•
Ankusha (also
Elephant Goad), an elephant goad which is one of the eight auspicious objects known as
Ashtamangala. Ankusha is also an attribute of many Hindu gods, including
Ganesha. (
Hindu mythology,
Jainism,
Buddhist mythology) •
Ayudhapurusha, the anthropomorphic depiction of a divine weapon in Hindu art. Ayudhapurushas are sometimes considered as partial incarnates of their divine owners. (
Hindu mythology) • or
Bashōsen (
Banana Palm Fan), a giant fan made from banana leaves which has magical properties, as it can create giant whirlwinds. It was used by either
Princess Iron Fan. It is also one of the 5 magic weapons stolen by the brothers
Golden Horned King and Silver Horned King (
Chinese mythology,
Journey to the West) •
Halayudha, a
plough used as a weapon by
Balarama. (
Hindu mythology) •
Imhullu, a wind weapon used by the Assyrian god
Marduk to destroy
Tiamat, described in the ancient epic of creation
Enûma Eliš. (
Mesopotamian mythology) •
Pasha, a supernatural weapon depicted in Hindu iconography. It is used to bind a foe's arms and legs or for hunting animals. (
Hindu mythology) •
Magic wand, found in the hands of powerful
fairies. (Medieval legend)
Ginkaku. (
Chinese mythology)
Swords to
David'', by
Aert de Gelder. •
Cura Si Manjakini, a sword mentioned in the legends of the
Malay Annals as originally possessed by
Sang Sapurba, the legendary ancestor of Malay kings. (
Malay folklore) •
Flaming Sword, a sword glowing with flame by some supernatural power. •
Kalevanmiekka,
Kaleva's sword. (
Finnish mythology) •
Mmaagha Kamalu, a sword that belongs to the Igbo god of war Kamalu. This sword glows red when people with evil intentions are close by and it can cause tremors when struck on the ground. It gifts mere mortals victory in battle. (
Igbo mythology) •
Sword of Laban, after nearly being killed by a powerful and nefarious Laban, the young prophet Nephi later finds him drunk and unconscious. He's then commanded of God to use Laban's sword to kill him as he was wicked and would hurt future generations by withholding sacred records revealing God's Plan of Happiness. The sword was made of "precious steel" with a hilt of "pure gold". After slaying Laban, Nephi put on Laban's armor to disguise himself to obtain the records, and escape the city. He would later use it as a model for manufacturing similar weapons for his people's defense. Laban's sword was passed down through the centuries to future prophets, kings, and warriors. (
Book of Mormon) •
Sword of Victory (also
Phra Saeng Khan Chaiyasi), the sword's history has been shrouded in myth and legend. In 1784, Chao Phraya Apai Pubet of
Cambodia received the blade from a fisher who found in it in
Tonle Sap when it was caught in his fishing net. He gave it to King
Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) of
Thailand, his
suzerain at the time. According to legend, it was said that the moment the blade arrived in
Bangkok, seven lightning strikes hit the city simultaneously, including the city gate, where the blade entered, and over the main gate of the
Grand Palace. (
Thai folklore) •
Thuận Thiên (''Heaven's Will''), the mythical sword of the Vietnamese King
Lê Lợi, who liberated Vietnam from Ming occupation after ten years of fighting from 1418 until 1428. (
Vietnamese mythology) • '''War's great sword''', the second of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a Red Horse is War, a great sword was given to him. (
Book of Revelation) • '''
Goliath's sword''', which was used by
David to decapitate the fallen giant, and then given to him by the priest
Achimelech when he ran away from
King Shaul. (
Jewish mythology)
Swords from Celtic mythology •
Beagalltach (also
Begallta) or "Little Fierce One", a short sword given to
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne by his father
Aengus. It broke in two pieces after hitting a boar with it. Paired with Móralltach. •
Caladbolg (also
Caladcholg), the sword of
Fergus mac Róich and powerful enough to cut the tops off three hills; related to the
Caledfwlch of
Welsh mythology. •
Caledfwlch, often compared to Excalibur. This sword is used by Llenlleawg Wyddel to kill Diwrnach Wyddel and his men. •
Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, sword of
Oisín. •
Claíomh Solais (
Sword of Light), the sword of Nuada Airgeadlámh. The sword glowed with the light of the sun and was irresistible in battle, having the power to cut his enemies in half. •
Cosgarach Mhor, the Great Triumphant One, sword of
Oscar. • , formerly the sword of
Julius Caesar, captured by
Nennius according to the legends presented by
Geoffrey of Monmouth. •
Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One, sword of
Caílte mac Rónáin. •
Cruaidín Catutchenn, the sword of
Cú Chulainn. •
Dyrnwyn (
White-Hilt), the Sword of
Rhydderch Hael. When drawn by a worthy or well-born man, the entire blade would blaze with fire. Rhydderch was never reluctant to hand the weapon to anyone, hence his nickname Hael "the Generous", but the recipients, as soon as they had learned of its peculiar properties, always rejected the sword. •
Fragarach (also
Sword of Air,
Answerer or
Retaliator), forged by the gods, wielded by
Manannán mac Lir and
Lugh Lamfada. No armor could stop it, and it would grant its wielder command over the powers of wind. •
Mac an Luin, the Son of the Waves, sword of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. •
Móralltach (also
Morallta) or "Great Fierce One", a sword given to
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne by his father
Aengus, which left no stroke or blow unfinished at the first trial. •
Orna, the sword of the Fomorian king
Tethra, which recounts the deeds done with it when unsheathed. It was taken by
Ogma and it then recounted everything it had done. •
Singing Sword of Conaire Mór, a sword that would sing in battle.
