Originally forged in 1072AD (at least, that is the year traditionally handed down through generations of family tellings) for the chief of our Scottish clan, Macsen ap MacGhille Fhionntaig (MacGhille Fhionntaig, pronounced "mah-geel-foo-in-tig," was the Gaelic name of our family until it evolved into Lindsay and then later, Lindsey), the sword immediately became a sort of blazon or symbol for our particular clan.

It did in fact see battle a few times but not to any great extent. In a relatively short time it had become, rather, a prized possession to pass throughout the generations as a valued heirloom. The sword had a name, a Gaelic one, but at the time of this writing I cannot remember where the paper is that I'd written it down on. A few of the Irish-side family members in our clan (we have both Scottish and Irish blood) sometimes mistakenly referred to it as Caladbolg, although that is not its name and I would not be so bold as to associate it with such a historic name. No, the name of our sword was quite different, and was indeed a Gaelic name that meant, roughly translated into English, "Discerner" or "To Discern," and I've also learned in later years that the sword's name could accurately be translated also to mean "Understand O' Judge". On the advice of an expert, it is presumed that in this particular translation the Judge is the Almighty, who is being asked to understand what it is that makes it necessary for the owner of the sword to take a life in battle. For the purpose of greater simplicity, I always refer to the sword by the name that, throughout my life, I've most commonly heard it called ... Discerner.

Traditionally, the custom of passing the sword from one generation to the next, always father to first born son, remained unbroken well into the 1600s. But in 1654 the sword passed from Thomas Lindsay into the keeping of his second-born son, Arthur David. According to family lore, it was because he was knighted whereas the first-born son, William Cynan, was not. Now it came as a mild disappointment to me to learn that Arthur David was apparently not a member of any particular or renowned order of knighthood (such as, the Knights of the Bath, or the Knights Templar). I had been under the mistaken impression that knights were always integral members of some Order. However, I have learned over the years that not all men who were knighted belonged to an order. I don't know just how accurate the term is, but I've learned from various sources that a knight who does not belong to any Order is often referred to as a "bachelor knight". Obviously, Sir Arthur David was one of these because I've never heard any reference to him as belonging to any particular order of knighthood. Nor do I know exactly what it was that earned Arthur David his knighthood ... I have a vague impression of my grandfather telling me something of it, but not everything a 4-to-6 year old hears sticks in his mind forever.

When Arthur David was knighted, two very significant things happened. First of all, Arthur David commissioned a painting to be rendered of the sword ... a full size painting. Obviously, acquiring Discerner must have been the highlight of Arthur David's life to have had a painting such as that to be created. Second, Arthur David invoked some old custom of "differencing" his name to distinguish himself in his new status ... therefore, he dropped the "ay" at the end of Lindsay and adapted an "ey" which changed it to Lindsey. Thus, he became the founding father of our particular branch or sept (as I've heard it called) of the Lindsay clan.

~~~ Editor's Note: We have chosen to use Lindsay, the older spelling of the family name, throughout as it is tied to the history of the sword. ~~~

Unfortunately, 29 years later we lost the sword when it was buried with Arthur David in 1683. It seems he got himself killed in a blood feud over some sort of land or land title dispute with the clan of Ogilvie. Even though the sword itself was lost, its image lived on in the painting he'd commissioned. And the painting itself became the heirloom passed down through the generations.

Beside the fact that Discerner was quite a beautiful thing to behold, its most striking aspect rests in the fact that it resembles (in uncanny detail) a sword of the cinema that became quite popular. For deeply personal reasons of respect toward the owners of the cinematic sword and to avert misunderstanding of any kind, I will not mention the name of the cinematic sword or the motion picture it appeared in. However, I will say that the cinematic sword in question is perhaps second only to the swords of Conan in terms of popularity and instantly recognized when it is seen. However, the similarity between the design of the cinematic sword and the sword of my ancestry is so striking and so nearly identical that it has brought questions to my mind for many years … namely, how in the world could a sword for cinema be designed that so closely matches the design and detail of my ancestors' sword?

