Swords are a lifelong love of mine. They are the symbol of romantic medieval periods. Of course, they are weapons of war, and designed to kill and maim. However, there's something majestic about these long bladed knives. What's really fascinating to me is how attached people became to these weapons, far more than other things like hammers. I'm not aware of knights naming their swords (though I wouldn't be surprised), but Vikings commonly did and so did Asian cultures. Anything that is worthy of a name is mighty important.
Many swords are beautifully detailed, with inscriptions, carvings, special materials, and all sorts of love put into the designs. I'm not exactly sure why three foot long blades are so enticing, but they just are. One of the most iconic weapons in cinema is the lightsaber, which is basically a futuristic sword. It doesn't matter that they're short range weapons. They're neat.
Amazingly, the art of sword fighting has been badly lost and misrepresented. One of the biggest myths is that fighters banged the edges together as they parried and attacked. Remember, these swords were meant to be used for a long time. If you wonder what happens when you take two thin, sharp, edges and bang them together then take a couple of knives and do it. Result: a nick, possibly deep, that ruins the edge and might cause the blade to break. Not a bright thing to do.
I love swords, and own quite a few myself. One thing that guests to my house enjoy is going out to the back yard and cutting potatoes in the air. I'll do an underhanded lob and they'll have at it. It's wonderful, magical, and enlightening. There's nothing quite like slicing a potato out of the air, watching it part by your own effort, and marveling at how easy it all was. It's all part of the mystery of swords.
- M
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