?_/ l!W6*Weapons and Military Costuming of the WOTHWeapons and Military Costuming of the WOT, Copyright 1998 Paul PostumaBrowseButtons()ZmainmainD  /&;)z4AkA|CONTEXTӲ|CTXOMAP|FONT6|SYSTEM|TOPIC^|TTLBTREE|bm0|bm1|bm10 |bm11|bm12|bm135|bm14|bm15R|bm16G|bm17]Z|bm18 |bm19|bm2T|bm20q|bm211|bm22!4|bm23<|bm24F|bm25\|bm26#(5(0rm(Xʐjڀ(*al'Lan MandragoranTwo Rivers bowQueen's guards of AndorAsha'man^W,#((&t(RG$(Laman's swordthrowing daggersMayener Winged GuardsLegion of the Dragon<>#x(N1($pN(<E(\!%Perrin's axestavesCairhieninTrollocsM,#(].7(<6&(b<-,(|\$the Shadar Logoth daggerswordbreakersTarabonMyrddraaln#.t(>1?(jC7(R#Mat Cauthon / ashandareiShienaran LancesSaldaean light cavalrymeasurements in the WoT@#(炌(W(: (V-Callandorthe AielEbou Daracknowledgments0Mw#`(("Ef(:9Loial's axeGaidinthe Arafellin+w#V(紐(Z(>i#BirgitteWhitecloaksIllianAM w#(M9(0 7(T'tthe Dragon Scepterthe SeanchanAmadician lancers49 ^ k"- The Path of Daggers is out!! Thus, this fourth major revision of the Weaponry of the Wheel of Time. Weapons and armor of various lands are covered in detail, as is military costuming, and have been illustrated where possible. Thanks to Those Who Have Contributed for their comments and contributions. For more on The Path of Daggers, see TOR's new Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Web site, at http://www.tor.com/sites/wheel_of_time/index.html.Page references are for paperback editions, excepting LoC, ACoS, RJWoT and TPoD. The shortened book abbreviation RJWoT refers to the 1997 The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan and Theresa Patterson. 'Legends' refers to the 1998 book Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg, in which Jordan's short story New Spring appears. , &a Robert Jordan's books are all copyrighted by him (of course), excepting RJWoT, which is copyrighted by Bill Fawcett & Associates. Chapter ornaments copyright 1989-1998 by Tor Books; used by permission. Please note that this stuff is copyrighted, and must be acknowledged as such if referred to elsewhere. The most recent, full-color version of this compendium is available on-line at:personal.nbnet.nb.ca\ppostuma\WoT.htm19 F1(Fb ̀%PGH" "" ** Tam's heron-mark sword **The sword was singlFe-edged, slightly curved, and delicate compared to other swords of the time. It closely resembles the heron-mark sword depicted to the right, one produced by Museum Replicas under Jordan's eye, though, as the following text shows, Tam's heron-mark blade also differs from it in some details:"The blade, very slightly curved andsharp only on one edge, bore anotherheron etched into the steel. Shortquillons, worked to look like braid,flanked the hilt. It seemed almostfragile compared with the swords ofthe merchants' guards; most of thosewere double-edged, and thick enoughto chop down a tree." This makes it likely that the sword is modelled on a Japanese katana or tachi (very few swords of Western origin have a slightly curved blade, even fewer of these are two-handed). The longevity of such blades, and the exquisite skill required in their forging, also suggests a katana or tachi as model. Tam's sword differs from these in that a Western-style crossguard consisting of short quillons is used rather than an oval crossguard, or tsuba, in the Oriental style. The "... long, two-handed hilt ..." is leather-wrapped, and referred to repeatedly as "nobby." The approximate overall length of his weapon is probably some 37 to 42", a standard length for two-handed katana or tachi, and for many swords of Western design. Indeed, the Museum Replicas heron-mark blade is in the katana style; both hilt and quillons differ from Tam's sword. It is 42" long, with a blade length of 32" and a weight of 1 lb. 9 oz. - values that are likely close to those of Tam's sword.Three herons designate the sword as a blade-master's weapon:"... a long, leather-wrapped hilt inset with a bronze heron. Anotherbronze heron stood on the scabbard, and yet another was scribedon the sheathed blade." Only one side of sword or scabbard is marked: in each mention of the sword, only three herons are present; when Thom later indicates the two herons on Rand's coat, Rand comments that "The sword makes five. Hilt, scabbard and blade." Presumably, each heron is found on the outward-facing surface of hilt, scabbard and blade. My guess is that each heron is of the same size, though this isn't mentioned specifically. The bronze heron on the hilt is probably some 2 to 2 1/2" in size, with a maximum length of 3" - when the heron-mark is branded into his palm, a perfect figure is impressed on it. Rand's a big boy, but nowhere are his hands described as meathooks, which Jordan would surely have done, if their size were unusual. One can even place the heron on the hilt with some accuracy, if one assumes Rand is right-handed. He must be: a left-handed swordsman cannot make it through seven books without comment. During his second confrontation with Ba'alzamon , Rand is marked with a heron on his right palm. He'd been holding his sword before him, in both hands. If right-handed, this would put his right hand above his left, closer to the crossguard, and thus would place the heron a few inches from the crossguard, and on the right side of the hilt (the outward-facing side of the hilt when sheathed). In the sword form Heron Wading in the Rushes, the sword is " ... held reversed in both hands over his head ..." , that is, with blade pointing down toward the ground as the beak of a heron hunting for prey. Rand uses this attack in his first attempt to kill Ba'alzamon, knowing it will likely cause his own death also . Ingtar predicts the same: "You will put your sword in the other man with that ... but not before he has his through your ribs." This tells us much: to have the blade reversed, with edge facing one's opponent now places the left palm over a single