I've often lain awake in bed at night speculating on how such a striking similarity in design could happen … and I would be less than honest if I were to say that the thought has never popped into my mind that someone possibly involved with the design of the other sword might have seen the old oil painting of our sword (or a picture of it) somewhere and thought "that would be a good design for this cinema sword." Yet such a thought, whenever it occurred, was only fleeting and merely mild speculation on my part. The other possibility, that it is just one of those unexplainable instances of coincidence in life, boggles my mind. It is beyond the scope of anything I've ever experienced to consider that such an inexplicable coincidence could or would ever take place … however, I am not so bold, or closed minded, as to say this is an impossibility for certainly many stranger things in life have happened … nor would I be realistic to think that anything that is designed once could never be "originally" designed again by someone else, perhaps on the other side of the world, at some point in time or history. Another possibility that I've thought of is this: Could there have, at some point in history, been another sword very much like ours that had been created for someone? And could it have been that non-related "twin" from which the cinematic sword design was inspired? As I've often been told in my life, anything is possible. But all things considered, the reason that there is such a striking similarity between the two is unimportant to me. My one true interest lies only in the sword of my ancestry itself … and the possibility that this beautiful sword may one day live again as a faithful recreation to the original as depicted by the painting my ancestor, Sir Arthur David Lindsey, commissioned so very long ago.

In a nutshell, that is pretty much this portion of the history of our sword. Of those who wielded it between the time of Macsen and Sir Arthur David, little or nothing is known except that it was passed from father to son over the years and made for a beautiful wall decoration and a sword of ceremony. I take immense pride in knowing that the sword stayed in the family for 611 years (from 1072 when it was forged, if that is the accurate date, until 1683 when it was buried).

I would like to foreword this chronology by making a statement to "clear the air" against any misunderstandings, or misgivings, that may arise in the telling of Discerner's story. Especially where the creation date of the sword is concerned. The road to Discerner's recreation has been a long and weary road, as well as the dream of a lifetime.

For myself it has been a lifelong road … fraught with obstacles, long periods of unanswered questions as well as the frustrations of not being able to find official recorded written documents pertaining to the sword. Add to this the fact that everything I was taught about the sword in terms of stories & history was done during the time I was 4 thru 15 years old (it has now been an additional 32 years since I was 15) and we find there are far fewer stories that I can remember clearly and completely than the very many stories that I was actually told during those years.

And so, with the exception of only three hard pieces of evidence (only two of which I know for sure still remain), it all boils down to a word-of-mouth situation of "this is what I've been taught about the Lindsey sword and the stories surrounding it".

The main issue I would like to address is in regard to the date of the sword's creation. Family lore (according to the last four persons who maintained having knowledge as to when the sword was created) held that it was created in 1072AD. This period of time is somewhat suspect as the accurate date for the sword's origin. Its very design suggests a later period in history. I am no authority on sword design or typology, however, my personal belief is that the family members who passed to me 1072 as the year Discerner was created could have been grossly mistaken as to the date it was created, though I have no doubt that 1072 (or thereabouts) was the year they truly believed was the creation date for the sword (as to how they arrived at the exact year 1072 instead of saying "somewhere in the 1070s" or "late 11th Century", I do not know nor can I guess at it). Could they have confused the date with a later period such as circa 1372, 1472 or 1572? To me, a year like 1572 would be a much more realistic date for the creation of the sword, especially being a weapon of a seemingly later period design, than what it would have been had it been actually created in 1072. Yet, to assume completely that 1072 is inaccurate as the sword's creation date would not be entirely wise, either … history has shown and demonstrated its share of paradoxical occurrences such as things and/or people being far ahead of their time … I cannot rule out the possibility, however remote, that Discerner could be one of these "ahead of its time" examples.

However, other paradoxical questions arise … MacGhille Fhionntaig was the Gaelic name of my particular family clan before it became Lindsay and then Lindsey (at least, according to family lore and tradition). Wouldn't it be logical to assume that Macsen ap MacGhille Fhionntaig lived at a much earlier period of time than, say, the 1500's? Yet, one could speculate all kinds of theory … not the least of which is a thought that Macsen perhaps embraced the older Gaelic name rather than what might have been the current name of Lindsay … if this were the case, that could explain the older name associated with a sword design of a later period. One's mind can fairly boggle at the myriad of theory and speculation that can be considered. I could spend an entire march of days trying to prove and/or disprove the stories that came down to me from various family members concerning the sword … however, such a thing is not my purpose in providing chronology … it is not to stir up hornets nests among those who are far more knowledgeable about swords and sword history than I am, nor is it to open up issues for hot debate but, rather, to present and share the story simply as it was passed on to me.

