We’ve all heard of the tale of King Arthur and how he was gifted a magical sword from the lady in the lake. Well, there seems to be a new occurrence of a similar tale in our modern age with the story of Saga Vanecek and her 1500 year-old sword found at the bottom of a lake called Vidöstern.
Image Via PressFrom
As told by The Guardian, Saga was recently interviewed about her discovery, and how she managed to stumble upon such an ancient relic. As she recalls, her family usually visits the lake every summer where they spend time enjoying themselves and playing in the sun. But on July 15th, the eight year old would remember the lake for a different reason. While playing in the water, Saga stumbled upon the sword while looking for rocks to skim:
“I was crawling along the bottom of the lake on my arms and knees, looking for stones to skim, when my hand and knee felt something long and hard buried in the clay and sand. I pulled it out and saw that it was different from the sticks or rocks I usually find. One end had a point, and the other had a handle, so I pointed it up to the sky, put my other hand on my hip and called out, ‘Daddy, I’ve found a sword!'”
After finding the sword, and alerting her father, Saga immediately wanted to keep the artifact. She did find it, and clearly the law of “finders keepers” should still be in effect. But alas, her father convinced her that it was more important for archaeologists and other scientists to study and hold onto it to be put on display at the local museum:
I felt “boo” that it’s gone away, but “yay” that other people will get to see it.
Image Via The Local Sweden
Although Saga may not have a sword now, she has made it known that she will raise some money for a replica to be made especially for her. Since her discovery, archaeologists have searched the lake for more ruins, finding an ancient brooch from a similar time as the sword as well as a coin from the 18th century.
Saga Vanecek’s story is something straight out of myths and legends. It wouldn’t surprise us if she really did end up becoming the queen of Sweden in the future; it clearly is her destiny. And if she chooses to not rule, perhaps this experience will make Saga an author one day. If you want to read her full article, told in her own words, be sure to read the full piece at The Guardian. And don’t forget to check out Bookstr for all your literary needs!
Featured Image Via SVT Nyheter