Check This Out:

I love the Zombie Hunters. It's an excellent comic, with really amazing art. There is strong language and gore, but...well, if you didn't guess that from the title, there's nothing I can do to help you.

Anyway, check out this comic, and the news post below it.

Good work.

I'm Torn...

There's so much to write about!

I'm still collecting information to answer one question, and I'm waiting on a book from the library that has me excited...I can't settle on one thing to write about.

In the meantime, I've come across a line in Weapon that has me looking for patterns:

Early medieval swords were heavy cutting weapons that were used to hack their way through mail. The development of high-quality plate armor encouraged the introduction of sharply pointed thrusting swords, whose blades became progressively longer.

I believe the history of weapons can be summed up by:

Gwark hits Grog on the head with a rock. Grog found a bigger rock and invented the helmet. This continued until we found ourselves with the nitrogen bomb.

If you are creating a new world, and you are adding weapons to it, you have to remember that for every newer, better way to do damage to someone, there came a newer, better way to protect yourself. There are undoubtedly gaps in discovery and creation, but it's constantly happening.

The current "to read" pile from the library includes:

• Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, & Pyrotechnics: The History of the Explosive that Changed the World, by Jack Kelly
  
  
• The Cambridge History of Warfare, edited by Geoffrey Parker
  
  
• A History of Warfare, by John Keegan
  
  
• The Complete Encylopedia of Arms & Weapons, edited by Leonid Tarassuk & Claude Blair
  
  
• Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World: 3000 BC ~ AD 500: Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics, by Simon Anglim, Phyllis G. Jestice, Rob S. Rice, Scott M. Rusch, & John Serrati
  
  
• Warfare: The Middle Ages 768 - 1487, by Nicholas Hooper & Matthew Bennett
  

Out Of Town

I'm going to be out of town until Sunday, and away from internet access. I've got a couple of new books from the library for research, and I'll try to have something interesting or useful by the time I get back.

In the meantime, on the thread of books with excellent use of weapons:

Hunter's Moon, by CT Adams and Cathy Clamp is an awesome book, and so are all the rest of the Sazi books. They are very worth the read, whether you're a girl or a guy. This was the book that convinced me that paranormal romance doesn't have to just be brain candy. From what I know, Tony's use of his weapons was very accurate without being distracting, and makes a good example of real weapons in a new world. And I love the Sazi culture, though you need to read more of the books to get a deeper look at it.

For the use of both real and fantasy weapons, and another excellent read, check out The Cage, by S.M. Stirling and Shirley Meier. I was enamored with Megan's knives from the moment they were mentioned in the book: her fingernails are actually steel, and can be sharpened and used like knives. Magic was used to make them grow naturally, drawing the iron from her blood, necessitating the eating of liver or drinking of fish oil to keep the iron up. The fights are breath-taking, and excellently written. Sh'Kaira's use of sword and compound bow both are an excellent example for anyone.

I don't think I'd have ever touched the book, if only because of the mention if it's being a novel of vengeance on the cover, except that it was recommended to me by someone with impeccable taste. I'm very glad I read it, and I even managed to scrounge up a copy of it (and the rest of the series) so I'd be able to read them again. If nothing else, the wing cats are awesome, there has never been a more bad-ass cat than Ten Knife Foot (and I usually am not fond of pets in novels, even if I'm surrounded by them), and I got some of my best insults ever from those books.

Magical Swords that Work

I read Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews not too long ago, and while I wasn't peering at every page for some sort of mistake, I do know that nothing leap off of the page and screamed that it was a stupid idea with enough frosting to make it look cool.

I liked Kate's sword, and the world building is very interesting. It made me want to go to Atlanta and compare with this new world.

It is fine to take real weapons and change them to suit your needs. Make them magical. Make them different, because your world is different. But if you've done any research on the real thing, then even if you never directly use any of that research, it shows in your writing, and it makes the read more enjoyable.

When I looked this up on Amazon, I saw a second book in the series, and I was briefly excited. Then I saw that it's not out until March so, sadly, I still have to wait.

The Chopping Block

I've got a question that has been gnawing at me for several years. In Gene Wolfe's The Shadow of Torturer, the main character has a sword that is used for beheading. That sword has a hollow channel that contains mercury so that when it is brought down the weight shifts to the point. Has such a sword ever existed? Does this even make since?

I have gone through every book about or mentioning weapons and the history of them, as well as several from the library. I also asked the resident blacksmith, since I figured if anyone would have heard about something like that in real life, he would have.