Another hornets nest I would like to avoid stirring up concerns any story or aspect of Discerner's history that I may fail to mention within this history section. It is logical to assume that stories of Discerner, that I am unaware of, may be known among Lindsay/Lindsey family members who belong to branches of the family outside of my immediate descended line. Surely, with Discerner being the important part of Lindsay/Lindsey history that it is, the stories and history of the sword must be known among other branches of family members. Logically, these would comprise several stories or aspects of its history that would correlate with those I have mentioned here, those that would also add even more to Discerner's history, as well as possibly others that might even differ completely from what is mentioned in these pages. Therefore, I would like it clearly understood, out of deep and abiding respect to all members of our family, that the stories and history of Discerner that are presented within these pages are those which have been passed down to me along my immediate descended Lindsay/Lindsey family line and any story, or part of Discerner's history, that I may not have mentioned in this history section is solely due to the fact that I am unaware of them.

From what I have discovered, thus far, in geneological studies of the name Lindsay/Lindsey, it is not only an extremely large family clan (for example, a census in Scotland during the 1980s revealed that the name Lindsay was the 89th most popular name in Scotland), I have also discovered that Lindsay is the oldest rendering of the name, but the name Lindsey is still related in all respects to Lindsay. One might say that Lindsay is the parent clan with the various branches of Lindsey being the offspring of the family ... the name, of course, evolving into Lindsey by whatever means a particular branch of the family might choose to use in differencing the name from Lindsay into Lindsey (as in my immediate branch's case, our name evolved from Lindsay to Lindsey through Sir Arthur David differencing his name in 1654). Basically, it does not seem a matter of being two different family clans sharing similar names, but, rather, one huge family clan overall having two different spellings of the same name ... the longer the generations span in modern times, the more distant the overall relation between one family branch and another, but ... the farther backward one traces, the closer the relation becomes until, finally, one reaches the single "trunk" at the base of the family tree.

Likewise, I have found in my studies of the name that the name appearing in Ireland and in Scotland does not mean there are two completely separate different clans. I used to think that, like so many other families, Lindsay might be one where there are several different unrelated clans who share the same name. I also used to think that Lindsay was primarily all Scottish and that Lindsey was primarily all Irish. Instead, when traced backward, what I have discovered so far is that each time I trace any Lindsay or Lindsey family member, whether Irish or Scottish, the family names descend to exactly the same roots of origin.

This isn't to say that I won't ever be surprised someday by tracing a family member backward and find in that research that there are Lindsay or Lindsey families who are, in the broad ancestry of things, totally unrelated. But again, so far, what my research has found and seems to support is that, in total, if you're a Lindsay or a Lindsey, somewhere down the line, no matter how distant it may be, we're all related. Therefore, I think there is some truth to an old saying that I've heard that says "Scratch us all, anyone who bears the name of Lindsay or Lindsey, and you'll find we are related somewhere down the line". Now, before any misconception of what I say here occurs, please note that I mention all of this based totally on what I have found thus far in my research and study of the names of Lindsay and Lindsey. Please understand that I am not concluding decisively that there are no families of this name who are completely unrelated and set totally apart. However, I do believe at this point (and "believe" is the key word here) that, based on my research of the name, all family members who bear the name of Lindsay or Lindsey are indeed related at some point in their ancestry regardless of how distant that relation may be. I would love to consult someday with a geneological expert on the name of Lindsay to see whether or not his/her research bears out what I have discovered so far. But, I digress ... let us return to Discerner, which is the real scope and focus of these pages.

In short, we know the sword was created, but when was it created? Word of mouth stories passed down the family line indicates 1072 +/- as the year it was made, but was it really? We can period-type the sword and guess at a creation date based on its design, but in the end will we ever truly know?. All that we can be certain of is that it was created prior to the mid 1600s and that it had been around certainly long enough to become an extremely revered family heirloom passed from father to son and so on over several generations.

In the absence of written documentation we are left with one primary source of information … the stories handed down the line which eventually were passed on to me by four different and respected family members (and, sword image/design wise, the original 1654 painting, the 1937 painting and the 1958 vellum tracing of the sword that was made directly using the 1654 painting).

A very prominent question that I'd like to answer at this time is: Because of the striking and nearly identical similarities between the two, do I ever feel that the Excalibur film sword was inspired by Discerner's design? This is a question that I have been asked so many times by people who've seen Discerner's tracing and, to be honest, I find it a very difficult question to answer by simply saying either "Yes" or "No" to it. There are just too many unknowns and variables to be considered, yet nothing concrete that indicates for sure and without doubt that Discerner could have been the inspiration for the film sword's design. As far as I know, the Excalibur movie sword could have even been partially inspired by the Type Xa.4 sword displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (an image of which is seen on "The Original Discerner Sword" page found in this web site). If that is the case, then it would be quite coincidental that Discerner and the film sword are so remarkably alike in appearance.