Swords from Continental Germanic mythology •
Gram, the sword wielded by
Sigurd/Siegfried. It is called
Balmung in the
Nibelungenlied and
Nothung in Richard Wagner's
Der Ring des Nibelungen. •
Blutgang (also
Burtgang or
Blodgang), the sword of
Háma. •
Eckesachs (
Seax of Ecke), the sword that belonged to the giant Ecke before he was killed by
Dietrich von Bern, who then took it for himself. •
Mimung, a great sword that
Wudga inherits from his father
Wayland the Smith. •
Nagelring, the sword of
Dietrich von Bern.
Swords from Anglo-Saxon mythology and folklore of the British Islands •
Adylok or
Hatheloke, the sword of Torrent of Portyngale, according to the
Torrent of Portyngale it was forged by
Wayland the Smith. •
Ascalon, the sword
St. George according to
Richard Johnson's
Seven Champions of Christendom •
Brainbiter, the sword of
Hereward the Wake. •
Hrunting, the magical sword lent to
Beowulf by Unferth which was annealed in venom. •
Nægling, the other magical sword of Beowulf. Found in the cave of
Grendel's mother. •
Sword of Saint Peter, St.
Joseph of Arimathea brought the sword to Britain and it was kept at Glastonbury Abbey for many years until the Abbot gave it to
Saint George. (
English folklore) •
Wallace Sword,
William Wallace used human skin for his sword's scabbard, hilt, and belt. The flesh's donor was said to have been
Hugh de Cressingham, treasurer of Scotland, whom Wallace had flayed after defeating him in the battle of Stirling Bridge. (
Scottish folklore)
Swords from Arthuriana •
Aroundight, sword of Sir Lancelot (cf. Secace below), passed down to Sir Guy, son of
Bevis of Hampton according to the Middle English poem
Beves of Hamtoun •
Clarent, a sword of peace meant for knighting and ceremonies as opposed to battle, which was stolen and then used to kill Arthur by
Mordred. •
Coreuseuse (
Wrathful), the sword of King Ban, Lancelot's father. •
Excalibur, it is also sometimes referred to as:
Caliburn,
Caledfwlch,
Calesvol, ''Kaledvoulc'h
, Caliburnus'' due to inconsistencies within the various Arthurian legends. Sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Stated that it was forged on the Isle of
Avalon. •
Marmiadoise, it is also known as
Mamyadoise. Marmiadoise is a sword said to originally belong to the Greek deity
Heracles and was later given to his descendants, this sword would eventually be used by
King Rions until he was killed by King Arthur during a battle, this sword would later be adopted by Arthur himself as he considered it to be superior when compared to the Excalibur. •
Cortain (also
Corte,
Cortana, "Short"; ), the shortened sword of
Ogier the Dane (Charlemagne's
douzepeer, who later became the lover of
Morgan le Fay), which was broken when test-cutting a marble block and had to be refashioned with the shorter blade. And when Ogier was about to strike Prince Charlot dead in vengeance, but the archangel Michael stays the sword Short, and the prince is spared. Ogier's sword had originally been the broken-tipped sword of
Tristan according to the 13th century
Prose Tristan. There appears to be some conflation between this sword from literature and the actual
British regalia sword
Curtana aka Sword of Mercy. •
Galatine, the name of the sword given to Sir
Gawain by the
Lady of the Lake. •
Grail Sword, a cracked holy sword which Sir
Percival bonded back together, though the crack remained. •
Morddure, Arthur's sword crafted by Merlin in
The Faerie Queene; "neither steele, nor stone" could fend its attack. (Renaissance fiction) •
Secace, the sword that Lancelot used to battle the Saxons at Saxon Rock. It is translated as Seure (Sequence) in the
Vulgate Cycle. •
Sword in the Stone or
Caliburn, a sword in the Arthurian legend which only the rightful king of Britain can pull from the stone; sometimes associated with Excalibur. In Mallory, the sword in the stone is not Excalibur and is not named. When the sword is broken in a fight with King
Pellinore, the
Lady of the Lake gives him Excalibur as a replacement. At Arthur's death, Excalibur is returned to the Lady of the lake by Sir
Bedivere. •
Sword with the Red Hilt, one of the swords wielded by
Sir Balin. After his death,
Merlin sealed it in the float stone where it remained until it was drawn by Sir
Galahad. After Galahad, the sword passes to Sir
Lancelot who fatally wounds Sir
Gawain with it.
Swords from English Romance ;(non-Arthurian, noncyclical) •
Chrysaor, the golden sword of Sir Artegal in
The Faerie Queene. It was tempered with Adamant, and it could cleave through anything. (Renaissance fiction) •
Egeking, a sword in the medieval poem
Greysteil. Sir Graham obtains the sword 'Egeking' from Eger's aunt, Sir Egram's Lady. • '''
Guy of Warwick's Sword''', belonged to the legendary Guy of Warwick who is said to have lived in the 10th century. •
Morgelai, the king makes
Beves a knight and presents him with a sword called Morgelai.