He'd never heard of one actually being made, and his exact words on the making of such a blade were:

The thought of trying to forge a blade with a channel like that down the core, or trying to drill it in those days, AND have it capable of taking the stress of the stroke, makes my head ache.

The only hits on the web I found referring to such a weapon were either in direct reference to the original book, or roleplaying guides.

In Rack, Rope, and Red Hot Pincers, by Geoffrey Abbott, the final chapter has to do with execution. After reading it, I've decided that should I need to be put to death in pre-French Revolution Europe, I hope it's by at least moderately skilled swordsman. And I hope it isn't in England, where they had to import a French executioner to give a queen a decent crack dying in a minimum number of chops.

More than one book mentioned the necessity of the balance on an executioner's sword. The condemned had to stand or kneel to await their fate, rather than being bent over or strapped to a chopping block, because the fatal blow was not delivered straight up and down, but slant-wise. Aim was crucial, and made more difficult by the possibility of the condemned weaving or flinching. I would tend to think that a sword with a shifting balance would actually make the job more difficult, rather than less.

Also, mercury is damned heavy. I had never quite realized how heavy until I was working in a zoology stockroom and had occasion to pick up bottles of the stuff. That's also where I learned that you can write on puddles of mercury with a ballpoint pen, provided the ink is flowing decently. Though executioner's swords are slightly heavier than regular swords, I doubt you would want to use one that would be that much heavier.

The final verdict: this is a case of taking something real, and giving it a unique twist for your own world.



This is an excellent executioner's sword, located in the Royal Armouries Museum, and it displays a lot of the classical qualities in an executioner's sword. Courtesy of Weapon, I have some of the vital statistics of the blade: It's German, from 1674, and it weighs in at 4 3/4 lbs at 32 1/2 inches in length.

Usually, these swords were used for one and only one purpose. Anyone familiar with swords and their uses would know what this one was meant for, even without the helpful etchings of torture scenes. This one's got a slightly shorter hilt than earlier doppelhander swords, and a heavy pommel to balance it. The tip is blunted because this weapon was never meant for thrusting: it's sole function was chopping.

What I particularly love about this one is that, when not in use, it hung in a civic building as a general warning.

In other cultures, executioner's swords might not have looked much like that one, but they still had several things in common, particularly the increased weight and thickness to the blade.

Anything Can Be A Weapon

The current issue of Renaissance Magazine has some excellent articles on Medieval siege weapons and warfare. If you need information along those lines, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy.

I'm thinking the best way to get information on weapons out is to profile individual weapons. If anyone has any suggestions for a specific one they'd like more information on, just let me know. In the meanwhile, I'll find something and get a post up as soon as I've gotten a decent amount of information.

Anyway, I was thinking about how all sorts of things have and can be used as a weapon in a pinch, and I recalled a news story about a burglar who broke into a house while the family was having dinner. One of the family members (I vaguely recall it being the father, though I'm not certain) picked up a can of soup and threw it at the guy. It hit him in the head, he fell over, and they called the police. On the way to the station, the guy complained about a headache, so they took him to the hospital, where he died.

Several searches have failed to turn up the story, though I'm sure I'll eventually find it. While looking, though, I did find this: a killer turnip. Ain't No Way To Go is an interesting site, though I sadly don't think it's been updated for several years.

Questions

I am formulating answers that will not be entirely my own opinion.

And I am ridiculously happy that you guys have asked questions.

In the meantime, check this out: The Royal Armouries. They have an excellent site, and you can even see their top ten items.

You can also request library materials from them. I think I may have found a new way to spend lots of money.

If I'm ever in England, this place is high on my list of places I absolutely must see.

Writing What You Know

I always hated hearing that when I was in an English or creative writing class. When I was little, my mother read Anne McCaffrey books to me, and my dad read me Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. I was a hardcore ElfQuest fan by the time I was in first grade. I always knew that you could dream worlds and make them so real that you'd want to go live there.

If I were to write the story of my life, there are undoubtedly things that would sound like a fantasy novel, especially some of the ridiculous drama my best friend and I managed to manufacture. I'm not sure how well my creative writing teachers would have responded to tales from the blacksmith's daughter about dreamberry wine (made from what turned out to be nightshade berries...it's a good thing I never tried to drink my concoctions), her witch mother, meeting William Shakespeare, demonic possession, and space badgers.

I've always enjoyed dreaming up new worlds. As I've gotten older, the work I put into world building has grown deeper and more complex. In a new world, you can make up all of the rules...but those rules have to make sense, and they have to be internally consistent.