I know there are people who would see Discerner's design, match up the similarities between the two swords, then conclude that Discerner was the inspiration for Excalibur's design, yet I cannot and will not make such a conclusion myself. The similarities between the two swords, striking as they are, are purely circumstantial and it's yet to ever to be proven that one sword was the inspiration for the design of the other. While the similarities would suggest, circumstantially, that Discerner could have been the inspiration for Excalibur, they could also be entirely coincidental. Until someone from the design team that designed Excalibur ever contacts me and informs me directly that Discerner was the design inspiration for the film sword, I would have to say that my own conclusion is simply that it is a mystery and, also, that we may never know. I do not rule out the possibility that Discerner could have been, in some manner, directly or indirectly, an inspiration for the Excalibur film sword … yet, I do not rule out the possibility that the striking similarities could be one of those unexplainable coincidences in life that, though uncommon, can happen.

Am I the only one left in the family who knows Discerner's story and history? That is a question I cannot answer because I do not know the answer. Surely, as important a piece of Lindsay family history as Discerner is, there are other branches of Lindsay that must abound with stories about the sword, but I am unaware of them. I know that I'm the only one left in my immediate line or branch of Lindsey to know these stories, and that it is quite possible and very likely that there are other Lindsay/Lindsey family members out there, whom I have not yet met, who have knowledge of these and other stories and elements of Discerner's history. After all, the Lindsay/Lindsey clan as a whole is a very large family line. Actually, I think it would be very exciting and fulfilling to meet family members that I am unaware of who know either the same stories or other stories associated with Discerner.

One final question I would like to answer at the moment is: Am I asking people to believe 100% of Discerner's story/history at face value? No, not at all … I am merely passing forward and sharing with each one of you what has been taught to me by those to whom it was taught … just as those family members received the stories and history from those who'd taught it to them, and so on, as far back as it goes. It is my pleasure to share with each of you these stories and the history of Discerner as it was taught to me … my only request to you as the reader is that you consider Discerner's story in this wise: With the understanding and knowledge that family histories, stories and legends (while having their basis rooted in fact) can often be colored with embellishments over generations that make the story sometimes more & sometimes less interesting, and that the stories can often become distorted or inaccurate in many ways over long time spans and repeated tellings that span generations.

A Simple Chronology · 1072 AD (?)
Discerner is forged for Macsen ap MacGhille Fhionntaig in what I have been taught was the year 1072AD. While the design of the sword was circumspect for that period, I have personally always liked to believe the date to be reasonably correct. However, I'm very open to the possibility that Discerner was created at during a later period in which its design would be more in-keeping with a correct period. ·

Sword Creation Date until 1654
The sword becomes an heirloom passed down the family line, father to son, and is a revered keepsake to each person who possessed it. Although it did see battle a few times, family lore has it that it became more heirloom and ceremonial than anything. ·

1654
Thomas Lindsay's second-born son, Arthur David Lindsay, is knighted. Into his hands pass the sword Discerner (rather than to his older brother, William Cynan). Sir Arthur David commissions a full sized painting of the sword to be created (name of the painter is unknown). He also differences his surname by dropping the "ay" at the end of the name and adapting an "ey", thus changing his family name from Lindsay to Lindsey and, in this wise, became the founding father of our particular branch of the Lindsay family. ·

1683
Arthur David is killed while engaged in a blood feud with the clan of Ogilvie over a dispute concerning land ownership. Discerner is buried with him and the sword is forever lost to the family as a valued heirloom to pass on to further generations. The 1654 painting becomes the sword's replacement as an heirloom. ·

1683 through 1921
The Discerner painting is passed from father to son, father to son, until, in 1921, it came into my grandfather's possession. ·

1937
My great uncle, Clarence Lindsey, paints his own rendition of the Discerner painting just a few short years after the original painting had come into my grandfather's keeping. Clarence thought himself a very good painter, though he was extremely amateur and did some painting for sheer recreation. His 1937 rendition of the original painting isn't what you'd call "bad", but there are several inaccuracies of the sword design apparent. However, the general design in the 1937 painting clearly shows enough of the sword's detail that anyone already acquainted with Discerner would immediately recognize it in the 1937 painting. ·

1954 - 28th December, 1:10pm
I am born to James L. & Helen B. Lindsey at the Baton Rouge General Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ·

1958