Swords from Norse mythology Sometimes it is difficult to decide if a legendary sword should be classed here as "mythological", or treated as historical (incl. pseudo-historical) •
Angrvaðill (
Stream of Anguish), sword passed down from Víkingr to his son Þorsteinn in
Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar, then to the grandson Friðþjóf in
Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna. It is inscribed with
Runic letters which blaze in time of war but gleam with a dim light in time of peace. •
Dáinsleif (''
Dáinn's legacy''), king Högni's sword that gave wounds that never healed and could not be sheathed without killing a man. •
Sword of Freyr, the sword of the Norse god Freyr, it is a magic sword which fought on its own. •
Gramr (
Gram), the sword that Óðinn struck into the world tree
Barnstokkr which only Sigmunðr the
Völsung was able to pull out. It broke in battle with Odin but was later reforged by Sigmunðr 's son
Sigurðr who used it to slay the
dragon Fáfnir. After being reforged, it could cleave an anvil in half. •
Hǫfuð, the sword of
Heimdallr, the guardian of the
Bifröst bridge. •
Hrotti, part of Fáfnir's treasure, which Sigurðr took after he slew the dragon. •
Jökulsnautr (''Jokul's Gift''), a sword belonging to
Grettir which was later given to his brother Atli. (
Sagas of Icelanders) •
Kársnautr (''Karr's-loom''), Grettir defeats Kárr who was guarding the treasure in his own funeral tumulus from looters. The treasures are taken from the mound after Grettir's triumph, including an heirloom sword Kársnautr. (
Sagas of Icelanders) •
Lævateinn, a sword mentioned in an emendation to the Poetic Edda
Fjölsvinnsmál by
Sophus Bugge. •
Mistilteinn, the magical sword of Þráinn, the draugr, later owned by Hrómundr Gripsson and it could never go blunt. •
Riðill (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. A cut made by Skofnung will not heal. The only way to stop this is by touching the cut with the Skofnung stone. •
Sword of Surtr the flaming sword of the fire giant king Surtr which he uses to slay Freyr and cover the realms in fire at the end of Ragnarök, possibly the same as Freyr's sword. •
Tyrfing (also
Tirfing or
Tyrving), the cursed sword of
Svafrlami with a golden hilt that would never miss a stroke, would never rust and would cut through stone and iron as easily as through clothes. The dwarves made the sword, and it shone and gleamed like fire. However, they cursed it so that it would kill a man every time it was used and that it would be the cause of three great evils.
Swords from the Matter of France •
Almace (also
Almice or
Almacia), sword of
Turpin, Archbishop of Reims. •
Balisarda, the sword of
Rogero from
Orlando Furioso made by a sorceress, and capable of cutting through enchanted substances. •
Baptesme ("Baptism"),
Plorance and
Garbain, swords of
Fierabras (cf. ) •
Corrougue, the sword of Otuel; Middle English rendition of the sword
Corsouse ("Wrathful") of •
Cortain, sword of
Ogier the Dane (cross-listed under ) •
Durendal (also
Durandal or
Durlindana in Italian), the sword of
Roland, one of
Charlemagne's paladins, (
Orlando in
medieval Italian verse) — alleged to be the same sword as the one wielded by
Hector of Ilium. It was said to be the sharpest sword in all of existence. •
Finechamp, the sword of
Garin de Monglane, formerly belonging to King Arthur. Mentioned together with Merveilleuse below. •
Froberge, the sword of
Renaud de Montauban. • Glorieuse (Glorious) (fakelore), Olivier (Oliver)'s surpassing sword according to the modern fiction work
Croquemitaine (1863) by aka Quatrelles •
Hauteclere (also
Halteclere or
Hauteclaire), the sword of
Olivier. It is described as being of burnished steel, with a crystal embedded in a golden hilt. • '''
Joan of Arc's sword''', Joan's "voices" told her that a magical and holy sword would be found in of
Saint Catherine of Fierbois. It had five crosses upon it and that the rust was easily removed. •
Joyeuse, sword of
Charlemagne. Some legends claim Joyeuse was forged to contain the Lance of Longinus within its pommel; others say the blade was smithed from the same materials as Roland's Durendal and Ogier's Curtana. •
Merveilleuse ("Marvellous"), the hero's sword in
Doon de Mayence. It was so sharp that when placed edge downwards it would cut through a slab of wood without the use of force. •
Murgleys (also
Murgleis), sword of
Ganelon, traitor and cousin of Roland. Its "gold pommel" held some kind of a "holy relic". •
Précieuse, sword of
Baligant, Emir of Babylon. • Sauvagine (fakelore), second of the two magical swords of
Ogier the Dane according to
Croquemitaine (1863) by Ernest L'Épine (ka Quatrelles)
Swords from Spanish mythology •
Colada, the other sword of
El Cid. •
Lobera (
Wolf Slayer), the sword of the king Saint
Ferdinand III of Castile, inheritance of the epic hero
Fernán González, according to Don
Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena. •
Tizona (also
Tizón), the sword of
El Cid, it frightens unworthy opponents, as shown in the heroic poem
Cantar de Mio Cid.
Swords from Greek mythology •
Harpe, an adamantine sword used by the hero
Perseus to decapitate
Medusa. •
Sword of Damocles, a huge sword hung above the throne where Damocles sat, it was held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse's tail. •
Sword of justice, in
Themis right hand, she is seen to have a sword that faces downward. This sword represents punishment. •
Sword of Peleus, a magic sword that makes its wielder victorious in the battle or the hunt.
Swords from Roman mythology •
Sword of Attila (also
Sword of Mars or
Sword of God), the legendary sword that was wielded by
Attila the Hun; claimed to have originally been the sword of "Mars", the war god of the Scythic barbarians.
Swords from Hindu mythology •
Aruval, the
Tamils revere the weapon, a type of billhook, as a symbol of
Karupannar in (
Tamil mythology) •
Asi, a legendary sword mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata. •
Chandrahasa, the divine sword given to
Ravana by
Shiva •
Khanda, (also
Mahābhārata Sword), Khanda is represented as wisdom cutting through ignorance. In Hinduism, the Khanda is a symbol of Shiva. Khanda often appears in Rajput history but later on, it was used by Sikh warriors, scriptures, and art. •
Nandaka (also
Nandaki), the sword of the Hindu god
Vishnu. •
Nistrimsha, the sword of
Pradyumna, a son of
Krishna. •
Pattayudha, the divine sword of the
Veerabhadra, a commander of Shiva's
troops.
