List of magical weapons

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This is a list of magical weapons from fiction and folklore. A magical weapon is one that is directly described as such in the work, or one that has obvious fantastic or supernatural qualities.

In folklore

Further information: List of mythological objects § Weapons

Indian mythology

  • Arrow of Brahma – The arrow given by the sage Agastya to Rama (seventh avatar of Vishnu) and was used to kill Ravana.
  • Asi – A legendary divine lotus sword created in ancient times as the first weapon to destroy the enemies of the gods and restore dharma.
  • Astra – Divine celestial weapons with devastating impacts which could be invoked by reciting mantras and forming hand signs.
  • Chandrahansa – In the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Chandrahansa sword is an indestructible sword that Lord Shiva gifts Ravana.
  • Chentu - A horse whip which looks like a crooked stick, and is a typical attribute of Aiyanar, Krishna in his aspect as Rajagopala, and Shiva with Nandi.
  • Gada – A mace used by the Monkey God Hanuman.
  • Gandiva – An indestructible bow with 100 strings created by Brahma and later used by Arjuna.
  • Halayudha – A plough used as a weapon by Balarama.
  • Kaladanda – the staff of Death is a special and lethal club used by the God Yama or God of Naraka or Hell in Hindu mythology. It was the ultimate weapon; once fired it would kill anybody before it no matter what boons he had to protect himself.
  • Kaumodaki – The Gada (mace) of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • Kaundinya's bow – A magic bow wielded by the merchant Brahmin Kaundinya I, who used it to make the Nāga princess Queen Soma fall in love with him.
  • Khaṭvāṅga – In Hinduism, the god Shiva-Rudra carried the khatvāṅga as a staff weapon and are thus referred to as khatvāṅgīs.
  • Kodandam – Rama's bow.
  • Mace of Bhima – A club that was presented by Mayasura. It was a weapon of Danavas King Vrishaparva.
  • Nandaka – Nandaka or Nandaki is the sword of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • Parashu – The parashu is the weapon of the god Shiva who gave it to Parashurama, sixth avatar of Vishnu, whose name means "Rama with the axe".
  • Pasha – A supernatural weapon depicted in Hindu iconography. Hindu deities such as Ganesha, Yama and Varuna are depicted with the pasha in their hands. The pasha is used to bind a foe's arms and legs or for hunting animals.
  • Pattayudha – The divine sword of Lord Virabhadra, commander of Lord Shiva's armies.
  • Pinaka – The great bow of Shiva, arrows fired from the bow could not be intercepted.
  • Sharanga – The bow of the Hindu God Vishnu.
  • Sharkha – The bow of Krishna, eight avatar of Vishnu.
  • Shiva Dhanush (Shiva's bow) – A bow given by Shiva to Janaka and broken by Rama during Sita's swayamvara.
  • Sudarshana Chakra – The legendary discus of Vishnu, which cannot be stopped by anyone, except by Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. It has tremendous occult and spiritual powers, by which it is able to destroy anything.
  • Teen Baan – Shiva gave Barbarika three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). A single arrow was enough to destroy all opponents in any war, and it would then return to Barbarika's quiver.
  • Trident of Madhu – It was given as a boon by Shiva to Madhu, a Rakshasa. Then he gave it to his son Lavanasura. It was a very powerful weapon. It destroys anyone who directly fights with its master.
  • Trishula – The trident of Shiva, stylized by some as used as a missile weapon and often included a crossed stabilizer to facilitate flight when thrown. Considered to be the most powerful weapon.
  • Vajra – A lightning thunderbolt wielded by Indra, the god of rain and thunderstorms.
  • Vasavi Shakti – The magical dart of Indra. Used by Karna against Ghatotkacha in the Mahabharata war.
  • Vel – Vel is a divine javelin (spear) associated with the Hindu war god Karthikeya.
  • Vijaya – The bow of Karna, one of the greatest hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The bow of Indra is also called Vijaya.

Islamic mythology

Norse mythology

  • Angurvadal (Stream of Anguish) – A magical sword of Viking, and later Frithiof. The sword was inscribed with Runic letters, which blazed in time of war, but gleamed with a dim light in time of peace.
  • Dáinsleif – King Högni's sword that gave wounds that never healed and could not be unsheathed without killing a man.
  • Dragvandil – The sword of Egill Skallagrímsson.
  • Forseti's axe (also Fosite's axe) – A golden battle axe that Forseti (or Fosite in the Frisian mythology) used to save the old sages of the wreck and then threw the axe to an island to bring forth a source of water.
  • Freyr's sword – A magic sword which fought on its own. It might be Lævateinn.
  • Gambanteinn – A sword which appears in two poems in the Poetic Edda
  • Gram – Sword of the hero Sigurd from Norse mythology, also known as Nothung in the Ring cycle
  • Gríðarvölr – A magical staff given to Thor by Gríðr so he could kill the giant Geirröd.
  • Gungnir – Odin's spear created by the dwarf Dvalinn. The spear is described as being so well balanced that it could strike any target, no matter the skill or strength of the wielder.
  • Hǫfuð – The sword of Heimdallr, the guardian of Bifröst.
  • Hrotti – Hrotti is a sword in the Völsung cycle (Fáfnismál, Völsunga saga, 20). It was a part of Fáfnir's treasure, which Sigurðr took after he slew the dragon.
  • Lævateinn – A weapon mentioned in Fjölsvinnsmál by Sophus Bugge. Ostensibly forged by Loki.
  • Legbiter – The sword of Magnus III of Norway.
  • Mistilteinn – The magical sword of Þráinn, the draugr, later owned by Hromundr Gripsson. It could never go blunt.
  • Mjölnir – The hammer of Thor. It was invulnerable and when thrown it would return to the user's hand.
  • Quern-biter – Sword of Haakon I of Norway and his follower, Thoralf Skolinson the Strong, said to be sharp enough to cut through quernstones.
  • Ridill (also Refil) – Sword of the dwarf Regin.
  • Skofnung – The legendary sword of Danish king Hrólf Kraki. It was renowned for supernatural sharpness and hardness, as well as for being imbued with the spirits of the king's twelve faithful berserker bodyguards.
  • The Sword of Surtr – The weapon the fire giant Surtr wields in the battle of Ragnarok. The Prose Edda calls it a flaming sword, although in the Poetic Edda merely it is described only as a "bright blade."
  • Tyrfing – A sword made by dwarves in the Elder Edda. It would kill a man when drawn and would eventually kill its wielder.