I first became aware (as a four year old) of the huge 1654 painting of Discerner that hung over the mantle of the fireplace in my grandfather's study (though I was told by my father that even at 1, 2 and 3 years old I'd smile and reach toward the painting … I mention becoming "aware" of the painting at four years old because that is when my clear memories of it begin). I was always "captivated" by the sword and would sit in PaPaw's study for hour upon hour gazing up at the painting. On a humorous note, my father began to really appreciate my severe interest in the sword painting … it kept me occupied and out of trouble for hours upon end. ·

1958-1960
Throughout these two years of being 4 to 6 years old, my grandfather took enormous delight in teaching me everything he could about the sword (especially since my father never displayed any interest at all in the painting or the sword beyond the fact that looking at the painting for hours at a time kept me from getting into other things and into trouble!) My grandfather, therefore, delighted in my intense interest in it. He would sit explaining things in such a manner that at that tender age I could understand and retain much of what he taught. He often wrote notes regarding more complex issues that could be saved for me to read when I was a bit older. Hour upon hour we'd spend looking at the painting, me in his lap, and, like a sponge thrown into a tub of water, I learned and remembered many of the things he taught me without the aid, later, of the notes he'd written. Although it wasn't until I was 5 and 6 years old that I really started retaining the things my grandfather would tell me, I was totally enthralled and fascinated with the sword even as a 4 year old. ·

1958
At some point during the very late portion of 1958 (perhaps around Christmas time because I remember the tree still being up), my father purchased what I remember to be a roll of vellum (we called it onion-skin paper). Dad then removed the painting from over the fireplace and proceeded to trace the entire outline and details of the sword … I got to touch the painting and feel the oils and brush strokes. It was the only time I can remember ever actually touching the sword painting in my life. Why did my father trace the sword's outline and design? This was not an interest on his part to preserve the design of the sword. Rather, it was his method of ensuring that I'd behave during days or evenings of company visiting … he'd spread the tracing out on the floor of my bedroom and, sure enough, I'd sit for hours gazing at it … quite often feeling sad and ill-used, because I wanted to look at it some more, whenever he'd come and roll it back up to put it away. On a humorous note, I'll never forget my dad bent over that painting and paper as he traced the lines with what I know now to be a No. 1 lead pencil. I remember laughing a lot as I watched him draw and trace while his tongue seemed to have a mind of its own as it would work from one side of his mouth to the other while he drew. It took him the greater part of the morning to do the tracing because his pencil strokes were so lightly done in fear of poking through the vellum. Once he'd hung the painting back up he went back over the tracing making his lines heavy and the tracing was born. ·

1959
A particular instance I'll always cherish was when I asked my grandfather "Why does the handle look so white?". He took the painting down, set it against the wall and, with his magnifying glass, we looked at the strokes the painter had made which indicated a wire wrapped grip that was done with three wires braided and they were, according to him, made of fine sterling silver. His theory for the whitish color of the grip was that the sterling silver gave it a very white look and so the artist painted it to look very white in color (my grandfather also felt that silver paint didn't exist during the time the painting was rendered and that, if an artist wished something to look silver, a combination of whites and grays were used in conjunction with black accents for shadowing … his theory was that something painted to look silver but with a very whitish look indicated sterling silver). It was then he also explained to me that the wire wrap was done with three wires because each wire represented the three great aspects of man - mind, body and soul - entwined together and complete. ·

1960
My grandfather passes away and, having no Will or Succession Of Estate, his entire belongings and monetary assets revert to the State of Louisiana. His material assets are sold at auction. The painting is fully presumed sold at auction because it was never seen again by us after it was taken from my grandfather's home. ·

1963
I'm 9 years old and we are visiting Clarence's home. He's up in years by now with failing health and so our visit was probably one of those "visit before it's too late" sort of things. We've visited Clarence many times before, and this time is no different … as usual I make a bee-line to the wall his sword painting hangs on. This time Clarence takes the painting down and tells me that I can have it because he knows I'll keep it and take care of it. At the time I felt I'd struck gold (at least as much as a child of 9 can feel in that manner!). Of course my mom, ever practical and knowing how kids are, promptly confiscated the small painting to store away in her cedar chest until she felt I was old enough to have it and really take care of it (that was the nature of mom's old cedar chest … anything of value she felt needed safe-keeping went straight into it). When Clarence gave me the painting it was framed in a simple homemade pinewood frame that had been painted a dark red. The frame was nothing fancy. The painting itself had been painted on a piece of "hardboard" (a thick cardboard that was not corrugated) and did not warp or bow with age and humidity only because Clarence had cut and mounted a piece of 1/8 wood veneer as a backing when he set the picture in the frame. In 1980 Clarence's frame had become so beat up and worn with age, I replaced it with a much nicer store-bought custom fitted frame. The painting is still currently in that frame. ·

