Swords

Reading some fantasy, as I often do, I inevitably came a across a sword scene. During the chapter I ran across some sword vocab (or should I say “s-word”) that I hadn’t heard before. I decided to do some research and acquaint myself with the anatomy of a sword.

As you can see below, it’s a little more complicated than the “handle” and “blade.” Let’s go over each of them.

The Pommel was used to improve a swords balance. It was sometimes weighted to make sure the blade wasn’t too top heavy. Pommels also helped with grip, helping the hand of the wielder to not slide off the end of the grip. It could also be used to strike with at close range.

The Grip as you might imagine, is where you hold the blade. However not pictured here, is a component called the tang. The tang was an extension of the blad that ran past the cross bar and was concealed by the grip to hold the sword together.

The Crossguard is meant to protect the hand. It helps catch the opponents blade before it can slide into wrist and remove all your fingers. It too also helped balanced the sword.

The Chappe was a leather flap sometimes attached at the base of the blade that covered the mouth of the scabbard or sheath of the sword so water couldn’t get in. It was also known as a Rain Guard.

The Strong is the thicker part of the blade near the base of hilt. A strong was good for blocking enemy slashes, as it was less likely to break the sword.

Fullers were notches or grooves ground into the blade to make the sword lighter overall and easier to swing.

The Edge was the part of the blade used to strike and cut. In some swords, serrations were filed into the edge to help allow it to be used for sawing as well.

The Central Ridge was just the focus of balance in a sword.

The Weak, or foible, was also used for cutting but was not for direct contact with other blades.

The Point was mainly for thrusting attacks.

So next time you’re reading a sword fight in a book or watching one unfold on screen, here’s a little bit of vocab and knowledge to help you make sense of things. I hope you at least find it interesting.

The Wolves of Utah

During my recent interweb sojourns, I quested upon the remarkable “Utah Wolf Productions” website. And let me tell you: It changed my life completely. Before I talk about it too much about it, I need to admit a few things. First of all, I am a geek at heart. I am a wizard-loving, sword-swinging, orc-slaying geek. “The Lord of the Rings,” “Wheel of Time,” and even recently Brandon Sanderson’s “Stormlight Archive” are some of my favorite books in the whole wide world. In high school, I used to play Dungeons and Dragons for crying out loud! But all that being said, my geekiness cannot begin to rival the prowess of Utah Wolf Productions’ nerdom. And that’s why I love them so much.

First off, their website’s homepage looks like a scene taken straight off my 5th grade Trapper Keepers or one of Bret McKenzie’s nature-themed sweaters. Clicking on “productions,” you’ll find their expansive library of stills, shorts, music videos, and previews of all their movies. The sheer volume of their work is quite astounding. But I guess it’s not so hard to make 83 motion pictures when 70% of them are trailers.

These productions can only be described as inspired. Okay, well may inspired and low budget. Their videos are usually only a few minutes long but they are so awkwardly acted, so haltingly paced that it feels like a full two hours. Watching them, I couldn’t help but feel so much better about myself, despite my nerdy past. You could memorize all the songs in LOTR and still not hold a candle to these guys. I hope I don’t come across as mocking, because I admire these guys not pulling any punches as they let their true selves shine through.

While they are fans of the fantasy genre, they haven’t been afraid to branch out into science fiction, horror, and even drama. So no matter what your taste in film is, they have something that mimics that taste and turns it into something so bad it will make you laugh your guts out. My three personal favorites are “Into a Fantasy,” “Tale of Mermaids,” and “The Crown.”

Rumor has it that while filming “Nacho Libre,” Jared Hess actually showed Jack Black “Utah Wolf Productions.” From then on it, was said Jack could be found lounging in his trailer, watching their videos on his laptop. If Jack Black loves it, you know it has to be genius.

So if you want some gut-busting, side-splitting (not to mention heartfelt and genuine) entertainment visit UtahWolfProductions.com right now. It will change your life. They are my heroes.

Those Stubborn Brits

This weekend I watched a movie about the attempted movement of the Roman Empire into what is now Great Brittan. Throughout their reign the Romans never actually conquered that part of Europe. Partly because of it being so far removed from the political center of Rome, but mostly because of the fierceness with which the natives fought to keep them out.

The Roman Empire basically marched through most of Europe, the Middle East and even Southeast Asia claiming land and subjects wherever it went. So why was conquering the Anglican part of the world so hard for them? Well I suppose it had a lot to do with the attitude that expressed itself here in America at the time of the revolution. The notion that nothing requires you to “fight fair” when your freedom is at stake. Much like the Great Brittan of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Roman army had never lost a fight in the open battle field. They knew nothing about guerrilla warfare however.

During the attempted Roman invasion of modern day Brittan the natives attacked when least expected, set convincing spies, and took no prisoners. Eventually Rome drew back it’s lines, build a wall and basically said “keep your cold wet hell.” High officials even tried removing any record of all the battles they lost from Roman history.

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Medieval Renaissance Fairs

A Renaissance fair or Medieval Renaissance Fair is a gathering meant to imitate the Renaissance movement and time period. People dress up, offer goods, even play music that we assume to fit into the Renaissance period. It is usually held in the United States, not in Europe. And they are held in many different states, mostly during the summer. They tend to be short term events seen in large public or private spaces.

They usually have many costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts, and festival food. Some even offer camping options to make many things far easier. They are mostly set during the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Some have also come to include the times of the Vikings. And some even allow you to dress up in clothes ranging through several different time periods. Many also tolerance, accept, or even encourage wizards and elves.

There are some who challenge the authenticity of these fairs, though most protestors are in Europe. Depending on the era portrayed of course, some are pickier than others. And obviously, with things like wizards, they are more likely to challenge the authenticity. But many believe entertainment to be the primary goal of things like this. Most of the protestors have been connected to museums and other educational organizations and institutions.

Regardless of what you think it is for, Renaissance fairs continue, and they often touch on the Medieval era. They have become more popular in recent years in countries such as England, Ireland, and Germany. But they are still developing in those countries. They are more common in Christmas fairs in London.

Renaissance fairs continue throughout the ages. And they continue to evolve and change. Costumes can be extremely expensive. And of course, some have chosen to simply to make their own. When it comes to Medieval Renaissance fairs, they started out small. But they have only become recently as popular as they currently happen to be.