Swords from Japanese mythology •
Ame-no-Ohabari (also
Ama-no-Ohabari), used by
Izanagi to kill his offspring,
Kagu-tsuchi. •
Futsu-no-mitama (
August-Snap-Spirit), the sword of
Takemikazuchi. •
Juuchi Yosamu (
10,000 Cold Nights), crafted by Muramasa – in a contest, Sengo Muramasa suspended the blade in a small creek with the cutting edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword cut everything that passed its way; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. •
Kogarasu Maru (
Little Crow), a unique tachi sword believed to have been created by the legendary smith
Amakuni during the 8th century CE. •
Kogitsune-maru (
Little Fox),
Inari Ōkami and its fox spirits help the blacksmith Munechika forge the blade Kogitsune-maru at the end of the 10th century. •
Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (also
Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi and
Tsumugari no Tachi), sword of the Japanese god
Susanoo, later given to his sister
Amaterasu. •
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, the sword
Susanoo used to slay
Yamata no Orochi. •
Yawarakai-Te (
Tender Hands), crafted by Masamune – in a contest, Masamune Okazaki lowered his sword into the current and waited patiently. Only leaves were cut. However, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. A monk who had been watching explained what he had seen; the Masamune was by far the finer of the two swords, as it did not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving.
Swords from Chinese mythology •
Feijian, a sword borrowed from
Lü Dongbin to
Xuanwu in order to subdue the spirits of the tortoise and the snake. •
Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, the legendary Chinese twin swords named after their creators. •
Glory of Ten Powers, a legendary Chinese sword allegedly forged in Tibet by husband-and-wife magicians of the ancient
Bön tradition. •
Huàyǐng, a branch that morphed into a sword in the hands of
Zhuānxū, has the ability to command the elements and animals. •
Xuan Yuan Sword, a sword given to
Huangdi by
Jiutian Xuannü during his war against
Chiyou. Able to slay gods, demons and repel evil magic. •
Téngkōng, a sword that descended from heaven into the possession of
Zhuānxū. Said to levitate and points towards the direction of war.
Swords from Buddhist mythology •
Chandrahrasa, legendary sword of
Manjusri, according to
Swayambhu Purana used to found
Kathmandu Valley, forms the centerpiece of flag of Kathmandu. •
Houken, a metaphorical Buddhist sword used to cut away earthly desires, it is wielded by
Acala. •
Khanda represents wisdom cutting through ignorance. Hindu and Buddhist deities are often shown welding or holding khanda sword in religious art. Notably, Buddhist guardian deities like
Acala,
Manjushri,
Mahākāla and
Palden Lhamo.
Swords from Slavic legend •
Grus, the historical sword of
Bolesław III Wrymouth, medieval prince of Poland. •
Kladenets (also
Samosek or
Samosyok), the "self-swinging sword" is a fabulous magic sword in some Old Russian fairy tales. In English translations of Russian
byliny and folklore, it may be rendered variously as "sword of steel". (
Russian mythology) •
Szczerbiec (
Notched Sword or
Jagged Sword), a legend links Szczerbiec with
Bolesław I the Brave who was said to have chipped the sword by hitting it against the Golden Gate, Kiev (now in Ukraine) during
his intervention in the Kievan succession crisis in 1018.
Swords from Middle Eastern mythology •
Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar (
Persian: شمشیر زمردنگار), "The emerald-studded Sword" in the
Persian mythical story
Amir Arsalan. The hideous horned demon called
Fulad-zereh was invulnerable to all weapons except the blows of Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar. This blade originally belonged to
King Solomon. (
Persian mythology) •
Tigh-e Tahmuras (
Persian:تیغ تهمورث), "The Blade Of Tahmurath" is a heavenly blade made by the legendary Persian king Tahmurath in Iranian folk tales, which can neutralize magic and spells and destroy invulnerable creatures and demons. And it is usually used by Rostam and his family members. (
Persian mythology) •
Dhulfiqar, a sword sent from the Heavens to the Islamic prophet
Muhammad by the archangel
Gabriel, which he was ordered to give to
Ali ibn Abi Talib. (
Islamic mythology)
Pole weapons Clubs and maces • '''
Heracles' club''', a gnarled olive-wood club wielded by Heracles. (
Greek Mythology) •
Sharur, the enchanted mace of the Sumerian god
Ninurta. It can fly unaided and also may communicate with its wielder. (
Mesopotamian mythology) • '''Tishtrya's mace''', a mace wielded by
Tishtrya that can create lightning and tornados. (
Persian mythology) •
Gorz-e gāvsār, an ox-headed mace described in various Iranian and Zoroastrian myths that is used as a symbol of victory and justice. (
Persian mythology) •
Gorz-e Mithra, a golden mace wielded by Mithras, the god of covenants, that can be thrown from a distance, he twirls his mace over the heads of the demons every day and night in Hell to prevent them from harming the spirits of the dead too much.(
Persian mythology) •
Yagrush and
Ayamur, two clubs created by
Kothar and used by
Baal to defeat
Yam. (
Phoenician mythology) • '''
Indravarman III's metalwood bat''', a legendary bat wielded by a Cambodian emperor. (
Buddhist mythology) •
Lorg Mór, the magical club or staff of
Dagda which was supposed to be able to kill nine men with one blow, but can return the slain to life with the handle. (
Irish mythology)
Clubs and staffs from Hindu mythology •
Kaumodaki, the mace of the Hindu god
Vishnu, found in iconography of some of Vishnu's avatars. •
Kaladanda, the staff of Death is a club used by Yama, the god of death in Hindu mythology. Once fired, it could kill anyone, no matter what boons they had to protect themselves. •
Gada, the main weapon of the Hindu god
Hanuman. •
Mace of Bhima, a club that was presented by
Mayasura. It was a weapon of the
danava King Vrishaparva.
