Magical weapons have been a staple of fictional stories since the creation of fiction. Magical weapons’ histories, users, and magical abilities echo the cultural priorities and morals of the user and the civilizations that they stem from. The user connects to the magical weapon through a backstory. The weapon is almost always given to someone who turns out to be the descendant of a hero from long ago. Often times, the hero who can use the magical weapon is related to the prior hero to use the weapon, and the weapon either can only be used by that person, or can only be powerful when in the hands of the chosen person. TVTropes explains, “occasionally, when the protagonist is The Chosen One of a Fantasy setting, they'll just happen to be a descendant …show more content…
of the last great hero to use that weapon, and the weapon will unlock its true power only in their hands,” (“Legendary”). "When this world was still young, long before man or beast roamed these lands, there was a war in the heavens. Immortals, once thoughts incapable of death, discovered they had the power to kill one another.
Lost in this war was a weapon of unimaginable power, the Epirus bow," (Immortals). Most often, magical weapons have a storied past. In this instance, the magical weapon was accidentally given to a mortal man by the gods. This demonstrates the strength of the weapon, in that it was made by the most powerful beings in the universe. The story that this movie is based around was created in Greece long ago. Consequently, the magical weapon’s past connects to the culture of the author. The magical weapons history reinforces the notions of the culture of the location and time period that the author connects to. Magical weapons are often from legends in the same world as the characters in the story. "When this world was still young, long before man or beast roamed these lands, there was a war in the heavens. Immortals, once thoughts incapable of death, discovered they had the power to kill one another. Lost in this war was a weapon of unimaginable power, the Epirus bow.” This demonstrates the strength of the weapon, in that it was made by the most powerful beings in the culture of the author, gods. “A character in a work finds a weapon, and discovers that it is the same weapon from one of the legends of their world,” (“Legendary”). This highlights …show more content…
that most often, magical weapons are either directly from or based around legends, majorly from the cultures of the authors of the stories. Attila the Hun’s sword is often called the “sword of mars,” and Mars is the war god in his culture. Thus, the magical weapon reinforces their society’s mythology. The user is the only person who can wield the weapon effectively because they were chosen.
The hero is chosen based off of their desires. These desires, passions, and notions, align with the ideal person of the cultures that they come from. “The wand chooses the Wizard, Mr. Potter.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). The magical weapons’ chosen user is not decided by the potential user, but rather, the weapon itself. “The ideal of judging a person based on “merits, actions, and morals”—as presented by Harry Potter—is juxtaposed with the oppositional view that only if one is pure-blood can he or she be granted any sort of high-level status in the Wizarding world. [...] From this perspective, there is a clear caste system at work in the Wizarding world of Harry Potter. At the top of this distorted system are the purebloods, families who descend from long lines of witches and wizards. Next are the half-bloods and mixed breeds. These are wizards and witches who have one parent that is a witch or wizard, and one parent that is either Muggle-born or another species [...]. Just below [...] are two rare circumstances: the completely Muggle-born witch or wizard and the Squib,” (University of Wisconsin). Harry Potter represents the ideal person for the culture of the wizarding world. Firstly, because he is ‘pure-blood,’ which is one seemingly integral part of the ideal person in this culture; secondly, Harry Potter stopped the ultimate super villain of their time, Lord
Voldemort, and constantly successfully fought and weakened or destroyed evil powers throughout his whole life. The use of magical weapons in different societies demonstrates their ideas about the importance of compliance with codes of honor and morality. In The Once and Future King the hero develops the code of magical weapons taught to him by a more powerful hero, Merlyn. Due to this code, magical weapons are given a heightened sense of morality in the novel and are not seen as unskillful or unfair to use. “Ollivander: He’s after you, Mr. Potter. If it’s true, what you say and he has the Elder Wand, I’m afraid you really don’t stand a chance,” (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2). An important notion debated by many different stories is whether magical weapons are moral to use or not. “but the idea of the Dark Lord in possession of the Deathstick is, I must admit, formidable,” (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2).J.K. Rowling develops the dishonorability of the use of the elder wand. This quote demonstrates the immense strength of a magical weapon, in which anyone who attempts to defeat the user of this weapon will stand no chance, despite any imbalance in skill between the two users. "You've forgotten the magic word," said Harry irritably. The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands over her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples. "I meant 'please'!" said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean —" "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table, "ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?" (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). Those who cannot use magical weapons sometimes resent those who have the ability to use them. This is likely generated by a feeling of unfairness, due to the immense power of