Irish mythology

  • Fragarach – Sword of the god of the seas Manannan mac Lir and later Lugh in Irish legend; it was said to be a weapon that no armour could stop.
  • Caladbolg – Two-handed sword of Fergus mac Róich in Irish legend; said to make a circle like an arc of rainbow when swung, and to have the power to cleave the tops from the hills.
  • Moralltach (Great Fury) – a highly lethal sword belonging to Aengus, which left no stroke or blow unfinished at the first trial. Aoegus eventually gave to his foster-son Diarmuid Ua Duibhne along with a second sword of less power, the Beagalltach (Little Fury).
  • Gáe Buide and Gáe Dearg – Spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by Aengus. They were said to inflict wounds from which none could recover.
  • Claíomh Solais – Sword of Nuada, the king of the gods in Irish mythology; in legend, the sword glowed with the light of the sun and was irresistible in battle, having the power to cut his enemies in half.
  • Gáe Bulg – Spear of Cúchulainn; made from the bones of a sea monster.
  • Spear of Lugh – Spear of Lugh, the champion of the gods in Irish mythology.

Arthurian legend

Matter of France

Japanese folklore

  • Ame-no-nuhoko – Japanese halberd which formed the first island.
  • Kusanagi – Legendary Japanese sword. Can also be considered as Kusanagi-No-Tsurugi.
  • Muramasa – The katana forged by famous swordsmith Muramasa, it was rumored that it was a demonic sword that can curse the wielder to murder people. It also said that the demonic sword rumor was made by Ieyasu Tokugawa, the 1st Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate because he hated those swords made by Muramasa.
  • Tonbogiri – One of three legendary spears created by the famed swordsmith Muramasa. It is said to be so sharp that a dragonfly landing on the edge would be instantly cut in half. This is the origin of the name.
  • Honjo Masamune – A legendary and very real Japanese sword (with alleged mythical abilities), created by Japan's greatest swordsmith, Goro Nyudo Masamune. The Masamune sword is by far the most referenced Japanese sword in popular fiction, ranging through books, movies and computer games.
  • Murasame – A magical katana that mentioned in fiction Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, it said the blade can moist itself to wash off the blood stain for keeping it sharp.

Spanish folklore

In novels

The works of J. R. R. Tolkien

See also: List of Middle-earth weapons and armour
  • Anglachel – One of the two swords forged by Eöl the Dark Elf out of a black iron meteorite. It is said to be able to cleave any iron from within the earth. Anglachel appears to be a sentient sword that speaks on occasion and has some will of its own.[8]
  • Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting – High-Elven swords; glow with a blue or white flame when Orcs are near. These are obtained during the events of The Hobbit and are carried respectively by Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins. Sting is later passed onto the latter's nephew Frodo Baggins.[9]
  • Morgul-blade – Magical poisoned dagger wielded by Nazgûl.[9]
  • Caudimordax – This sword cannot be sheathed when a dragon comes within five miles of its bearer's presence.[10]
  • Andúril/Narsil – The sword of Elendil that was used by Isildur to cut the One Ring from Sauron (Narsil) reforged several ages later by Elrond (Andúril); the reforging of the shards was foretold as a sign of the coming of the true King of Gondor.
  • Aiglos – The spear with which the Elven king Gil-galad went to war.

The works of Michael Moorcock

In popular culture

Other magical weapons

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Cantar de mio Cid. Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
  2. ^ Florus. Epitomae, II.
  3. ^ Charles Kingsley (2007). "How Hereward was Outlawed". Hereward the Wake (Vol I). Wildside Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4344-9091-9. ...one of those magic weapons, brought, men know not how, out of the magic East, which was hereditary in many a Norse family, and sung of in many a Norse saga.
  4. ^ "Magic Swords post Fire and Blood". A Forum of Ice and Fire - A Song of Ice and Fire & Game of Thrones. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  5. ^ "Magic Swords post Fire and Blood". A Forum of Ice and Fire - A Song of Ice and Fire & Game of Thrones. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  6. ^ Nicolaou, Elena. "The Essential Guide To The Swords On "Game Of Thrones"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  7. ^ Pye, Michael (2013-12-05). "The Way of Kings Reread: Chapter 47". Tor.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  8. ^ The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien
  9. ^ a b The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
  10. ^ Farmer Giles of Ham, J. R. R. Tolkien
  11. ^ "Did Guan Yu Actually Use the Green Dragon Crescent Blade?". Cultural China. Archived from the original on 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=List_of_magical_weapons&oldid=1119459271"