Rods and staffs • '''
Merlin's staff''', the staff of the legendary wizard of Camelot, advisor and mentor to king Arthur. (
Arthurian legend) • '''
Prospero's staff''', staff belonging to the wizard Prospero in the Shakespearean play "The Tempest." •
Gambanteinn, appears in two poems in the
Poetic Edda. (
Norse mythology) •
Gríðarvölr, a magical staff given to
Thor by
Gríðr so he could kill the giant
Geirröd. (
Norse mythology) •
Nehushtan, a staff of bronze made by Moses to erect so that the
Israelites who saw it would be protected from dying from the bites of the "
fiery serpents". (
Jewish mythology) •
Ruyi Jingu Bang, the staff of
Sun Wukong, which could alter its size from a tiny needle to a mighty pillar. (
Chinese mythology) •
Khaṭvāṅga,
Shiva and
Rudra carried the khatvāṅga as a staff weapon and are thus referred to as khatvāṅgīs. In Buddhist mythology, it is a particularly divine attribute of
Padmasambhava and endemic to his iconographic representation and depicted as an accoutrement of his divine consorts,
Mandarava and
Yeshe Tsogyal. In the
twilight language, it represents
Yab-Yum. (
Hindu mythology) • '''
Aaron's rod''', was endowed with miraculous power during the
Plagues of Egypt that preceded the
Exodus. Was carried by
Aaron. (
Jewish mythology) •
Staff of Moses, used by
Moses to produce water from a rock, was transformed into a snake and back, and was used at the
parting of the Red Sea. (
Jewish mythology) •
Ruyi (
As Desired or
As [You] Wish), a curved decorative object that serves as a ceremonial sceptre in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. (
Chinese folklore) •
Was (
Power or
Dominion), a scepter associated with the gods as well as with the pharaoh. In later use, it was a symbol of control over the force of chaos that Set represented. It appears as a stylized animal head at the top of a long, straight staff with a forked end. (
Egyptian mythology) •
Opaṣoro, the cosmic staff of
Ọbatala, king of the gods. (
Yoruba religion)
Rods and Staffs from Greek Mythology •
Caduceus (also
Kerykeion), the staff carried by
Hermes or Mercury. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings, and symbolic of commerce. (
Greek mythology) • '''
Circe's staff''', a staff with which the sorceress Circe could transform others into animals. (
Greek mythology) •
Rod of Asclepius, a serpent-entwined rod wielded by
Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine. (
Greek mythology) •
Thyrsus, a staff tipped with a pine cone and entwined with ivy leaves, carried by Dionysus and his followers. (
Greek mythology)
Scythes • '''
Cronus' scythe''', Cronus castrated his father
Uranus using an adamant sickle given to him by his mother
Gaia. (
Greek mythology) • '''
Grim Reaper's scythe''', a large scythe wielded by the Grim Reaper. •
Scythe of Father Time, during the Renaissance, Father Time was depicted as wielding the harvesting scythe, and became the representative of the cruel and unrelenting flow of time which, in the end, cuts down all things. • '''Death's scythe''', the fourth of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a Pale Horse is Death, he is commonly depict carrying a scythe. (
Christian mythology)
Spears •
Aram, the spear of
Jangar. (
Mongol mythology) •
Gungnir,
Odin's spear created by the
Sons of Ivaldi. The spear is described as being so well balanced that it could strike any target, no matter the skill or strength of the wielder. (
Norse mythology) • '''Gunnar's
Atgeir''',
Gunnar's atgeir would make a ringing sound or "sing" when it was taken down in anticipation of bloodshed. (
Norse mythology) •
Maltet, the name of the spear of
Baligant from
The Song of Roland. (
French folklore) •
Rhongomyniad (also
Rhongomiant), the spear of King Arthur that he used to defeat the legendary Sir Thomas of Wolford. (
Arthurian legend) •
Spear of Achilles, created by
Hephaestus and given to
Peleus at his wedding with
Thetis. (
Greek mythology) •
Spear of Longinus, see
Lances: Bleeding Lance and
Holy Lance (below).
Spears from Celtic mythology •
Areadbhar (also
Areadbhair), the spear of
Lugh, which originally belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. Lugh had no need to wield the spear himself. It was alive and thirsted for blood that was only stayed by steeping its head in a sleeping-draught of pounded fresh poppy seeds. When battle was near, it was drawn out; then it roared and struggled against its thongs, fire blazed from it, and it tore through the ranks of the enemy once slipped from the leash, never tired of slaying. •
Crann Buidhe, the spear of
Manannán. •
Del Chliss,
Cú Chulainn's spear that first belonged to Nechtan Scéne, and used to kill the sons of Nechtan Scéne. Formerly the name for the charioteer's goad, a split piece of wood. •
Gáe Buide (
Yellow Shaft), a yellow spear that can inflict wounds from which none could recover. The spear of
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by
Aengus. •
Gáe Bulg, the spear of
Cú Chulainn, made of the bone of a sea monster. According to the legend, this spear was crafted by the warrior maiden
Scáthach and had the power to explode into dozens of barbs, producing instant death. •
Gae Assail (
Spear of Assal), another spear belonging to Lugh, the incantation "Ibar (Yew)" made the cast always hit its mark, and "Athibar (Re-Yew)" caused the spear to return. •
Gáe Dearg (
Red Javelin), the red spear of
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by
Aengus. It inflicted wounds that none could recover from similar to Gáe Buide. •
Lúin of Celtchar, the name of a long, fiery lance or spear belonging to
Celtchar mac Uthechar and wielded by other heroes, such as
Dubthach,
Mac Cécht and
Fedlimid.
