One of the main weapons of the ancient Russian warrior was the sword. The history of the sword in Russia is well known, but there are still white spots in it. For example, the so-called. haraluzhny sword. What kind of weapon this name belonged to is unclear. It is also unknown for what reasons this sword was distinguished from other blades. All this contributes to the emergence of various versions, none of which has not yet been fully confirmed.
Literary sources
The phrase "haraluzhnye swords" first appears in the "Lay of Igor's Host", written at the end of the 12th century. Prior to this, such expressions are not found in known sources. In the "Word" the adjective "haraluzhny" is used several times as a description of swords, copies and flails. It is also necessary to pay attention to the turnover “Vayu brave heart is haraluzѣ chained in cruelty”.
The next time haraluzhny spears are mentioned only in "Zadonshchina", written approximately in the XIV-XV centuries. In other literary works of that era, haraluzh swords, spears, etc. or the haralug itself is absent.
The next significant mention of the Kharalug is found in the explanatory dictionary of V. I. Dahl. The term is associated with non-ferrous steel, damask steel. However, the dictionary was compiled several centuries after the first mention of haraluzhny weapons, which imposed certain restrictions.
origin of name
Studying "The Lay of Igor's Campaign" and ancient Russian weapons, philologists and historians have proposed several versions regarding the "haraluzhny swords". None of these have yet been fully confirmed, and controversy continues.
There is a version according to which the term "haralug" comes from the Old High German word "Karoling". Accordingly, it may indicate a foreign-style weapon - a Carolingian-type sword. However, this option did not enjoy much support, and then received a logical refutation.
There is an explanation linking "haralug" with the Turkic peoples and their weapons. At the same time, as far as is known, such a word was absent in most of the Turkic languages. One of the versions about the "eastern trail" suggests linking the swords of the warriors with the Central Asian tribal union of Karluks, which has mastered the production of blades well.
However, searches in the East may be useless. Until a certain time, ancient Russian blacksmiths borrowed ideas and solutions from Western colleagues, as a result of which their swords and spears were similar to European ones. The experience of the eastern neighbors began to be used later - after the writing of The Lay of Igor's Campaign. In the work of A. N. Kirpichnikov's "Old Russian Weapon" offers a fairly balanced and logical version that explains this confusion. The definition of "haraluzhny" could indeed be taken in the East, but it was used only for local or Western weapons.
The main points of view on the problem of "haraluzhny swords" suggest that in this case we are talking about the material or technology of manufacturing weapons. However, there are other versions as well. In particular, it is proposed to link "haralug" and the process of tinning or other coating. This version makes it possible to explain the heart chained in the kharalug from the Lay and the birch of the kharaluzhny from the Zadonshchina.
However, the version of the coverage has no worthy confirmation and is not very popular. The generally accepted explanations have to do with the material of the swords and spears.
There are several versions of the translation of "Lay" and "Zadonshchina" into modern Russian, and they also introduce confusion. In some such translations, other definitions are used instead of the Old Russian term "haraluzhny". In particular, damask steel is often mentioned.
Bulat-Kharalug
It was the version of the kharalug as damask that entered the explanatory dictionary of V. I. Dahl. According to domestic and foreign sources, in Ancient Russia they were well acquainted with this material. There was a fairly large number of foreign-made damask blades - although, due to the high cost, such weapons were not available to all warriors.
There is information about the purchase of imported materials for the further manufacture of swords by local blacksmiths. However, it was not possible to launch its own production of damask steel for many centuries.
The version about haralug-damask has the right to life, but still it is not without its drawbacks. Its main problem is the lack of direct evidence. In the available sources related to the required historical period, damask and haralug are not mentioned together or identified.
In the "Lay of Igor's Regiment" with swords, haraluzh spears and flails are mentioned, which raises new questions in the context of damask steel. Historically, the spear was a simple, cheap and massive weapon for the foot warrior or horseman. The damask tip neutralized all these advantages. The situation is similar with the flail. Moreover, it should be taken into account that this item of agricultural implements was traditionally made of wood with a minimum amount of metal parts.
Thus, the version about haralug-bulat has several significant drawbacks and does not look very plausible. This can be explained by the fact that many centuries have passed from the appearance of haraluzhny weapons to the formation of the "damask" version, and during this time no one bothered to preserve knowledge about metals and weapons.
Reconstruction attempt
It is quite possible that the term "haralug" was applied to a certain alloy that was out of use and forgotten. In this case, it would be possible to conduct research and try to restore the lost technology. This is exactly what a group of Russian scientists and metallurgists did in the mid-nineties.
It all started with the recently discovered Scandinavian chronicle, which mentioned the Slavic axes of extreme strength. Such weapons literally cut the swords of the enemy. According to legend, such a weapon was granted to the Russians by the god Khors. In this regard, a version appeared about the origin of the name "Kharalug" from "Horolud" - "Shine of Khors".
In further research, the ancient Novgorod process of making steel for the blade was restored. When smelting loose lake ore with birch coal, a small amount of iron meteorite material with a low nickel content was added. The latter provided alloying of steel, and due to meteoric iron, a complex austenite-martensitic microfibrous structure was formed. This structure gave high dynamic toughness and high blade hardness.
By the beginning of the 2000s, the participants in the study launched the production of a new steel-khorolug and began producing knives of various types. A characteristic feature of these products was a small pattern on the blade, reminiscent of damask steel. In addition, the knives were distinguished by a spectacular artistic finish.
Mystery not revealed
Despite all the efforts of historians and metallurgists, there is still no exact information about the Kharalug. What it is, how it was done and what differences it had is unclear. The available information in the literary sources is extremely scarce, and the necessary archaeological finds are still lacking. As a result, haraluzh swords and spears still remain one of the main mysteries of their era.
It is not known whether clear and unambiguous answers to the existing questions will ever appear. Historians and archaeologists have to rely only on available sources and artifacts, the number of which is not always sufficient to reveal all the required information. Perhaps the mysteries of the Kharalug will remain unsolved, and white spots will still be present in the history of the Old Russian sword.