1966
I meet my great aunt, Mearle Van Braken, for the first time (she was originally a Lindsey on my father's side of the family). I found Aunt Mearle to be a real pleasure … I instantly loved her broad accent and she was full of stories. There wasn't anything about the Lindsey family and ancestors she didn't seem to know. When she discovered my interest in the sword I immediately became her "pet" and she poured story after story about it into me. ·

1969
I'm 15 years old and while visiting the home of some distant friends I see, for the first time, an actual sword hanging on their wall. It was nothing spectacular but enough to intrigue me to think for the first time how nice it would be to have a copy of the "sword from the painting" to hang on my wall. It was then that I began to entertain thoughts of someday acquiring a replica of Discerner (or having one made if a replica could not be found). ·

From 1966 through 1969 I made as many frequent visits to Aunt Mearle as possible. My mom & dad had separated and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before mom & I would be moving to Texas. During that time, I also met Travis and between my few talks with him and the many visits and hours with Aunt Mearle, I learned most of what I know about Discerner with the exception of what my grandfather had already taught me in my youngest years. It was also during these years that I learned our sword had a Gaelic name and that it's name, translated into English, was "To Discern" or "Discerner". I learned its name quite by accident because I'd mistakenly called it Caladbolg after hearing another family member call it that. Hoping to impress Aunt Mearle I called it that in her presence and she was extremely quick to correct me on the name (quite sternly, I might add). ·

1969 through 1979
Uneventful years where Discerner is concerned. Occasionally I would pull the tracing from the large manila envelope I kept it in and, thus, sit and gaze at it dreaming and speculating about the sword, keeping every detail of the original painting alive in my mind's eye through looking at the tracing. ·

1980
I'm in Korea in the military about to rotate back to the States when I suddenly see a magazine cover in the Base Exchange while shopping. I didn't purchase the magazine, but I gazed at the cover because of the photo. The issue title was "Excalibur - Gambling On Chivalry" and it was the wedding scene showing Arthur holding his sword in a vertical manner and I remember thinking "Wow, that looks a lot like Discerner". However the checkout line was moving quick so I never got a chance to really examine the cover in detail. It was also during 1980, after my return to the States, that I replaced the worn out frame that was on Clarence's 1937 painting of the sword. ·

1981
A friend of mine invites me to go with him to see a new movie called "Excalibur". I go and almost fall out in a dead faint when the sword comes up out of the water and then Uther draws the sword in that beginning truce scene. I actually had to get up and leave out of the theater for some fresh air (I think it was the closest I'd ever come to fainting in my life because it felt like I was sliding backward through a tube that was getting darker and darker). My friend came out to see if I was alright and found me sort of trembling and hyperventilating a little. He actually emptied his popcorn bag and told me to breathe in and out of it until I calmed down ... afterwhich, I told him what'd made me have such a reaction … there on that big screen was the very image of my family sword down to the last detail. Naturally, he laughed and scoffed a little, but not too much. As we went back into the theater I told him to take special notice of every detail of the sword because I had something I wanted to show him when we got back to my trailer house. So we spent the whole movie scrutinizing the sword every time it would appear in a scene. When we got back to the trailer, I pulled out Discerner's tracing and showed it to him … and watched the color drain from his face as he remarked that it was astounding. Literally, as far as we could see, it was the same sword design. His mind teemed with wild ideas about it while my mind teemed with the idea that someone sooner or later would make a replica of the sword which I could buy and hang on my wall to represent Discerner. ·

1981 through 1986
Throughout these years I searched tirelessly to find a replica of Excalibur (the thought, at the time, never occurring to me that I could someday forget about finding the movie sword and have Discerner actually recreated). These years of search proved fruitless and in vain. During 1986 I nearly ran myself into money problems with dozens of long distance calls trying to find something out about the movie sword. During all of that telephoning I repeatedly called Warner Brothers, Wilkinson Sword, Orion Pictures and spoke with various folk … no one seemed to know anything at all about Excalibur, who designed it, whether or not there were replicas of it available anywhere. No one even seemed to know where the Excalibur props were or who had them or what might have happened to them. I tried using a locator service to see if there was an address I could write to in order to get in touch with Terry English or John Boorman himself. Perhaps one of those two gentlemen could provide an answer, but I never successfully got an address that would allow me to contact either of them. ·

1987 through 1993
Though I'd given up on making telephone calls, I continued to search for an Excalibur replica to hang on my wall to represent Discerner, but my search was not successful. ·

1994