Spears from Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial land-mass,
Onogoro-shima, from the sea •
Amenonuhoko (
Heavenly Jewelled Spear), the
naginata used by the
Shinto deities
Izanagi and
Izanami to create the world – also called
tonbogiri. •
Ama-no-Saka-hoko (
Heavenly Upside Down Spear) is an antique and mysterious spear, staked by
Ninigi-no-Mikoto at the summit of
Takachiho-no-mine, where he and his divine followers first landed, according to the legend of
Tenson kōrin. •
Nihongo, is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane Fujiwara. A famous spear that was once used in the Imperial Palace. Nihongo later found its way into the possession of Masanori Fukushima, and then Tahei Mori. •
Otegine, is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane Fujiwara. •
Tonbokiri, is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane Fujiwara, said to be wielded by the legendary daimyō Honda Tadakatsu. The spear derives its name from the myth that a dragonfly landed on its blade and was instantly cut in two. Thus Tonbo (Japanese for "dragonfly") and kiri (Japanese for "cutting"), translating this spear's name as "Dragonfly Slaying spear".
Polearms from Chinese mythology God with his spear • '''
Erlang Shen's spear''', a three-pointed and double-edged spear with two cutting edges of a Saber used by Erlang Shen. It is powerful enough to penetrate and cleave through steel and stone like wool. •
Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a legendary weapon wielded by
Guan Yu in the historical novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is a
guandao, a type of traditional Chinese weapon. It is also sometimes referred to as the
Frost Fair Blade, from the idea that during a battle in the snow, the blade continuously had blood on it; the blood froze and made a layer of frost on the blade. •
Jiuchidingpa (
Nine-tooth Iron Rake), the primary weapon of
Zhu Bajie. • '
1.8 zhang long Serpent Spear',
Zhang Fei's spear from the Three Kingdoms period in China. •
Spear of Fuchai, the spear used by Goujian's arch-rival
King Fuchai of Wu. •
Yueyachan (
Crescent-Moon-Shovel), a
Monk's spade that is the primary weapon of
Sha Wujing. A double-headed staff with a crescent-moon blade at one end and a spade at the other, with six
xīzhàng rings in the shovel part to denote its religious association. • '''
Han Feizi's spear''', a man was trying to sell a spear and a shield. When asked how good his spear was, he said that his spear could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield was, he said that it could defend from all spear attacks. Then one person asked him what would happen if he were to take his spear to strike his shield; the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom of "zìxīang máodùn" (自相矛盾, "from each-other spear shield"), or "self-contradictory".
Bidents •
Bident, a two-pronged implement resembling a pitchfork. In classical mythology, the bident is associated with
Pluto/
Hades, the ruler of the underworld. (
Greek mythology) • '''Devil's pitchfork''', a bident or two-pronged pitchfork belonging to the
devil. (
Christian mythology)
Javelins •
Vel, a divine javelin associated with Hindu war god
Kartikeya. (
Hindu mythology)
Lances •
Bleeding Lance, a sacred object, imbued with magic, in Grail ceremonies. Drops of blood issue from its point. When the Grail is Christianized, this weapon transforms into the Holy Lance, the spear that pierced the side of Jesus by the hand of a Roman soldier named Longinus. The blood is that of the lamb and drips eternally into the Grail. From the Vulgate Cycle on the Lance is also the weapon that inflicted the Grail-keeper's wound even though it is often attributed with healing powers. (
Arthurian legend) • '''
Bradamante's lance''', a female Christian knight who wields a magical lance that unhorses anyone it touches. (
Matter of France) •
Lance of Olyndicus, wielded by the
Celtiberians' war chief Olyndicus, who fought against Rome. According to
Florus, he wielded a silver lance that was sent to him by the gods from the sky. (Spanish mythology) •
Holy Lance (also
Spear of Longinus or
Spear of Destiny), is the name given to the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross, according to the Gospel of John. (
Christian mythology)
Tridents •
Kongō, A trident-shaped staff which emits a bright light in the darkness, and grants wisdom and insight. The staff belonged originally to the Japanese mountain god Kōya-no-Myōjin. It is the equivalent of the Sanskrit
Vajra, the indestructible lightning-diamond pounder of the king of the gods/rain-god
Indra. There the staff represents the three flames of the sacrificial fire, part of the image of the vajra wheel. (
Japanese mythology) •
Trident of Poseidon, associated with
Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology and the Roman god
Neptune. When struck the earth in anger, it caused mighty earthquakes and his trident could stir up tidal waves, tsunamis, and sea storms. (
Greek mythology) •
Trident of Madhu, Madhu handed everything over to his son
Lavanasura including his trident before drowning himself in the ocean because of shame. (
Hindu mythology) •
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. (
Hindu mythology)
Whips •
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. (
Hindu mythology)
Daggers •
Carnwennan (
Little White-Hilt), the dagger of
King Arthur. It is sometimes attributed with the power to shroud its user in shadow, and was used by Arthur to slice the Very Black Witch in half. (
Arthurian legend) •
Dagger of Rostam, a glittering dagger that Rostam used to behead the white daeva
Div-e Sepid. (
Persian mythology) •
Knife of Llawfrodedd the Horseman,
Llawfrodedd Farchog (from marchog "the Horseman"), or Barfawc "the Bearded" in other manuscripts, is said to have owned a knife which would serve for a company of 24 men at the dinner table. (
Welsh mythology) •
Parazonium, a dagger frequently carried by
Virtus,
Mars,
Roma, or the
Emperor, giving them the aura of courage. (
Roman mythology)
Daggers from Indonesia and Malay folklore •
Kris Mpu Gandring,
Ken Arok's cursed dagger. The unfinished or incomplete kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok. •
Kris Taming Sari (
Flower Shield or
Beautiful Shield), one of the most well-known kris in Malay literature, said to be so skilfully crafted that anyone wielding it was unbeatable. •
Kris Setan Kober, belong to Arya Penangsang, the mighty viceroy (adipati) of Jipang who was killed by his own kris called Setan Kober ("devil of the grave"). Forged by Empu Bayu Aji in the kingdom of Pajajaran, and had 13 luk on its blade.