magical weapons. Magical weapons that guarantee the victory of the user are often seen as unjust, as, if a character without morals gains possession of it, they will be able to stay in power. Voldemort, the most powerful evil wizard gains possession of a magical weapon which nearly guarantees his victory in any duel. If he keeps possession of this weapon, he will be able to stay in power and do anything he pleases without any opportunity for someone more just to overthrow him. "[Bilbo] must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. [Gollum] meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. he trembled,” (Bloom, Harold). The author notes in this instance how fights against those with magical weapons can be unfair. Magical weapons can sometimes make fights completely impossible to win for the opponent of a magical weapon user. This brings up a debate of whether or not it is fair to use magical weapons. This is because if an evil character has the ability to use a magical weapon which guarantees their success, they cannot be overthrown if in power. “The distinction between magic and enchanted weapons helps to illuminate the poets’ treatment of knights’ use of magic. While magic weapons per se traditionally bring dishonor to their user, enchanted weapons do not.” The use of a magical weapon gives an ordinary character powers upon use, without the need of training. The use of an enchanted weapon is to give a character who is already powerful even more power. Magical weapons are often seen as dishonorable, as they are seemingly unfair because the user has no competition, and can easily win over a more skilled person simply due to their weapon. Enchanted weapons often are not seen to be as dishonorable as magical weapons. “Ynyr: The beast has many weapons. This was one of them. A changeling. [Looks at Rell] Ynyr: How did you know? Rell the Cyclops: I found the seer's body in the quicksand. Prince Colwyn: He gave his life for us,” (Krull) Magical weapons often are very valuable and sought after, due to their immense strength and ability. In this scene, the characters explain that a hero was a martyr, and died to keep the magical weapon from evil characters. This demonstrates the lengths that those who are virtuous will go through in order to keep magical weapons out of the hands of those who are evil or unjust. The true magical weapon is a reflection of not only the users’ passions and desires, but also the priorities of the cultures that they originate from. The weapon’s history, user, and magical abilities connect to the cultures that introduced them.
Thomas Smith is my great, great, great, grandfather that fought in the Civil War. In the Civil War many soldiers were issued swords, such as artillerymen, Cavalry men, and Musicians(Stoddard). Thomas Smith was a Civil War soldier in the 128th regiment of Pennsylvania, wounded and involved in the battle of Antietam and owned and fought with a sword as many others did in the Civil War.
The weaponry during the Elizabethan period was the most advance weaponry known to the world. The most common weapons used were crossbows, longbows, war hammers, spears, early forms of pistol and cannons. With all this weaponry Europeans also needed armor, like chainmail and plate armor. Different types of weapons and the different kinds of armor were a key component to warfare during the Elizabethan period, in Europe.
Even though over a thousand years had past, you would think some of the machines and forges the Boss left behind would still be there and found by scientists. The Boss creates bullets and guns and those would win battles against the swords and spears of the knights of the time. I know I would rather have a gun then a sword and think the knights would also want guns. With this kind of weapons, the English Knights would be invincible every time and conquer the world. Yet they didn’t keep the weapons.
The longbow was very crucial to the English military. In this paper I will tell people about the English longbow and how dominant it was it their military. One will be surprised by the dominance of the longbow. I will tell one about wars, power, and draw a weight.
During the Middle Ages, or also known as the Medieval Ages, change was a major part of that period. Europe was watching war become much different. In the older times, a few thousands of troops were considered a large army. Nowadays, nobody has ever seen such size of an army with such variety in weapons including guns, munitions, and artillery that were all developed during that period. Besides, it was obvious that the face of warfare was changing by the end of the fifteenth century. Two of the most significant developments were the maintaining of a fair amount of troops on a permanent basis at the ready, and the rising need of gunpowder weapons and munitions. In essence The Middle Ages was a period of change that significantly reconstructed warfare and weaponry as technology advanced, such as the gunpowder, the famous recipe that revolutionized and redefined war to a whole new meaning.
When asking people about what characteristics they think of when they think of a hero the most common answers would be doing good deeds and not allowing evil to flourish. This is what we have been made to believe. One of the first images that come to mind when the word hero is mentioned is a superhero. An image of Batman or Superman is likely, one who is good natured and conquers evil as it appears. Just doing good deeds or not committing evil sins is not enough. First you would have to distinguish the difference between an evil and a good action. The line between good and evil is so thin that specific attributes and certain actions are constantly being exchanged back and forth. We cannot decide as a society what is good and what is evil. A modern day example would be when the United States made the decision to bomb Japan during World War II. For Americans celebration ensued as it was thought to be a decisive moment of victory. Those who were involved in t...
