The great heroes and heroines of history, folklore, and mythology rarely earned their fame with their bare hands. Seemingly every great warrior fought with powerful weapons, and often those weapons gained just as much notoriety as the individuals who wielded them. While some weapons are famous solely from association with their owner, indeed others are magical, powerful instruments with legends all their own.
Intrigued? Read on to learn about some of the most interesting and intimidating weapons from history and mythology.
Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, is rarely depicted without his trusty trident in hand. Forged by the three Cyclopes of modern-day Sicily, Poseidon used his trident to manipulate the ocean, create tidal waves, and even conjure steeds out of the water.
The Pashupatastra, a special bow and arrow weapon that belonged to Shiva, the Hindu deity of destruction, is said to have held the power to destroy all life on earth. Thankfully, the hero Shiva entrusted this weapon to, Arjun, chose not to use it.
Another weapon forged by the Cyclopes of Sicily in Greek mythology was the thunderbolt of Zeus. Zeus used his elemental weapon to overthrow the Greek Titans, in order to place himself, his siblings, and his offspring at the top of the godly hierarchy.
Muramasa Sengo was a legendary Japanese swordsmith, suspected to be alive sometime between the 14th or 16th centuries. It is said that a sword crafted by Muramasa would instill a primal sense of rage and a lust for violence in the warrior who carried it. After blades of his making were used to murder a powerful king, they were banned from the country.
Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, is one of the most famous mythical weapons of all time. It was said that only the true king of England could remove the sword from the stone in which it was embedded. Once Arthur removed the sword, it became his weapon of choice throughout his adventures with his famous Knights of the Round Table.
One of two famous swords wielded by the legendary Iberian warlord Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known simply as El Cid, Tizona was a weapon feared throughout Europe. Legend has it that entire armies would flee or surrender at the mere sight of the mighty sword.
Perhaps the most dangerous and feared weapon in ancient Mesopotamian mythology was Sharur, the sentient mace wielded by the god Ninurta. Legend has it that Sharur could fly through the skies as it pleased, and even communicate with Ninurta.
Mjolnir, the legendary hammer used by the Norse god Thor, is one of the most famous mythical weapons in history. Not only could it cause widespread destruction, the thunder god could also provide divine blessings using his holy weapon.
A weapon unlike any other, the Sudarshana Chakra was a serrated circular blade that belonged to the Hindu god Vishnu. In the ancient Hindu epics of the 'Puranas' and other stories, this weapon was used to behead adversaries of the Hindu deities.
The Harpē, a famous weapon from Greek mythology, is depicted as a curved sword, or sometimes a scythe. Originally used by Cronus to castrate his father, Uranus, it was also the weapon used by Perseus to slay Medusa.
An old Greek fable tells how Sicilian king Dionysus II asks one of his stewards, Damocles, if he would like to switch roles. Damocles swiftly accepts the king's proposition of acting as king himself, but shortly after trading places Damocles notices a sword hanging directly above his head, suspended by nothing but a single string. The fable continues to be used to describe situations that might seem lucrative in the short term, but eventually prove to be disastrous.
In Chinese mythology, Pangu was a giant being born from the chaos that existed before anything else. Wielding his massive axe, Pangu is said to have severed the earth from the sky, creating space between the two for life to from and flourish.
The Green Dragon Crescent Blade was the weapon of choice for the Han military general and warlord Guan Yu. The stories cataloged in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' an ancient Chinese text recounting more than 100 years of history, are filled with scenes of Guan Yu emerging from battle victorious, thanks to his unique weapon.
The Kusanagi no Tsurugi sword is one of the most important mythical artifacts in Japan. Legend has it the sword was found in the tail of a dragon by Susanoo, the storm god. When it was eventually passed down to the great warrior Yamato, he discovered the blade also allowed him to control the direction of the wind.
Named after its owner, the Hindu ocean god Varuna, the Varunastra was a shapeshifting weapon made out of water. Varuna could also use this weapon to summon a great flood that could wash away entire armies.
Charlemagne, legendary first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and King of the Franks, wielded a sword known as Joyeuse. According to legend, it contained pieces of the Lance of Longinus, the spear that stabbed Jesus on the cross, within its handle. It is now held at the Louvre in Paris.
Odin, the most feared god in Norse mythology and the father of Thor, had his own special weapon as well. Odin's spear, named Gungir, was forged by dwarves and used in many battles. It was said to have been so expertly crafted that it would always land where it was meant to, even when thrown by a novice.
One of the most famous weapons in the holy books of Hinduism is the trident, or trishula, of Shiva. It is said to have had the power to eradicate or inflict suffering on the universe, according to Shiva's desires. It was also with this weapon that Shiva beheaded Ganesh, whose head was later replaced with that of an elephant.
Nothung, also sometimes referred to as Gram, was the sword wielded by the mythical Norse hero Sigurd to defeat the menacing dragon Fáfnir. The sword was broken in battle, but Sigurd worked on repairing his mighty sword until it was good as new.
The infamous and savage warlord Attila the Hun was one of the most feared individuals of the 5th century CE. His sword, alternately referred to as the Sword of Atilla or the Sword of God, was allegedly handed down to him by the Roman god of war, Mars, himself.
Another favorite weapon of the Hindu deities was a holy piece of rope referred to as the Pasha. The Pasha could be used for just about anything, from binding beasts to extracting souls.
Joan of Arc, the legendary French saint who helped turn the tides of the Hundred Years' War, was said to have been visited frequently by the angels. On one such visit, an angel revealed to her the location of a sword behind the altar of a church. The rusted sword was cleaned with ease, revealing five crosses etched into the blade. According to legend, Joan of Arc carried the sword but never used it to take a life.
Flaming swords are a common weapon found in numerous religions and belief systems, from Christianity to Buddhism and Norse mythology. Perhaps the most famous sword of fire is the one used by archangel Michael to cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.
The monkey king of Chinese folklore, Sun Wukong, is said to have possessed a weapon called the Ruyi Jingu Bang. This weapon was a cudgel that could allegedly change size and shape at Sun's will. Countless stories depict Sun Wukong defeating armies, gods, and demons with this weapon.
Vietnamese folk hero Lê Lợi is the beloved warrior-king who emancipated Vietnam after some 20 years of Chinese occupation. He is said to have accomplished this using the holy sword known as Thuận Thiên. The sword allegedly allowed Lê Lợi to grow to the size of a giant, and lent him the strength of many men.
The mighty powers of the great sword Caladbolg are told in numerous Welsh and Irish folk tales. Wielded by numerous mythical heroes, legend has it that Caladbolg could cut the tops off of mountains and raze an entire army with a single swing.
One of Charlemagne's best paladins, Roland, fought with a legendary sword called Durendal. Allegedly, Durendal contained one of Saint Peter's teeth, the blood of Saint Basil, and other holy materials, making it the strongest and sharpest sword in existence.
Tyrfing was a legendary sword featured in Norse mythology, forged by dwarves at the behest of King Svafrlami, grandson of Odin. While the sword was immaculately crafted and could easily cut through stone, the dwarves also cursed the blade so that it was destined to commit three great evils, among other things.
The Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegār, or "emerald-studded sword," is an extremely important sword in the tales of ancient Persia. The epic poem 'Shahnameh' tells us that it was the only sword in the world that could slay the ruthless demon named Fulad-Zereh.