Everyone will create in their own ways. I like diving into research and finding out what's really happened, what's been practiced, and what's been believed. I can usually take reality as a springboard for my own worlds, and I like to think that even if I never mention most of the research I undertook, knowing and understanding what I do lends my worlds a deeper kind of authenticity that I've so desperately admired from many of my favorite authors.

So, even if there's a katana in your story that has some sort of enchantment that does make it possible for it to cut through steel and necks without pausing, there had better be a good reason it can do that. And every other sword in existence had better not be able to do the same.

I do think that no matter how you work, you should take what chances you can to find out more about things that are in your stories. If you're writing a period piece, or something in a world where men or women fight with rapiers, find out if there's a fencing school near where you live. You don't have to go take lessons, but at least go and talk to the people who work and teach there, and if they'll allow it, watch people practicing.

You can also find your local chapter of the SCA and watch the light weapons fighting. If you're writing about quasi-Medieval settings, watch the heavy weapons fighting. If you can get to a Renaissance festival, watch the joust. While they may not necessarily be the most accurate representations of what happened, the people involved to go to great lengths to try to make it so, and they're better examples than most of what you'll find in movies (sadly).

If you're writing a story involving guns, I highly recommend actually handling one. You don't have to go out and buy one, and I won't insist you actually fire one. But even if you absolutely hate them, and part of your story is to speak out against them, you will still come across better if you know what you're talking about. Sounding like a nitwit won't help you make your point. Find a reputable gun store and go in. Take a look at the stock, and talk to the people who work there. I've never run across anyone in a gun store who has been rude or unpleasant to me, and they've always been eager to help. Try holding a real gun. Find out how to check to see if it's loaded, and how to actually load it. See what the weight is like in your hand, how the grip fits in your palm (or if it's a rifle, what it's like to pull it up to your shoulder to sight. Just be sure to do so away from any other living people. It's bad manners to point guns at people unless you really mean it). If there's any out, try picking up a box of ammunition. I've been around the stuff all my life, and the weight still surprises me.

Anyway, all of this is my long and rambling way of saying this:

I know what I already know about weapons. I know what I've already done with them. I'm hoping to create a useful resource for people who need to know more about them, but I have a terrible habit of assuming that if I've actually learned something, everyone else probably already knows it, too. After all, I'm usually the last to know anything.

So, out of any of you lovely people who might still be checking by here, what are you hoping to find out? What do you need or want to know about? Do you have any specific questions, or are you just swinging by here looking for general information?

If you don't want to post something in the comments, email them to me at thedeadlypen at gmail dot com. I'll make questions anonymous, but any and all questions will be posted here, so maybe someone else who wanted to know the same thing will also get the answer.

Why Superior Numbers Aren't Always Enough...

We were 1,800 Germans and were attacked by 15,000 Swedish peasants...we struck most of them dead.

--Landsknecht Paul Dolstein, on fighting for the king of Denmark, July 1502

A peasant uprising can be scary, and I wouldn't personally want to face up to a farmer with a scythe. But if you've got angry peasants against trained soldiers or mercenaries, it's wise to put your money on the mercs.

If you're writing a peasant uprising of some sort, the peasants really need to have some sort of ace-in-the-hole before they get to be anything but fertilizer.

There's People Reading This!

I'm more shocked than anyone.

Shocked and grateful. I hope I can come up with something useful and worth reading.

The Mythical 30 Lb Sword

I really don't know where the mythical 30 lb sword came from. I'm not sure if I've ever seen one in published fiction, though I do vaguely recall instances of swords too heavy for ordinary mortals to lift in movies and cartoons. Most of those were for comic effect, which makes me more likely to forgive them.

I have come across a few of them in critique groups, though, so they're obviously out there.

I've also been to and seen panels at conventions about making your weapons realistic, and the too-heavy sword has been mentioned there, as well. I'd think the debunking of the myth would be common knowledge by now.

But then again, I also grew up where I could watch knives made from start to finish. My view of the whole thing may be somewhat skewed.

I don't remember the first time I got to hold a real sword, but I do remember the first time I held a heavy choreography sword. My reaction was, "This is not a real sword."

The choreography sword in question was pretty, but badly balanced. I was supposed to be working out a fight with a lady who would wield the sword while I fought with quarterstaff. I believe I was equally offended by being handed a big pine dowel rod and told it was oak.