While at Scarborough Faire (a local Renaissance Fair) I happened onto one of the swordmakers there who told me that Jim Hrisoulas was the man who did the blade for Excalibur (I was told by him that Terry English did the hilt and Jim had done the blade). The man gave me an address that I could write to in order to contact Mr. Hrisoulas. I wrote to him explaining my family sword and its history and asked where I could possibly find a replica of the Excalibur movie sword, but never received an answer (at this point I'm still thinking only in terms of finding an Excalibur replica to represent Discerner rather than have someone recreate it). ·

1995
The thought finally occurs to me to find a good swordmaker and have Discerner recreated. I contacted the best swordmaker at Scarborough Faire and was told that he would do the project, but it would be a long time coming due to a long waiting list and that the cost would be around $8,000 based on the design (this is the second time in my life I almost fainted). Such a cost would be far out of any price range I could ever afford, so forget that idea … it's back to searching for a movie sword replica to use to represent Discerner on my wall. By this time I'm convinced that a replica of the movie sword is the only way I'll ever get to represent Discerner due to the prohibitive cost of having one custom made by someone (I'd mistakenly figured that this swordmaker's price of $8,000 was typical of all swordmakers when faced with a custom order). ·

1996
I contact Museum Replicas Limited in an effort to find if they know anyone anywhere that produces a movie Excalibur replica (or would be willing to recreate Discerner for an affordable price). Received no answer from them … only the periodic catalog that comes in my mail once in a while. ·

1996 through 1999
My continued search for an Excalibur replica still proves fruitless. Tons of "Excalibur" swords can be found everywhere, but none of them are replicas of the movie sword which disqualifies them for use in representing Discerner on my wall. ·

2000
I learn through a friend of mine that there is a sword called the Sword Of Kings made by Iain MacAllen which is supposed to be a replica of the Excalibur movie sword. My friend said they could be obtained through Albion Armorers (this was the first time I'd ever heard of Albion), but when I contacted Albion I learned they didn't carry the SOK. I then contacted MacAllen Armourers directly in the U.K. and, after speaking on the phone at length with a gentleman there, I ordered one (No. 004 of 100). When my SOK finally arrived there were a few similarities but so many major differences and inaccuracies that I immediately disqualified it as being something to represent Discerner. The search continues. ·

August 2001
I decided to check out Albion's web site, which I always loved going into since I became aware of their existence, and found the Conan Project. Next to Discerner (and, to be fair, Excalibur as well), the Conan Atlantean sword has always been one of my absolute favorites, so I contacted Mike Sigman at Albion to make arrangements to purchase one of the Atlanteans (definitely fulfilling a 20-year dream because I've wanted one of those ever since the Conan movie came out). It was during that first conversation with Mike that I mentioned Discerner and how striking was the similarity between Discerner and the movie Excalibur. Mike was fascinated and so, for the fun of it, I went ahead and sent him some history of the sword and images (reduced photocopies of the original tracing). I must admit that I never expected anything beyond that at all when I talked to Mike about it. ·

13 August 2002
I received a phone call from Mike at Albion and an email from Howy wherein they expressed an interest in recreating Discerner. My first reaction was to feel, for the third time in my life, that I was going to swoon away in a dead faint (this time from sheer joy) and the rest is history, as they say. The Discerner Project is now under way and if I were to express my thanks to them a thousand times a thousand, it would never be enough to express my sincerest gratitude for this excellent company undertaking the project. ·

August 2002 - October 2002
Tons of phone calls and emails pass between Albion and myself as we pursue the Discerner project. I begin to learn just how difficult it is to take a two-dimensional image, such as a reduced photocopy of a tracing, and turn it into a three-dimensional reality. However, the folks at Albion are wonderful. With patience, diligence and supreme attention to detail they were able to take my images and verbal descriptions & recollections of the Discerner painting and create a first prototype to use as a model to iron out any design kinks that may remain in the sword before proceeding with production. ·

1 October 2002
I received a "rough" prototype from Albion of the Discerner sword (so that I can inspect it and scrutinize it and basically point out any design flaws that I might see in the sword). Well, what can I say? The thing is absolutely astounding … true enough, there were a few minor things here and there that needed to be tweaked out and corrected, but for the most part I cannot believe how just bang on perfect nearly everything is! When laid over the original tracing (which is no longer in mom's old cedar chest but back in my possession), the sword matches up completely in proportion and general design! And, if the thing is this beautiful, well crafted and perfectly balanced as a "rough" assembled prototype, I can just imagine how fabulous the actual production swords will be once the design corrections are made. It's been a long road from the time I was four years old in my grandfather's study looking up at a magnificent painting until today when I'm standing here looking at this magnificent first attempt at the recreation of Discerner. ·

Present Day
With all this said in the Chronology, I think it best to turn things over now to Albion's ongoing Discerner Chronicles which will give you the step by step processes of Discerner's recreation.

