Archaeologists discover 'b******s' dagger at Swedish fortress...with a distinctively-shaped hilt

Daily Mail​

14-05-2025

A team of archaeologists have made a very cheeky discovery in the remains of a 14th-century Swedish fortress.
Researchers discovered a 'b******s' dagger, also known as a ballock or bollock dagger, with a very distinctively-shaped hilt.
But this unique weapon's shape was no accident, as it was deliberately carved to resemble male genitals and suggestively worn at the front of the belt.
However, despite being a raunchy medieval joke, this strange weapon also suggests the area's violent history.
This phallic weapon was found in the remains of Gullberg Fortress, which sits on a cliff overlooking the Göta River in modern-day Gothenburg.
Originally constructed in the 14th century, Gullberg Fortress was a site of frequent bloody battles up until the 18th century.
The broken ballock dagger was found alongside crossbow bolts, arrowheads, and a round lead bullet, suggesting they may have been left there after an attempt to invade the area.
These daggers' rounded spheres would have provided extra grip to push these brutal weapons through the cracks in fallen enemies' armour.
Anders Altner, an archaeologist from the State Historical Museums, says: 'The early medieval fortresses that existed on Gullberget were built as a counter-defence against the nearby Danish-Norwegian castles on Hisingen and when the Danes controlled Älvsborg Castle.
'The same also applies to 16th-century Gullberg.'
Gullberg Fortress was initially made up of a simple blockhouse surrounded by a palisade wall built during the early 1400s by King Birger Magnusson.
It continually expanded over the years as successive rulers added more fortifications, reaching its peak under the reign of Karl IX of Sweden in the 16th century.
Finally, after being destroyed and rebuilt twice, the Gullberg hill was cleared to make way for the 'Skansen Lejonet' fort, which still stands today.
However, beneath the more recent construction, the site still bears the scars of medieval battles.
'We didn't think there would be as much left as there was,' says Mr Anders.
'The basement room was particularly exciting, with a well-preserved staircase, floor and parts of the walls and ceiling still intact.'
The archaeologists discovered a number of cannonballs, crossbow bolts, arrows, as well as the ballock dagger, suggesting this was a site of frequent military action.
Guidebooks on armoured fighting published from the 1400s show that these knives were used to deliver the killing blow to armoured combatants who had fallen.
They were also frequently carried as a backup weapon for archers and foot soldiers who would otherwise fight with swords or spears.
Yet the researchers also found fascinating signs of civilian life, including stoppers for beer barrels, a carved sundial, and a device for scattering sand over written pages to prevent wet ink from smudging.
Despite their strange appearance and military uses, the ballock dagger was also an important part of the everyday life of the people who lived at this time.
Ballock daggers are a common style of knife that was worn widely across Northern Europe, including Britain, from the 1300s up until the 1800s.
Although they were used by soldiers, these knives were also worn by large numbers of civilians, especially during the Tudor period.
In Britain, it was illegal for anyone other than the nobility to carry swords in public, so most adult men would carry a knife such as a ballock dagger.
A large number of ballock daggers and their leather sheaves were found in the wreck of the Tudor warship The Mary Rose, where they would have been both weapons and useful tools.
It was considered fashionable to wear a dagger as part of everyday attire, and a ballock dagger would have often been worn slung from the belt in a leather sheaf.
At a time when cutlery was expensive, men also carried the daggers as part of an eating set for use at mealtimes.
Some surviving sheaves even have pockets for a fork or small set of tools, suggesting they were part of everyday wear.
As for their unique shape, archaeologists believe this was primarily determined by fashion, with their suggestive handle jutting forward from between the legs in a dirty joke and display of virility.
HOW THE MARY ROSE WAS SALVAGED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLENT
The vessel, Henry VIII's flagship, was put on display in the Mary Rose museum exactly 471 years after it perished in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour, on July 19, 1545.
The Mary Rose sank in battle with the French, killing more than 500 men.
Incredibly, the starboard hull remained intact by being embedded in mud on the seabed, which prevented it from being eroded by tides and bacteria.
For decades, it was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5°C (41°F). That process, along with a series of wax chemicals, were used to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity.
Then, in 1985, the ship was turned upright and titanium props were installed to support the internal structure and work was undertaken to remove as much sediment as possible.
From 1994, active conservation commenced with the spraying of Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), a water-soluble polymer which can penetrate deep into the wood and support the cell walls.
Then, in April 2013, the Peg sprays were turned off and the hull was kept in a state of controlled air-drying phase 100 tonnes of water during the next four to five years.
Once drying was complete, the internal walls surrounding the hull were removed so visitors would be able to see a completely unobstructed view of the hull.
However, the drying process has caused unwanted movement which they are now monitoring with special cameras as they try to prop up the ship using scaffolding.