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TinyRedLeaf · 2012-10-01, 01:13

Why just "anime obsession"? Swords are common in almost every mediaeval fantasy story you can think of. Heck, even "modern" science fiction features swords. (Lightsabers, anyone?)

The appeal of swords cuts across all cultures and is by no means limited to Japan, though it's true that pop culture has made a fetish out of the highly romanticised katana. Psychoanalysts might liken swords to phallic symbols though, in that sense, they are not very different from guns.

So, you might as well ask why we have this obsession with swords in general. Well, firstly, there's the technical reason: the sword was unique among mediaeval weapons in that it was the one of the very few tools that were designed exclusively for war. Spears and bows were hunting tools adapted to warfare, as were the many varieties of polearms used in mediaeval battle. Building on this point, swords were prohibitively expensive compared to most other adapted weapons. At a time when good steel was rare, and when skilled weaponsmiths were even rarer, you can well imagine how valuable a weapon made of 1m of solid steel would have been. Automatically, it means that only the richer, more powerful warrior nobility had the means to own a sword. And that level of exclusivity adds greatly to the sword's mystique.

Secondly, we need to be more aware of how weapons were used in mediaeval warfare. Despite their allure, swords were generally not very useful in an actual battlefield. More often than not, swords were sidearms used as a last resort. In the case of a mounted knight, he pulled out a sword (he was actually more likely to use a mace; swords were of limited use against a fully armoured opponent) only after his initial charge with a lance. And, for the poor, bloody infantry, pikes and other polearms deployed in mass formation were what usually determined who lives or dies. Even the samurai of the Sengoku era were more likely to fight with spears (yari) than swords. It wasn't until well into the Tokugawa era of peace that the cult of the sword began to flourish.

Why is that the case? Ironically, it's because swords, for a variety of reasons, were usually associated with courtly duels between warrior nobles. Precisely because it was a prestigious weapon, it was more often used in one-on-one combat between "worthy" opponents than on the field of battle. This was true in Europe as it was in Japan. In Europe, for example, a variety of Italian and Spanish fencing "schools" popped up during the Renaissance, as dueling with rapiers became common. In Tokugawa Japan, fencing with katana became more an art form than actual combat.

In short, the sword has, over time, become a glorified weapon for elaborate (that is, beautiful) combat. All this, before you even consider all the religious symbolism that came to be attached to this one very special weapon (the Crusader sword, for example, represented a crucifix, thanks to the shape of its straight crossguard, perpendicular to the blade and hilt).

Is it any wonder then that swords feature so heavily in fantasy stories?

2012-10-01, 01:13	Link #11
TinyRedLeaf Moving in circles Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Age: 49	Why just "anime obsession"? Swords are common in almost every mediaeval fantasy story you can think of. Heck, even "modern" science fiction features swords. (Lightsabers, anyone?) The appeal of swords cuts across all cultures and is by no means limited to Japan, though it's true that pop culture has made a fetish out of the highly romanticised katana. Psychoanalysts might liken swords to phallic symbols though, in that sense, they are not very different from guns. So, you might as well ask why we have this obsession with swords in general. Well, firstly, there's the technical reason: the sword was unique among mediaeval weapons in that it was the one of the very few tools that were designed exclusively for war. Spears and bows were hunting tools adapted to warfare, as were the many varieties of polearms used in mediaeval battle. Building on this point, swords were prohibitively expensive compared to most other adapted weapons. At a time when good steel was rare, and when skilled weaponsmiths were even rarer, you can well imagine how valuable a weapon made of 1m of solid steel would have been. Automatically, it means that only the richer, more powerful warrior nobility had the means to own a sword. And that level of exclusivity adds greatly to the sword's mystique. Secondly, we need to be more aware of how weapons were used in mediaeval warfare. Despite their allure, swords were generally not very useful in an actual battlefield. More often than not, swords were sidearms used as a last resort. In the case of a mounted knight, he pulled out a sword (he was actually more likely to use a mace; swords were of limited use against a fully armoured opponent) only after his initial charge with a lance. And, for the poor, bloody infantry, pikes and other polearms deployed in mass formation were what usually determined who lives or dies. Even the samurai of the Sengoku era were more likely to fight with spears (yari) than swords. It wasn't until well into the Tokugawa era of peace that the cult of the sword began to flourish. Why is that the case? Ironically, it's because swords, for a variety of reasons, were usually associated with courtly duels between warrior nobles. Precisely because it was a prestigious weapon, it was more often used in one-on-one combat between "worthy" opponents than on the field of battle. This was true in Europe as it was in Japan. In Europe, for example, a variety of Italian and Spanish fencing "schools" popped up during the Renaissance, as dueling with rapiers became common. In Tokugawa Japan, fencing with katana became more an art form than actual combat. In short, the sword has, over time, become a glorified weapon for elaborate (that is, beautiful) combat. All this, before you even consider all the religious symbolism that came to be attached to this one very special weapon (the Crusader sword, for example, represented a crucifix, thanks to the shape of its straight crossguard, perpendicular to the blade and hilt). Is it any wonder then that swords feature so heavily in fantasy stories?