Weapons and Warriors: The Guan Dao of the Shaolin

Art by TL Jeffcoat

This crazy looking pole weapon is related to the Samurai’s Naginata, but is not exactly the same. There are several variations and names for this weapon in China: Ta Dao, Da Dao, and Guan Dao. The Ta Dao was found on lists of the 18 weapons of the Shaolin, while the Da Dao was described in some places as a pole weapon, the Da Dao I know of is more like a large sabre. The name of Guan Dao seems to be the most common and accurate and it came with a popular story that I found to have some fictional mysteries surrounding the credited creator of the weapon.

In the book, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, General Guan Yu was said to have crafted this weapon in the 200’s AD. There were also stories that it weighed 40 pounds (18.14 kg), which you might believe that the weight is a clue that it must be a myth. No weapon could ever weigh that much and be used in battle, well, you would be wrong about that. Although no weapon on any battlefield in history, that I’ve read, has anyone wielded a weapon weighing more than 25 pounds (11.34 kg), there are a couple museums that display a Guan Dao weighing around 45 pounds (20.41 kg). The extremely heavy Guan Dao was not used in combat, but was instead used to build strength and endurance and to test soldiers seeking advancement in the military.

When a man tested for rank in the military he performed maneuvers with an ultra-heavy Guan Dao which was an excellent tool to see the strength of the man, his ability to control that strength, and the dexterity he might have to avoid dropping such a weapon. It’s pretty impressive if you think about it. The better a man tested the higher up the chain of command he could go. That made the general the last man you wanted to stumble into on the battlefield; unless you were a highly trained warrior, you were most likely going to die.

The myth of Guan Yu’s Guan Dao weighing 40 pounds is not a myth because it would be too heavy for him. According to some historians, Guan Yu was nearly seven feet tall (2.13 meters). That’s a big man, especially in the early 200’s. The reason Guan Yu’s massive weapon is a myth is because there are no historical documentations of a Guan Dao being used or produced by anyone before 1000 AD. Some historians have reported that Guan Yu wielded dual swords of some kind that may have been larger and heavier than normal.

Fantasy Weapons Lore: Mjölnir of Thor Odinson

Marvel Comics wasn’t far off on the magical abilities of this heavy iron hammer. Marvel claimed it’s made from a fictional metal called Uru, but the myths say it is only iron. Thor’s ferocity and pride as the greatest warrior of the Norse deities was also as the legends described. Aside from Norse Myhtology descriptions of him with red hair instead of blond, the character you see watching The Avengers is much the same as the legendary god of thunder.

In the stories told in the Prose Edda, the dwarf, Brokkr, was visiting Asgard, when Loki approached him with a challenge. After showing off several treasures made by the Sons of Ivaldi that were gifts to Asgard, Loki claimed that no other dwarf could ever make anything as beautiful or useful. Brokkr was offended and bet his head for Loki’s head that his brother could make more useful treasures.

Fantasy Weapons Lore: Excalibur of Arthur Pendragon

There is some confusion on the origin of one of the most famous legendary swords in history. So let’s set things straight. There are actually two swords in the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur is the second one he wielded. Excalibur was said to have been made by an Elvish smith from the island of Avalon. It was magically imbued so that nobody could defeat its owner. To aid the sword, its scabbard was also magically enchanted so that anyone wearing it would never bleed and could heal their wounds instantly.

The other sword used by Arthur Pendragon is known as the Sword in the Stone and was nothing more than an extravagant typical broadsword that was used by his father, Uther Pendragon. When Arthur was born, Uther was slain in battle. Merlin took this sword and jammed into the rock and enchanted it so that only the true heir of Uther Pendragon could pull the sword. Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan le Fay was not the heir as long as Arthur was alive and is why she never claimed the blade of her father. This is not Excalibur, despite a lot of popular movies, books and cartoons making the blades the same.

Eventually Arthur came to the sword in the stone and retrieved it, making himself the king of Britain. Merlin gave him his support and Arthur went on to gather the people under the new banner of Pendragon. That would also involve some battles as Arthur’s father was a warmonger and not very well liked by several rulers. Many lords joined with Morgan le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister, who felt cheated out of the throne by a brother she didn’t know existed.