8 Unmissable Legends of the Magnificent "Sword"

A weapon that has not only engraved itself in the most prominent pages of history, but help create it, the ceaseless symbol of "Knighthood," "Kinship," "War," and "Chivalry"—the "Sword" is one of the world’s most ancient weapon technologies that paved the way for major breakthroughs in the historical timelines and metallurgy. Their existence in the lineage of history is so important; not merely because of the number of victories, but some of these "ancients" have been built so strong and sturdy, even modern science has failed to determine how they were made.

In the vast range of the world's timeline, the history of sword making dates back between 2nd to 3rd BCE; however, the time range comes with its own debates and theories around it, specifically because the sword was a modified version of a dagger and rather are believed to have evolved from them.

As history has it, no other weapon has ever stood out so distinctively in the times of combat and as a loyal ally of a soldier. To an effect, it came to be known as the "Queen of Weapons." The history of this ancient weapon is so heroic, they are a symbol of pride, inspiring many retailers and smiths now have swords for sale. Perkin Knives is your one-stop shop in case, you are looking for one as an artifact.

This being said, here are the most famous swords that are eternal:

Excalibur: The Arthurian Pride

One thing that keeps history and the art of storytelling alive are the timeless legends, safeguarding many mysterious occurances—leaving many questions unanswered. One such legend revolves around Excalibur, the famous sword of King Arthur. As the legends have it, the sword was said to have magical properties and was drawn by King Arthur from a stone. The power of the sword was such, it won many battles and was said to be the epitome of justice.

The European folklore describes an interesting scene when the mighty king was on his deathbed, he made his trusted personnel, Sir Bedivere, throw the sword into the lake. As the sword touched the lake, the hands of the "Lady of the Lake" emerged to take the sword with her. The legends say, King Arthur sleeps peacefully and will be awoken with his sword when his country needs him the most.

The Twins: The Legend from Mewar

Talking about legends, India cannot miss the list. One of the most famous and courageous Indian Rajput kings, Maharana Pratap was famous for carrying two swords weighing 25 KG each. The swords were like twins, shadowing one another.

What is truly remarkable, he carried two swords, not just to keep it handy in the hour of need, but to be able to lend one to his enemy in case they were unarmed. It might sound almost foolish, however, Rajputs took pride in their culture and practiced kindness even for their enemies. It was against the law in their clan to fight or kill an unarmed enemy.

Goujian: The Fate of "State of Wu"

One of the most famous swords in history, buried under the Earth for more than 2,000 years, was unearthed in China in the year 1965. The magnificence of the sword was such, it was excavated as if it was new. The most prominent thing about the sword is the eight seal-like inscriptions that translate to—"The sword belongs to the Goujian, the King of Yue State."

As the legends speak, Goujian was the famous emperor of China, who reigned for the Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BCE) in Chinese history. He had to face a massive defeat at the hands of the "State of Wu;" however, Goujian led his courageous army to victory a decade later with his sword, now recognised by his name.

Shamshir-e-Zomorrodnegar: A Demon’s Guard

Amir Arsalan-e Namdar was a famous Persian epic, narrated to The Qajar Shah of Persia in the 19th Century by a storyteller named Mohammad Ali Naqib al-Mamalek, though the legend itself dates back to ancient times. The enthralling story narrates a hideous horned demon called Fulad-zereh, resilient to all weapons, making him an immortal except for the Shamshir-e-Zomorrodnegar.

As per the legend, the sword originally belonged to King Solomon, guarded by Fulad-zereh. The reason for him to guard the sword was not merely his life, but also a charm against magic. It is also very interesting to note, a wound inflicted by this legendary sword could only be treated by the essence of Fulad-zereh’s brain, including many other mysterious ingredients.

Durandal: The Sword of the Angels

Durandal is the sword of Charlemagne’s paladin (equivalent to that of Arthur’s Knights) Roland. Durandal was given to Charlemagne by the Angels, as per the legends, and later he passed on the sword to Roland. As the story goes, the sharpest of them all in the history of swords that have existed, Durandal’s golden hilt has been composed of one tooth of Saint Peter, Blood of Saint Basil, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of Blessed Virgin Mary.

Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi: The Demon Slayer

This legendary sword is among the three Regalia of Japan and an equivalent to Excalibur. It was originally called Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven), but was later came to be called Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (“Grass Cutting” sword). There is a mighty legend attached with this sword that speaks volumes about courage and defeating an eight-headed snake.

According to the ancient chronicles of Japan, Kojiki, God Susanoo, came across a deeply grieving family who had lost seven of their eight daughters to the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi, of Koshi, and was about to strike again to take the life of their last daughter. Susanoo made a plan to defeat it and in return, asked for their daughter’s hand in marriage. As per his instructions, eights vats of sake, the traditional Japanese wine, were to be put behind a fence with eight gates. The monstrous serpent took on the bait and stuck each of its heads through the eight trapped gates. Susanoo found the best opportunity and struck hard on the unprepared serpent, chopping off all of its heads. Later, he went for the tails, and it was in the fourth tail that he found the great sword of Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Zulfiqar: A Gift from Prophet

Zulfiqar is the legendary sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, given to him by Muhammad as per the legends. It is generally depicted as scissors like the double-bladed sword on Muslim flags. Quotes mentioning this legendary sword are inscribed on Muslim swords, and they often make their swords with the scissors-like tip to depict reverence for the legendary sword.

Zulfiqar is a part of Al-Jafr, the mystical holy book of Shiites. It is composed of two skin boxes that behold the most important artifacts from the time of Muhammad and Ali—the collection has been passed down over the generations, with each new Imam receiving it from their predecessor about to vacate their body. The contents of Al-Jafr are not made available for public viewing; whilst one section of it describes the rules, directives, and matters surrounding the war, including a bad part that contains armour and weapons of Muhammad, Zulfiqar is one of the priceless possessions amongst many other important artifacts.

Legbiter: A Viking’s Pride

Legbiter was a hand-in-comrade for the Viking King Magnus III. The hilt of the sword was carved out of ivory and the hand grip was coiled with golden thread. It is said, when the king was killed in a battle by men of Ulster, this sword was said to be lost, which was later retrieved and sent home.

The Sword of William Wallace

The sword is said to have belonged to William Wallace, a Scottish knight from the 13th century, who led a resistance against the English during the war of Scottish Independence. The sword was used in the Battle of Stirling in 1297 and the battle of Falkirk in 1298. The significance of this double-edged sword lies in its colossal size—a matter of discussion for the experts, who believed that Wallace must be at least seven feet tall to have properly handled the sword.

Curtana: The Sword of Mercy

The sword of mercy once belonged to Edward the Confessor. The sword has a broken blade and was used for royal ceremonies. It was a privilege to bear this sword in front of the king in ancient times. The story surrounding the broken tip of the sword is unknown, however, if the mythological legends are to be believed, the tip was broken off by an Angel to prevent a wrongful killing.

Just wrapping it up…

A sword is as mighty as it beholder and that stands true till date, the mightier the beholder, the sharper the sword. It is not merely a catacomb of striking moves that gifted death to its opponents, but it was an art to know how and when to strike. The sword and the owner in perfect sync, creating stories written in golden letters on the pages of history. If you are looking for—swords for sale, you now have a lot of options to get your sword built as per your needs and requirements.

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