I have come across people who have used choreography swords, and who are deeply offended by the idea that they aren't real swords. Some of them are truly fine products, and they do what they're meant for quite admirably. The problem is that they aren't meant for the same use as a "real" sword, and they very definitely aren't what someone is going to run around a battlefield with.

Choreography swords are thicker and heavier than regular swords, and they usually have very blunt edges. They're meant for performances, and to hold up to being banged against each other.

Early Medieval swords were cutting weapons. You would not go around bashing your sword against other swords or metal implements--swords were something of status and prestige symbols, and you wanted to pass yours down to through your family. You wouldn't want to ruin or damage it with a careless swipe, and likewise if you were blocking a blow, you'd want to use your shield.

They also couldn't be too heavy, because you had to be able to carry and fight with them. What would be the use of having a huge, heavy weapon that would slow you down? If you're on a battlefield, you don't want to be the slow, clumsy guy who can't stop a swing once it starts.

I have a wonderful book that I absolutely love for many reasons. It's called Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor. One thing that was done in it that I absolutely love is that on many of the swords, it not only lists date, origin, and length, but also weight.

The swords started at 22 inches in length, and 1/4 pound. There was another that weighed the same, but was 29 1/2 inches long.

The heaviest, by a wide margin, was a German boar hunting sword from 1662. It was meant as the primary weapon when hunting boar, and it had an extra two knives and a bodkin which could also be used as a file stored in the scabbard. It was only 35 1/2 inches long, and weighed a surprising 12 lbs.

The next heaviest was a German parade sword (paratschwerter) from 1580. It was an especially ornate two-handed sword (doppelhander or beidenhande) meant for ceremonial occasions--like parades, for example. It was made to be longer and heavier than a more practical battlefield weapon, and was recognized as being of little use as an offensive weapon. In other words, it was heavy, but it was really only there for looks.

A brief and by no means thorough Google search revealed this:


Landsknecht returning from the war, with his 20 pound sword...
(drawing by Urs Graf, adjusted for weight)

I have shamelessly stolen it from here. You absolutely must go there and read the wonderful rant regarding the weight of swords. It's brilliant.

Why I'm Here

This blog is here because, when I searched for a writer's guide to weapons, I was terribly disappointed when the one I found featured only information on firearms.

The book in question is Armed and Dangerous: A Writer's Guide to Weapons from the Howdunit Series. Now, I adore the Howdunit series, and a nice list of all of them can be found right here.
They've proven to be an invaluable resource, and I recommend them whole-heartedly.

The problem is that they're mostly focused towards mystery writers, and I've spent most of my time writing fantasy. The weapons needs in an alternate, pre-industrial world, be it this one or a completely new one, are very different from a mystery set in modern times. There are panels at conventions about the realistic use of swords and other less modern arms, and the information is out there to be had. But, in the same spirit as the Howdunit series and other writer's guides, why shouldn't the information be available in one easy to access place that isn't bogged down in jargon, or that assumes an already well-informed audience, instead of a smart audience ready to learn who still might need some of the basics?

I come from a somewhat privileged background when it comes to antique and archaic weapons and other knowledge: I was raised by an herbalist and a blacksmith. When I was six years old and obsessed with ElfQuest and wanted to be an elf, my dad made me a spear. He went out to his forge and he made a real spear head from high carbon steel, and he fixed it to a good shaft, and he let me loose after I promised not to stab the dogs, my brother, or any of the neighbors.

I wanted to know why he'd think I'd stab the dogs.

It's from him that I've gotten most of my knowledge of arms and armor. I grew up handling hand-made knives and swords, and when I needed a hatchet, I asked if he could make one for me. He's always been eager to share his knowledge, and if he didn't have an answer, he either knew where to find it, or could find out. He was always supportive in ways that I suspect made friends and family deeply nervous--who in their right mind gives his daughter an instruction book when she mentions wanting to know how to pick locks? When I stated an interest in poisons, he gave me my first Howdunit book, Deadly Doses. And when I wanted to know how to tie a noose, he got me rope that couldn't hold my weight (just in case) and taught me how.

With the basics he gave me, I started taking the steps into my own research and began building my own body of knowledge.

So when I complained about this to my father, he just looked at me and asked, "Why don't you just write it?"

Naturally, he couldn't let it end with the suggestion, and has been extremely supportive and helpful since then. Other people have expressed an interest, so here I find myself.

I hope this comes in useful to someone somewhere. If it's good for just one person, I know I'll have done everything I wanted to do.