Axes •
Axe of Perun, the axe wielded by the Slavic god of thunder and lightning, Perun. (
Slavic paganism) • '''
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. (
Norse mythology) • '''
Hephaestus's
Labrys''', a double-headed axe used by Hephaestus to slice open Zeus's head and free
Athena, whose pregnant mother Zeus swallowed to prevent her offspring from dethroning him. (
Greek mythology) •
Lightning axe, an axe that is wielded by the
Maya rain deity
Chaac and used to produce thunder and rain. (
Maya mythology) •
Parashu, the battle-axe of
Shiva who gave it to
Parashurama. (
Hindu mythology) • '''
Pangu's axe''', an axe wielded by Pangu. He used it to separate yin from yang, creating the Earth (murky yin) and the Sky (clear yang). (
Chinese mythology) • '''
Paul Bunyan's axe''', an axe wielded by Paul Bunyan. It was responsible for carving the Grand Canyon after Paul once dragged it behind him while walking. (
American folklore) • '''
Gobán Saor's axe''', it could hold back the tide when it was thrown onto the seashore. (
Irish mythology) •
Oshé, an axe wielded by the deity and legendary king
Shango that can produce lightning. (
Yoruba mythology) • '''
Zeus's
Labrys'
, at Labraunda there were depictions of Zeus who was called Zeus Labrandeus'' (Ζεὺς Λαβρανδεύς) with a tall
lotus-tipped sceptre upright in his left hand and the double-headed axe over his right shoulder. (
Greek mythology) •
Golden axe, a
woodcutter accidentally dropped his axe into a river and sat down to weep.
Hermes dived into the water and returned with a golden axe. Hermes asked if this is his axe, but the woodcutter said it was not. (
Greek folklore) •
Silver axe, the
woodcutter returned the same answer when a silver axe was brought to the surface by
Hermes. Only when his own axe is found does he claim it. Impressed by his honesty, Hermes allows him to keep all three axes. (
Greek folklore)
Hammers •
Mjölnir, a magical hammer wielded by
Thor. It was invulnerable and when thrown would return to the user's hand. (
Norse mythology) •
Ukonvasara (also
Ukonkirves), the weapon of the Finnish thunder god
Ukko. (
Finnish mythology) •
Uchide no kozuchi, a legendary Japanese "magic hammer" which can "tap out" anything wished for, and is wielded by
Daikoku-ten in popular belief. (
Japanese folklore) •
Hammer of Hephaestus, the hammer of the Greek god
Hephaestus, which he used to make the Greek gods' weapons. (
Greek mythology)
Bow and arrows Bows • '''
Arash's bow''', Arash used the bow to determine the border between Persia and
Turan, it is said that the arrow was traveling for three days, and Arash sacrificed himself while firing the bow by putting his life force in the arrow. (
Persian mythology) •
Fail-not, the bow of
Tristan. It was said to never miss its mark. (
Arthurian legend) • '''
Houyi's bow''', the God of Archery used his bow to shoot down nine out of ten sun-birds from the sky. (
Chinese mythology) • '''Conquest's bow''', the first of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a White Horse is Conquest, and he who sat on it had a bow. (
Christian mythology) • '''Oṣosi's bow''', the bow wielded by the divine hunter
Oṣosi. (
Yoruba religion) • '''
Kērēsāspa's bow''', The bow with which Kērēsāspa went to war with the giant demonic bird Kamak and shot infinite arrows like rain into its wings and brought it down and killed it. People also know that bow as a rainbow in the sky.(
Persian mythology)
Bows from Classical Greek and Roman mythology • '''
Apollo's bow''', a silver bow wielded by Apollo, used to slay Python. • '''
Artemis's bow''', a silver bow wielded by Artemis. • '''
Eros's bow''', a bow wielded by Eros that could cause one to love or hate the person they first saw after being struck. • '''
Heracles's bow''', which also belonged to Philoctetes, its arrows had been dipped in the blood of the
Lernaean Hydra, which made them instantly lethal. • '''
Eurytus' bow''', Eurytus became so proud of his archery skills that he challenged
Apollo. The god killed Eurytus for his presumption, and Eurytus' bow was passed to
Iphitus, who later gave the bow to his friend
Odysseus. It was this bow that Odysseus used to kill the
suitors who had wanted to take his wife,
Penelope.
Bows from Hindu mythology •
Pinaka, a bow wielded by
Shiva that fired arrows that could not be intercepted. •
Vijaya, a bow wielded by Parashurama. •
Gandiva, a bow created by
Brahma and used by Arjuna during the
Kurukshetra War. •
Sharanga, the bow of the Hindu god
Vishnu and his avatars. • '''Kaundinya's bow''', a magic bow wielded by the Brahman
Kaundinya, who used it to make the Naga princess Mera fall in love with him. • '''
Indra's bow''', the rainbow is depicted as an archer's bow. Indra, the god of thunder and war, uses the rainbow to shoot arrows of lightning.
