tomb? Haven't a good portion of our sword finds come from gravesites?