The sword Lobera (, literally: "the wolf-slaying sword") was the symbol of power used by Saint

Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III (; 1199/120130 May 1252), called the Saint (''el Santo''), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. Through his ...

, instead of the more traditional rod, and so the king will be depicted with orb and sword in hand.

History

Lobera was the

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

of Saint Ferdinand III,

King of Castile This is a list of kings regnant and queens regnant of the Kingdom of Castile, Kingdom and Crown of Castile. For their predecessors, see List of Castilian counts. Kings and Queens of Castile Jiménez dynasty House of Ivrea / Burgundy ...

from 1217 and

King of León In the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850–866), the kingdom began to be known as that of León. In 910, an independent Kingdom of León was founded when the king of Asturias divided his territory amongst his three sons. Below follows a ...

from 1230, He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather

Alfonso VIII of Castile Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarc ...

and consolidated the

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

. In 1231, he permanently united Castile and León. He was considered an exemplary

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in his time.

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

named him "invincible champion of Jesus Christ". The sword along with Ferdinand's orb and Ferdinand himself are depicted on the crest badge of

Sevilla Fútbol Club Sevilla Fútbol Club () is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Andalusia, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. The club was formed on 25 January 1890, making it Spain's oldest sporting club solely d ...

Etymology

Lobera is a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

word meaning ''wolf huntress''.

Legend

Don

Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, D ...

, grandson of King Ferdinand III, wrote in his ''

Libro de los ejemplos del conde Lucanor y de Patronio ''Tales of Count Lucanor'' (Old Spanish: ''Libro de los enxiemplos del Conde Lucanor et de Patronio'') is a collection of parables written in 1335 by Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena. It is one of the earliest works of prose in Castilian Spanish. ...

'' (1337) ("Book of the examples of Count Lucanor and of Patronio"), that Lobera was the

Fernán González of Castile Fernán González (died 970) was the first autonomous count of Castile. Fernán González was a colourful character of legendary status in Iberia, and founder of the dynasty that would rule a semi-autonomous Castile, laying the foundations for i ...

(epic hero from the Poem of Fernán González) and a "sword of great virtue". Don Juan Manuel writes that King Ferdinand III, lying on his deathbed, addressed him in these words: "I can bequeath no heritage to you, but I bestow upon you my sword Lobera, that is of passing worth, and wherewith God has wrought much good to me." .Don Juan Manuel. ''El Conde Lucanor''. Barcelona: Losada, 1997.

Description

Lobera, forged in steel, has a blade of 80 cm. (31.5 inches) and silver ornaments. It is a

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

kept in the Capilla Real at the

Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

References

Medieval European swords Individual weapons Medieval legends {{Spain-hist-stub