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I am trying to remember the name of a book I read back in the 1980's about a guy who carried a singing sword named Lark.

Some additional details:

  • It was quest style and I feel like it was written by a sci-fi author of renown - maybe Poul Anderson or someone in his era.
  • I seem to recall either from the cover or description that the sword was a straight sword that came to a two side point like the tip of a narrow triangle and the guard was circular/semi globe. It was light gray in color.

Does anyone remember this story or sword?

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  • I don't have an answer, but the only "singing sword" I can think of belonged to Prince Valiant in the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
    – Blackwood
    Commented Jul 6, 2016 at 23:30
  • In Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett there's a singing sword named Kring owned by Hrun the Barbarian. LSpace.org describes it as being inspired the sword Stormbringer which appeared in a number of Michael Moorcock's books. So singing swords are a fantasy staple not just a poetic device.
    – GeoffAtkins
    Commented Jul 7, 2016 at 7:16

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I believe this is actually the Saga of Thorgrim, by Gerard Earl Bailey.

There is a lay the Agelings sing: of Thorgrim the glacier-born, who was outlawed strode the sea on cross-grained ships of war; of Lark, the blood-loud sword that led his quest for the Spaehelm that was to be his destiny; and of the Priestess Lysenoe who was his fate. All this was when the world was new and men did not walk it alone. Here then is that song... Sword of the Nurlingas.

The main character is a viking-type who carries a sword (named Lark) which is black or gray metal with a rounded guard. The sword didn't 'sing' as such, just vibrated and made a distinctive noise as it was used.

The cover of the first book, Sword of the Nurlingas, shows the character holding up the sword.

enter image description here

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  • Thanks for the addition of the blurb! So, for the cover, you find an image somewhere on the web, copy it to imgur, then put the link here?
    – LAK
    Commented Jul 7, 2016 at 14:03
  • Great to know that I wasn't misremembering everything - just the singing and the author... The image definitely is as I remembered!
    – decuser
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 15:10

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