The Pernik sword is a medieval double-edged iron sword unearthed in the ruins of the medieval fortress of Krakra near Pernik, western Bulgaria, on 1 January 1921.
The sword is preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Bulgaria in Sofia.
The blade inscription is typical of the 12th-century "garbled" in nomine type, reading +IHININIhVILPIDHINIhVILPN+.
There is a scholarly tradition of attempts to interpret this type of inscription as abbreviations or contractions, e.g. reading INPMPNC as 'I(n) n(omine) p(atris) M(ater) p(atris) n(ostri) C(hristi)'.
[3] By contrast, Dentschewa (2005) argued for a Lombardic interpretation of IH INI NI hVIL PIDH, INI hVIL PN, meaning 'I do not await eternity, I am eternity'.