Footnote ~~~ I'd like to close the Chronology by rendering this final thought. During the years that I searched for an Excalibur movie sword replica to represent Discerner on my wall, I did so with a little trepidation and dread because, despite the striking similarities between the two, the Excalibur sword would not have been Discerner. With all due respect to the film sword and those who designed and created it, I would have been substituting my family sword with a film prop had I been able to find and purchase an exact movie sword replica. Such a thing is not what I wanted to do, yet the similarities between the two are close enough that I would have purchased a film sword replica to represent Discerner if one could have been found. I believe now that it would have always nagged at me. You see, there are a few subtle and tiny differences between the film sword and Discerner, though at first glance such tiny differences are not readily apparent. Combine those minute differences with the fact that each time I would have looked at the sword on my wall I would have been seeing Excalibur rather than Discerner, I would have had no feeling of peace or fulfillment had I ever been able to obtain an exact replica of the movie sword. No matter how much I might have wanted it to represent Discerner, the fact is that it would not have been a true representation of that beloved heirloom.

Now I have been able to lay down my quest to find a film sword replica and no longer search for one because, with Albion undertaking the Discerner Project, I will be able to have an actual "reincarnation" of Discerner itself ... not merely a film prop replica to stand proxy. My heart and soul in this matter are satisfied. How would I react if an exact Excalibur film sword replica ever does become available? I suspect that if anyone anywhere should ever produce an actual identical Excalibur film sword replica, I'll probably buy one for the sake of having it (since it is, without doubt, such a beautiful design and I do like the movie). But my reason for buying one would no longer be, even remotely, to use it as any sort of representation for Discerner. It would simply be Excalibur.

I fully believe that there will be those out there who, unable to find an Excalibur film sword replica, may perhaps acquire Discerner to satisfy their desire to have an "Excalibur" to hang on their wall because of the striking similarity between the two swords (in much the same way that I used to search for an Excalibur to represent Discerner). I have on more than one occasion been asked how I feel about that possibility. My personal feeling is that I it would do my heart good to know that people had acquired Discerner simply for its own sake, but at the same time, what a person does with an item after they obtain it is likewise their own affair. In truth, how could I ever really put someone down for using Discerner to represent Excalibur as their wall display when I myself was prepared for so many years to have used an Excalibur replica to represent Discerner on my own wall if I could have found one?

I have also been asked by a couple of people if I didn't feel as though I were "selling out" my family heirloom by allowing Discerner to be recreated and made available to the general public. The answer to this question is a resounding "No, I do not feel that I am selling out my family's sword". The end-run of things is that I am hoping, through the Discerner Project, that among the many Albion customers who acquire one, there will be other Lindsay/Lindsey family members who will acquire Discerner and begin their own time-honored tradition of passing this beloved heirloom down the family line the way it once was before the original sword was lost. If other family members are able to acquire Discerner and feel the pride of owning it and passing it down through their own generations, then in my book, the Discerner Project is a true blessing. It is certain that I will have no sons of my own to carry my name, therefore, it is a legacy that I now share with whoever would be receptive to it so that Discerner and its history shall in no wise fade from the memories of men. It is my sincerest hope and desire that Discerner will bring the same years of pleasure and beauty into the lives of those who acquire it, as I know it will in my own.