Šerno kalavijas (Kęstutis’s sword)¶
Description¶
A broad sword with a boar’s head on the pommel, the sword that hung over the Trakai hall stairs (Book III ch. 2). Beneath the grip is a perkūnėlis, a thunder-cross burned into the metal by Kęstutis himself.
Šerno kalavijas (Kęstutis’s sword)
Šerno kalavijas (Kęstutis’s sword) · artifact¶
Type |
artifact |
Years |
made 1330 |
Note |
Šerno kalavijas: Kęstutis’s boar-pommel broadsword forged with a perkūnėlis ward. |
Power¶
A warded oath-blade. While clean, the perkūnėlis keeps the bearer’s word under Perkūnas’s eye. In Book III it is the instrument of Vytautas’s oath at Grunwald (III ch. 17). It “recognises” its bearer each morning (Skirgaila, Book II ch. 1, 11).
Rule & cost¶
Rust spreads along the blade with every oath broken in the family: Dovydiškės, Skirgaila’s safe-conduct, Vytautas’s false baptism, the Order oath, Lyck, the Vorskla (III ch. 2). After Grunwald a thin bright silver line from guard to point survives (III notes, part 3).
Origin¶
Forged for Kęstutis around 1330; in Book VI ch. 7 it is new and warm. Rust begins with the cracks of 1380.
Arc across the books¶
Kęstutis, to 1382. He cleans it nightly (Book I ch. 2). Skirgaila’s men take it from him at the gate when he is disarmed (I ch. 6).
Skirgaila, 1382-1397. Hung in Kęstutis’s Trakai hall (Book II ch. 1). Vytautas lets him keep it at the 1392 handover (II ch. 11). It goes into Skirgaila’s inventory, one of twelve oak chests, at Kyiv, 11 Jan 1397 (II ch. 16).
Vytautas, spring 1400-1430. Found by the wolves in the third chest, black with rust, left unpolished: “Rūdys yra sąskaita” (III ch. 2). Blood-sworn at Grunwald on 14-15 Jul 1410 (III ch. 17); the rust stops spreading (III ch. 28). It stands by the door at his death (IV ch. 29).
After 1430. No fate is given; Book V does not mention it. A gap.
Holders: the Iron Wolves 1397-1400 (Skirgaila’s Kyiv chests pass to the wolves), then Vytautas from spring 1400; after 1430 its whereabouts are unknown.
Relations
Created by: Kęstutis — Forged for him; perkūnėlis ward under the grip.
Held by: Kęstutis (…–1382) · Skirgaila (1382–1397) — Taken 1382; kept in his Kyiv chests. · Vilkatai (Iron Wolves) (1397–1400) — Skirgaila’s Kyiv chests pass to the wolves; recovered by Vytautas in spring 1400. · Vytautas (1400–1430) — After 1430 whereabouts unknown.
Bearing A warded oath-blade. It keeps its bearer's word under Perkūnas's eye while the perkūnėlis is clean, and recognises its bearer each morning
Holders Kęstutis (forged c. 1330) to 15 Aug 1382 → Skirgaila 1382 to 11 Jan 1397 → the Iron Wolves 1397 to spring 1400 → Vytautas spring 1400 to 27 Oct 1430 → unknown after 1430
Power A warded oath-blade: the instrument of Vytautas's blood-oath at Grunwald (14-15 Jul 1410)
Rule & cost Rust spreads along the blade with every oath broken in the family. After Grunwald a thin bright silver line from guard to point survives
Appearance. A broad sword with a boar's head on the pommel, a perkūnėlis (thunder-cross) burned into the metal beneath the grip by Kęstutis himself. It hung over the Trakai hall stairs.
Rust. Rust begins with the cracks of 1380 and the Pact failing. Counted breaches: Dovydiškės, Skirgaila's safe-conduct, Vytautas's false baptism, the Order oath, Lyck, the Vorskla.
A family's oaths. The rust is the family's broken oaths written on the blade. Vytautas leaves it unpolished: Rūdys yra sąskaita, rust is the account (Book III ch. 2).
Handed down by theft. Skirgaila's men take it at the gate when Kęstutis is disarmed. It goes into one of twelve oak chests at Kyiv, 11 Jan 1397, and passes to the wolves; Vytautas has it from spring 1400.
Sworn. The rust stops spreading after the Grunwald oath. It stands by the door at his death. After 1430 no fate is given.
Connections¶
graph LR
iron_wolves["Vilkatai (Iron Wolves)"]
kestutis["Kęstutis"]
kestutis_sword["Šerno kalavijas (Kęstutis's sword)"]
skirgaila["Skirgaila"]
vytautas["Vytautas"]
kestutis_sword -->|Created by| kestutis
kestutis -->|Holds| kestutis_sword
skirgaila -->|Holds| kestutis_sword
vytautas -->|Holds| kestutis_sword
iron_wolves -->|Holds| kestutis_sword
style kestutis_sword stroke-width:3px