# Weapons with personal names in myth/folklore
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 14, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069 "2010-04-14T15:32:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/1 "2010-04-14T15:32:29Z")
King Arthur had his sword Excalibur, or course, and Thor had his hammer Mjolnir. Any others you can think of? Do or did the Greeks, Romans, Russians, Chinese, Indians, Spanish, etc. have a myth or folklore tradition of amazing weapons with personal names?
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### Author:  [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/2 "2010-04-14T15:47:38Z")
A number of named swords are listed [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword).
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/3 "2010-04-14T15:49:13Z")
In Japanese mythology there’s [Kusanagi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusanagi), which may or may not really exist: the Wikipedia article says:
> [@](#):
>
> Due to the refusal of Shinto priests to show the sword, and the rather sketchy nature of its historical references, the current state of or even the existence at all of the sword as a historical artifact cannot be confirmed. The last appearance of the sword was in 1989 when Emperor Akihito ascended to the throne, the sword (including the jewel and the Emperor’s two seals) were shrouded in packages.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/4 "2010-04-14T15:54:55Z")
In Jack Chalker’s Dancing Gods series, Joe (the human who’s swept up into a fantasy world) is given the last unnamed sword in that realm. He names it “Irving,” after his son.
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/5 "2010-04-14T16:01:19Z")
Fahrd’s sword and dagger were named Graywand and Heartseeker, respectively. The Gray Mouser named his sword Scalpel and his dagger Cat’s Claw.
Not that these were names applied to any sword and dagger they happened to own, not specific ones.
Gandalf’s sword was Glamdring, or Foe-Hammer. Bilbo’s short sword wsa named Sting, after Bilbo killed the spider in _The Hobbit_.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/6 "2010-04-14T16:03:23Z")
Vorpal Sword
Green Dragon
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/7 "2010-04-14T16:07:00Z")
Well, you got
**Stormbringer** – Moorcocck’s Elric of Melnibone
**Orcrist** and **Glamdring** and **Anduril** and **Sting** from Tolkien
**Hrunting** from Beowulf
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/8 "2010-04-14T16:07:48Z")
If you fancy some Chinese, how about [Ruyi Jingu Bang](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruyi_Jingu_Bang), the staff of the Monkey King. If you’d rather go Indian, there’s [Gandiva](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandiva), the bow of Arjuna, the hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/9 "2010-04-14T16:13:41Z")
I’m pretty sure HeMan’s sword had a name.
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### Author:  [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/10 "2010-04-14T16:18:59Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure HeMan’s sword had a name.
I don’t think so, but Lion-O’s was the Sword of Omens.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/11 "2010-04-14T16:23:24Z")
Much as I appreciate Stormbringer, Anduril etc., let’s limit this just to myth and folklore, please, as I asked in the OP. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/12 "2010-04-14T16:30:06Z")
The legendary Jayne had his Vera.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/13 "2010-04-14T16:31:58Z")
One of Davy Crockett’s rifles was named [“Old Betsy.”](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_50/ai_110470560/)
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/14 "2010-04-14T16:32:33Z")
Japanese folklore also has Yawarakai-Te, made by the legendary swordsmith Masamune, and Juuchi Yosamu, made by his lesser pupil Muramasa. The latter sword, when dipped into a river, would slice in two leaves floating on the current, while the former would actively repel the leaves, thus proving that Masamune’s sword was superior, as it did not destroy needlessly.
Back to the West, the spear which was used to pierce Jesus’ side at the Crucifixion has been dubbed “the Spear of Destiny”, and has had all sorts of mystical properties attributed to it in folklore.
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/15 "2010-04-14T16:34:59Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> In Jack Chalker’s Dancing Gods series, Joe (the human who’s swept up into a fantasy world) is given the last unnamed sword in that realm. He names it “Irving,” after his son.
Hah! I’ve named my dry foil ‘Susan’ and my electric ‘Vera’.
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### Author:  [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/16 "2010-04-14T16:35:46Z")
Davy Crocket’s rifle was named “Old Betsy.”
I don’t know if Jim Bowie’s famous knife had a name of its own, but knives that are supposed to be patterned after it are called Bowie knives.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/17 "2010-04-14T16:36:50Z")
BB King has [Lucille](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_(guitar)).
::d&r::
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### Author:  [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/18 "2010-04-14T16:41:45Z")
The name of the sword belonging to Ganelon, one of Roland’s enemies in [The Song of Roland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Roland) is Meurglys 🙂
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### Author:  [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/19 "2010-04-14T17:13:31Z")
Indian gods have loads of such weapons.One which I remember is the Gāndeeva, the bow of Arjuna.
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### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-with-personal-names-in-myth-folklore/536069/20 "2010-04-14T18:21:27Z")
> [@Rain\_Soaked](#):
>
> A number of named swords are listed [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword).
A few favorites from there, which are related: **Curtana** , also known as Edward the Confessor’s Sword and the Sword of Mercy, is part of the Crown Jewels of England. It is a “broken” sword, symbolizing the mercy of the sovereign. It’s still used in coronation ceremonies, not that there have been many of those lately. Legend has it that it bore the inscription, “My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendal.”
**Durendal** was legendarily owned by Hector of Troy and Charlemagne’s paladin Roland. **Joyeuse** was the sword of Charlemagne himself.
The names are probably familiar to fans of the game studio Bungie; “Cortana” is the name of the artificial intelligence that appears in the **Halo** series, and “Durandal” is the name of the artificial intelligence that goes insane over the course of the **Marathon** game series.
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