In Star Wars, the hero is Luke Skywalker and in Harry Potter, it is Harry. They both had a tough upbringing without knowing their parents; an uncle and aunt who did not understand them took them in. In Luke's case, there was a lack of understanding of Luke's dreams of the future and in Harry's case, a misunderstanding of his magic abilities. Luke's uncle was Owen, his aunt was Beru, and they thought foolishly of Luke's father for becoming a Jedi. As for Harry's Uncle Veron and Aunt Petunia, they also thought foolishly of Harry's mom for becoming a wizard. The one key difference between the uncles and aunts were that Luke's uncle and aunt actually loved and cared for him, but Harry's hated him and treated him like an animal. In the case of both Luke and Harry, however, a stranger came along to tell both of them who and what they really were. The stranger who introduced Luke to his journey was Obi-Wan and he became his guardian and mentor. Kenobi rescued Luke and hid him from the Emperor with his uncle Owen. For Harry it was Dumbledore and Hagrid. Dumbledore was his guardian and mentor; he rescued him after his encounter with Voldemort and gave him to his Uncle Veron. Hagrid was the one who got Harry from his uncle's house and helped him settle into the magic world. Unlike Harry, Luke just came across Obi-Wan who took him under his wing and helped him figure out the Force. This sudden change in the protagonists' lives greatly impacted how they dealt with the conflicts with the Dark Side and the Dark
weapon of some sort and the victor would receive the glory and recognition for the
The sky, is it a contrail, is it a chemtrail, it’s a white streak in the sky that is filled with biological warfare. The writer William Thomas said in one of his papers that Chemtrails held some type of biological warfare inside of the chemterails. Then the chemicals then fall on the people that is under the chemtrails.
“Weaponry.” World Eras. Ed. John T. Kirby. Vol. 6: Classical Greek Civilization, 800-323 B.C.E. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 196-197. World History in Context. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
The concept of a warrior has changed little in history; one who fights to defend his or her ideals or society. Yet the methods and tools of a warrior have evolved into something more complex and dynamic today. From the three novels—The Nibelungenlied, Njal’s Saga, and Beowolf—readers are exposed to the concept of a warrior in vastly different contexts. First, the philosophy of the warrior in the novels and modern day will be examined in the essay, such as the goals and code of conduct. Furthermore, who is a warrior today as opposed to warriors then? And lastly, the key difference lies in the technology and the battlefield. Knights fought for honor and idealized death in battle in order to gain admission to Valhalla, the Hall of the Fallen. Knights of legend used weapons from the familiar swords and spears to phenomenal ones such as an invisibility cloak. Furthermore, knights and warriors seldom worried about legal disputes or the law; they were more concerned with alliances, honor, and love. Women were also forbidden from engaging in battle since it was deeply looked down upon and even deemed wretched. However in modern society, the concept of the warrior remains the same but has grown several layers of complexity. Technology has taken weapons to a whole new height from rifles to unmanned predator drones. Battles are fought not only on land and sea, but also in the air and the cyber domain. In fact, honor has taken a smaller role in modern society and replaced with the concept of patriotism, pride, and family tradition. Furthermore, it is now common for women to be in the military. There ...
In ancient Greece the shield and spear were used by the Trojans in the “Trojan War” as a weapon to kill enemies. The shield and spear were good weapon and protection for the war because the shield can block from arrows coming from the air, the spear can be a good weapon to those help to attack and stab an enemy from behind or in front.
The newest generation in western society is being partially raised by films, literature, and music. Pop culture is taking a bigger and bigger role in the upbringing of today’s children. Images like Harry Potter flying on his broomstick during a game of quidditch, or the old lady from Brave creating potions. To the majority of Western Society, these situations are used for entertainment purposes, but many tribes and villages still believe in the power of witchcraft and see it as an enormous threat. Weather witchcraft is still prevalent for religious reasons, old school beliefs, or economic motives, the fact still remains that it is used to show order and give power to those who are willing to give up a life to take it. With modern advancements becoming more widespread, many are trying to hold on to the traditional values of their tribes, and in result, pushing the idea of witchcraft onto the new generation in a very aggressive way. The Badyaranke tribe of Senegal believes witchcraft is responsible for many hardships including, health issues, economic troubles, and loss of religion (Simmons, 1980:447). While the population of seventeenth century Malta looked to magic when medical knowledge because inadequate, yet when a negative situation arose, killing those who were thought to use witchcraft was the logical choice (Cassar, 1993:329). Both nations used witchcraft to hold on to old school religious ideas, a way to propel themselves in their economic status, and as a scapegoat. These nations showed how witchcraft was used as a source of power and a way to maintain order.
Hello there, i’m here to talk to you about my opinion on World of Warcraft’s artifact weapons in Legion. So far I like how the artifact weapons in WoW are making the game fun. There’s many good things about these weapons you get to learn the lore of who these weapons came from and how these ancient weapons were made. The most famous artifact weapon that every WoW player knows is the Ashbringer which goes all the back to Vanilla. These artifact weapons bring a whole different kind of story to the game from having to put artifact power in them to make your weapon better and putting talents into the weapon to make the weapon better. The artifact weapon appearances make it a lot better by adding in a vast variety of different ways to make your
War. Conflict. Famine. Pestilence – these are the four horsemen of Apocalypse as the people in the mid-ages imagined them. They stormed through countries and cities, leaving thousands dead, injured, frightened or crying behind. The first two – the most merciful ones, or to be more precise, the fatal tools they use to make their evil deeds are the subject of my essay. To be precise, I’m going to speak about the types of modern firearms - the ones that a single man can handle and which fire bullets – very simple, easy-to-use and deadly.