Big into Fantasy stuff? Want to talk about it?

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If they're only used for bludgeoning, what are the sharp edges for?
I saw a show once that talked about claymores (otherwise known as a really BIG sword). It was so big it was more often used for decapitating heads and limbs, as opposed to thrusting. It was just too large and weighed too much for a random thrust.

Anyone see any of the new Hobbit trailers yet? (need an emoticon with a Gandalf hat)

The Claymore wasn't a knight sword. I believe it was defunct by the time the whole knighthood/ feudal system thing reached scotland.

Never mind the sharp edges, if swords were bludgeoning weapons, they why did maces need to exist?

Haven't seen the hobbit trailers, not much of a movie person.

The last battle in which claymores were known to be used was 1689. Elements of fuedalism were introduced into Scotland in the twelfth century. It's true that they were not swords that knights employed.
When I'm curious, I look stuff up for fun.

I've read that scotsmen in the military have a dress sword called a claymore, but is nothing like the original sword.

Wonder if that's the sword that was used in the 1600s, but I think it was introduced WAY after that, as purely a uniform thing. I normally look things up, but I'm too lazy ATM.

Anyway, while we're on the topic of swords and trying to get this back to a more fantasy topic...

...Does it annoy anyone else that people don't seem to understand that Excalibar and the sword in the stone are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SWORDS in every modern adaptation of Arthurian myth?

My mother is the Arthur legend wizard! She hates it when people screw that up. She also says that Morgana Le Fay and Morgause are two separate people, another piece of the legend people often get confused.

I see somebody voted "Kraken".

I've read that the norse described Krakens as being "Part squid, part crab, and part whale (denoting size?)"

With that in mind, I'm a little disappointed by how often Krakens are portrayed as just being giant squids.

I have seen some different portrayals, like in Magic the gathering they've been showing them as more whelk-like, but that's still not what the norse described. Then there's the awful portrayals in the "clash of the titans" movies.

What's a kraken doing in a Greco-Roman themed movie anyway?

We also have a sphinx fan on WP!

I remember when I first heard the riddle, I figured it was going to be a human, but didn't guess why.

Perhaps that's because there are actual giant squids around, with the occaisonal gumption to attack somebody. Whales rarely have that sort of agressive behavior, and while they can be agressive, crabs . . . are small . . . and tasty. Yum.

Anybody got a favorite type of magical sword? Excalibur dosen't count, that's too easy.

Ever heard of the Sword of Shannara? It revealed truth. If you got hit by it, it was kind of like getting years worth of therapy all at once, you were confronted with all the lies about yourself and had to face the truth. In one book, the bad guy was nothing but lies, and the sword destroyed him.

There is some speculation that Leviathan is actually just the ancient Hebrew word for whale.

Sea Serpents are interesting because there is some circumstantial evidence they may actually exist...

I like to make up my own swords.

But my favorite one I didn't make up? hmmm...

Probably the Master Sword...

...If only to avoid having to give a katana for an answer (It was either that or Tensaiga, and I didn't want to have to admit anything from the anime Inyuyasha was cool.)

Did you know that in almost every culture, there is some mention of dragons?
Examples (but certainly not all):
Knuckers, Wyverns, Wyrms, and the classic heraldic dragons of the west
The three, four, and five clawed (it has to do with the culture) dragons of the east
Quetzalcoatl--South American
Jormungandr of the Norse
Joppa--Greek dragon

If I keep going, I'll start ranting. Love dragons!

Yeah I like this kind of stuff too. More the movies, I don't really read fantasy books. For some reason when I read books I like historical fiction about the medieval era. I also like the art, like Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Frank Frazetta etc. I've played most of the Elder Scrolls computer games too. I have Skyrim going these days.

Loved the Lord of the Rings and Narnia movies. Hope when the Hobbit comes out in December, it is just as good.