# Signature weapons of religions/gods
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 25, 2014, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943 "2014-04-25T10:54:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/21 "2014-04-27T17:04:17Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#):
>
> Jesus Christ himself is often depicted [carrying a shepherd’s crook](http://www.exchristian.net/uploaded_images/jesus-lamb1-794470.jpg), which in the right hands can fuck someone up pretty good.
In Revelation, however, Jesus upgrades to a two-edged sword.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/22 "2014-04-27T21:04:14Z")
Didn’t some angel in Genesis have a flaming sword? And the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god knew how to use fire and brimstone. I think sulfur also.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/23 "2014-04-27T22:15:33Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> Didn’t some angel in Genesis have a flaming sword? And the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god knew how to use fire and brimstone. I think sulfur also.
The Archangel Michael was depicted with both a [spear](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Le_Grand_Saint_Michel,_by_Raffaello_Sanzio,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg/606px-Le_Grand_Saint_Michel,_by_Raffaello_Sanzio,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg) and a [sword](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/St_Michael_Raphael.jpg) in his battle with Lucifer.
God placed two [cherubim with flaming swords](http://angels-angelology.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cheri4.png) east and west of Eden to keep Adam and Eve from returning.
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/24 "2014-04-27T23:38:13Z")
I could never understand what those Egyptian pharaohs and deities are holding in their hands.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/25 "2014-04-27T23:44:36Z")
> [@the\_diego](#):
>
> I could never understand what those Egyptian pharaohs and deities are holding in their hands.
A Crook and a Flail. Not, strictly speaking, weapons, although the point of the flail is to inflict a little pain:
[http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/crooksandflails.htm](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/crooksandflails.htm)
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/26 "2014-04-27T23:52:15Z")
^
So they take a lot of stock in agriculture. That’s a civilized was to perceive gods (like the Japanese.) What about that stick Anubis is holding? Is it a simple staff to symbolize his status as a guide to souls in the afterlife?
[http://clipartist.info/clipart/pligg/COLOURINGBOOK.ORG/molumen\_anubis-999px.png](http://clipartist.info/clipart/pligg/COLOURINGBOOK.ORG/molumen_anubis-999px.png)
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/27 "2014-04-28T00:10:33Z")
Norse god Freyr had a sword which fought by itself, a handy thing to possess. Operative word “had”. At the time of Ragnarok he has to go into battle without it, which will not turn out well for him (or the world, I guess,as he goes up against Surt, who follows up offing Freyr by burning everything).
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/28 "2014-04-28T01:06:42Z")
The Hindu goddess Durga carries a weapon in each of her 10 hands and they include the weapons of the other main deities.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/29 "2014-04-28T09:21:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> God placed two [cherubim with flaming swords](http://angels-angelology.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cheri4.png) east and west of Eden to keep Adam and Eve from returning.
But Aziraphale gave his to Adam out of pity, who hocked it and War owns it now 😉 (source :\* Good Omens\*).
[QUOTE=the\_diego]
What about that stick Anubis is holding? Is it a simple staff to symbolize his status as a guide to souls in the afterlife?
[/QUOTE]
That is called a [was](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Was) (please, no Abbot & Costello :)) and is a symbol of power. It’s basically the same thing as the scepters European kings waved about : no purpose besides telling the world “this guy is the top dog”. Quite a few gods have them.
He also sometimes has a set of scales to do the whole heart/feather thing. Incidentally this was not about the relative weights of souls and feathers (even metaphorically) : the ostrich feather is a symbol of [Maat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat), goddess of truth, morality and justice.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/30 "2014-04-28T12:48:27Z")
> [@Kobal2](#):
>
> But Aziraphale gave his to Adam out of pity, who hocked it and War owns it now 😉 (source :\* Good Omens\*).
At the end, didn’t the messenger collect the sword along with that other stuff after Pepper defeated War and Adam ultimately/sorta defeated his Dad?
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/31 "2014-04-28T13:38:13Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> brimstone. I think sulfur also.
[Brimstone = sulphur](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brimstone). Or sulfur. Same thing anyway.
Excuse me, **Kobal2** , mind making room for me in that bench? I’ve got chocolate!
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### Author:  [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/32 "2014-04-28T18:52:53Z")
Thanks for the replies on various mythologies, can’t believe I forgot about the Norse gods!
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/33 "2014-04-28T19:04:05Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> At the end, didn’t the messenger collect the sword along with that other stuff after Pepper defeated War and Adam ultimately/sorta defeated his Dad?
Yes he did.
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### Author:  [@teddybound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teddybound)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/34 "2014-04-28T20:21:09Z")
Avalokiteshvara carries a white porcelain vase with a stalk of willow.
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### Author:  [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/35 "2014-04-29T04:39:35Z")
Hindu Tantric deities are invariably heavily armed. Kali and Tara, for example, prefer the scimitar. But the truly ultimate signature weapon has to be the benevolent Creator Brahma’s [brahmastra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmastra). Invincible and utterly destructive, it was truly the weapon of last resort.
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/36 "2014-04-29T04:57:09Z")
Forgot in the Mahabaratta (sp?) but who was licensed to wield the Brama Astra?
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### Author:  [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-weapons-of-religions-gods/686943/37 "2014-04-29T05:15:37Z")
> [@the\_diego](#):
>
> Forgot in the Mahabaratta (sp?) but who was licensed to wield the Brama Astra?
Drona, Karna, Arjuna and Kripa all had the capability to invoke and revoke the brahmastra at will. Ashwattama had the ability to invoke but not revoke it.
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