Arrows • '''
Apollo's arrow''', An arrow that could cause health or cause famine and death in sleep. (
Greek mythology) • '''
Artemis's arrow''', golden arrows that could be used to bring sudden death and disease to girls and women. (
Greek mythology) •
Arrow of Brahma, the demi-god
Rama faced the demon king of Sri-Lanka,
Ravana. Rama fired the arrow of Brahma that had been imparted to him by
Agastya. The arrow of Brahma burst Ravana's navel, and returned to Rama's quiver. (
Hindu mythology) •
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. (
Hindu mythology) •
Elf-arrow (also
Pixie Arrow), were arrowheads of flint used in hunting and war by the aborigines of the British Isles and of Europe in general. Elf-Arrows derived their name from the folklore belief that the arrows fell from the sky, and were used by elves to kill cattle and inflict
Elfshot on human beings. Elf-Arrows were sometimes worn as amulets, occasionally set in silver, as a charm against witchcraft. (
English folklore) • '''
Heracles' arrows''', arrows wielded by Heracles that were coated in poisonous Hydra blood. (
Greek mythology) •
Gusisnautar, magic arrows given to
Örvar-Oddr by his father. (
Norse mythology) •
Sagitta (
Arrow), regarded as the weapon that
Hercules used to kill the eagle Aquila that perpetually gnawed
Prometheus' liver. (
Greek mythology)
Crossbows •
Saintly Crossbow of the Supernaturally Luminous Golden Claw (also
靈光金爪神弩; SV:
Linh Quang Kim Trảo Thần Nỏ), which could kill 300 men with one shot. A giant golden turtle (also
Kim Quy) gave
An Dương Vương one of his claws and instructed him to make a
crossbow using it as a trigger, assuring him he would be invincible with it. A man called
Cao Lỗ (or Cao Thông) was tasked with the creation of the
crossbow.(see also
Vietnamese mythology) •
William Tell's
crossbow: the governor of
Altdorf forced William to shoot with his crossbow at an apple placed over his son's head a hundred feet away, as a way of punishing him for not bowing to the governor's statue. William, despite being a master of the
crossbow, loaded two arrows into it. At the first attempt he hit the target. Amazed, the governor asked the reason for loading the second arrow. William replied that, in case the first projectile hit his son, he would shoot the second arrow into the evil heart of the one who caused his death. (
Swiss folklore)
Projectile weapons •
Sling-stone (also
Cloich Tabaill), was used by
Lugh to slay his grandfather, Balor the Strong-Smiter in the
Cath Maige Tuired according to the brief accounts in the Lebor Gabála Érenn. (
Irish mythology) •
Thunderbolt, lightning plays a role in many mythologies, often as the weapon of a
sky god and
weather god. Thunderbolts as divine weapons can be found in many mythologies. In
Greek mythology, the thunderbolt is a weapon given to
Zeus by the
Cyclops, or by
Hephaestus in
Greek mythology. Zibelthiurdos of
Paleo-Balkan mythology is a god recognized as similar to Zeus as a wielder of lightning and thunderbolts. In
Igbo mythology, the thunderbolt is the weapon of
Amadioha and in
Yoruba mythology, the thunderbolt is the weapon of
Shango. •
Xiuhcoatl, a lightning-like weapon wielded by
Huitzilopochtli. (
Aztec religion) •
Holly Dart or
Mistletoe, a weapon that
Loki used to kill
Baldr, variously depicted as a holly dart, mistletoe, arrow, or spear. (
Norse mythology) •
Tathlum, the missile fired by
Lugh from the Sling-stone. (
Irish mythology) •
Magic Bullet, an enchanted bullet obtained through a contract with the
devil in the German folk legend
Freischütz. A marksman has obtained a certain number of bullets destined to hit without fail whatever object he wishes. Six of the magic bullets are thus subservient to the marksman's will, but the seventh is at the absolute disposal of the devil himself. (
German folklore) •
Silver bullet, a bullet cast from silver that is often the only weapon effective against a
werewolf,
witch, or other
monsters. •
Kenkonken, a chakram of great power wielded by
Nezha. (
Chinese mythology)
Projectile weapons from Hindu mythology •
Astra, a supernatural weapon, presided over by a specific deity. To summon or use an astra required knowledge of a specific incantation/invocation, when armed. •
Brahmastra, described in a number of the Puranas, it was considered the deadliest weapon. It was said that when the Brahmastra was discharged, there was neither a counterattack nor a defense that could stop it. •
Narayanastra, the personal missile of
Vishnu in his
Narayana or Naraina form. •
Pashupatastra, an irresistible and most destructive personal weapon of
Shiva and
Kali, discharged by the mind, the eyes, words, or a bow. •
Varunastra, a water weapon (a storm) according to the Indian scriptures, incepted by
Varuna. In stories it is said to assume any weapon's shape, just like water. This weapon is commonly mentioned as being used to counter the Agneyastra. •
Agneyastra, the god of fire
Agni possess a weapon that would discharge and emit flames inextinguishable through normal means. •
Sudarshana Chakra, a legendary spinning disc like weapon used by the Hindu God Vishnu. •
Vajra, the weapon of the Vedic rain and thunder-deity
Indra, and is used symbolically by the dharmic traditions to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. (
Hindu mythology/
Buddhist mythology/
Jain mythology) •
Brahmanda Astra, it is said in the epic
Mahabharata that the weapon manifests with the all five heads of Lord
Brahma as its tip. Brahma earlier lost his fifth head when he fought with Lord
Shiva. This weapon is said to possess the power to destroy entire solar system or Brahmand, the 14 realms according to Hindu cosmology. •
Brahmashirsha Astra, It is thought that the Brahmashirsha Astra is the evolution of the Brahmastra, and 4 times stronger than Brahmastra. The weapon manifests with the four heads of Lord
Brahma as its tip. When it strikes an area it will cause complete destruction and nothing will grow, not even a blade of grass, for the next 12 years. It will not rain for 12 years in that area, and everything including metal and earth become poisoned. •
Vasavi Shakti, the magical dart of
Indra. Used by
Karna against
Ghatotkacha in the Mahabharata war. ==Hooks==