Sheffeld thwitel baar

[RichardB]

In The Reeve's Tale, written in the 1380s, Chaucer tells of the miller of Trumpington possessing a 'Sheffeld thwitel baar' in his hose:

Ay by his belt he baar a long panade,

And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade.

A joly poppere baar he in his pouche;

Ther was no man, for peril, dorste hym touche.

A Sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose.

Round was his face, and camus was his nose.

In modern English, that translates as something like:

Always in his leathern belt he did parade

A sword with a long trenchant blade.

In his pocket he carried a pretty knife;

No man who dared to touch him, on loss of life.

A long knife from Sheffield he carried in his hose;

Round was his face and turned-up was his nose.

So, thats what all that means then

http://sheffieldknife.co.uk/index.php?modu...MN_position=3:3

[Biscuit Head]

Interesting to see that Sheffield was already famous for it's knives even in 1380.