heron on the hilt. Heron Wading in the Rushes allows for a single forward thrust oFbr stab, moving the blade from a vertical position through an arc to horizontal. The dominant hand would be placed above Rand's non-dominant left, for greater thrusting power. This places the left palm next to the crossguard, and confirms the heron placement cited above. Curiously, the heron burn would be upside down, an apparent oversight on Jordan's part. Repositioning the hand to have the heron burn rightside up leaves the swordsman able to skewer himself, only. Finally, the scabbard is described as black and apparently was unadorned except for the heron. *F' PGH/b, (PG0HU!4 8D# "return to Table of Contents1A1( A8 LQ pw" Ef ** al'Lan Mandragoran **Jordan describes the sword of the Malkieri as "... almost a twin of Rand's except for the lack of herons ..." Like Tam's sword, it was Power-wrought by Aes Sedai, in times far past, needs no sharpening, and will never rust. 'Nuff said.Except in settings where he might be recognized as a Warder by his clothes, he wears a typical (for Gaidin) dark green coat and fancloth cloak: "... a dark grayish green that would have faded into leaf or shadow, and his cloak swirled through shades of gray and green and brown as it shifted in the wind. It almost seemed to disappear at times ... fading into whatever lay beyond it ..." Though the cloak is mentioned frequently, the dark, olive-green coat doesn't reappear until ACoS .A`? L )Lan dons his matching armor more rarely, a "... gray-green scaled armor that would make him all but disappear in forest or darkness." In the Blight, he also wears steel-backed gauntlets, though this is the only place where these are mentioned for Lan . The hadori, the braided leather cord about his temples, holds back the shoulder-length hair of Malkieri warriors. Also described as a "narrow leather headband," it apparently binds tightly: a Malkieri named Kurenin abandoned it, but apparently "The years had not erased the marks of his hadori completely." <Legends: 642, New Spring; see also Legends: 638, New Spring>X2L& eParticular also to Lan is one more outward marker, the ring of the Malkieri kings, "... a signet ring, heavy gold and worn with age, almost large enough for both her thumbs to fit through. On it, a crane flew above a lance and crown, all carefully wrought in detail." +`( 0U!84 8D# "return to Table of Contents1i1H((im8i PGH" " ** Laman's sword **Laman's sword would appear to have a blade identical to that of Tam's sword, including herons, but differs markedly in hilt and scabbard:"... the scabbard so encrusted with rubiesand moondrops that it was hard to see thegold except where a rising sun had beeninset. The ivory hilt, long enough for twohands, had another inlaid rising sun in gold;the pommel was thick with rubies andmoondrops, and still more made a solidmass along the quillons. This had neverbeen made to use, only to be seen ...Etched into the shining steel stood a heron,symbol of a blademaster." Rand discards the too-gaudy scabbard, and the ivory hilt for functional reasons: "... that ivory hilt would twist in a hand slippery with sweat or bloi8od." With "... a plain scabbard of brown boarhide, the long hilt covered in the same leather, ..." sword and scabbard are simply and quickly crafted copies of Tam's heron-mark sword. Herons on scabbard and hilt are omitted: when Rand duels Lord Toram, he's given no outward clues of his blademaster's skill, and as such, Caraline is surprised when Rand shows such proficiency against Toram.(i % PGH-7* $PG0HU! 4 8D# "return to Table of Contents171)(_pT v " " Z ** Perrin's axe **This axe consisted of "A broad half-moon blade on one side of the head and a curved spike on the other ..." . "The ashwood shaft was as long as his arm, and smooth ... to the touch." . It is likely that it is primarily intended for single-handed use: Perrin uses it from his saddle while standing in the stirrups and moving forward , i.e. he'd need the other hand to hold the reins. At least once, however, he uses his axe in both hands .Child Byar, an obvious connoisseur of battle axes, lauds it as "Excellently balanced ... Plainly made, but by a very good weaponsmith, perhaps even a master ... Not a villager's weapon, ... nor a farmer's." This "great-bladed" axe is "By weight of metal ... a good five or six pounds lighter than the hammer ..." ; more specifically, the ten-pound hammer "weighed more than twice as much as the axe blade ..." This axe head, then, weighs some four to four-and-a-half pounds, including *both* blade and spike. Such a "... great, steel half-moon" would feature an 8 to 10" face, likely closer to 10"; larger faces thin the blade excessively, within the weight restraints given above. Many of the larger, two-handed European battle axes had 8 to 9" blade faces, with a rare 10" face; the smaller battle axes very typically had a 5" face ... for those who think that a 10-inch blade isn't very big ... U$1 0I!%The spike found opposite of the half-blade is described as curved, but far more commonly is described as thick. It is likely that the curve is a slight one; a noticeable curve would have been mentioned in the axe's description far more frequently. Perrin, "... with the spike foremost ... drove the spike into the Trolloc's temple" , and instantly kills it; to do so would require at least the 5 to 6" length standard for such spikes. An excessive curve to the spike would've made this maneuver very difficult. I p> J" R#The larger European war axes often sported a 5 to 6" spike opposite the blade; these were typically slightly curved, or straight. Very commonly, the spike was quadrangular in cross-section, occasionally triangular. Perrin's axe most likely follows this model. Finally, the ashwood haft is defined as "... a pace long..." , 36" in real-world units, about as long Perrin's arm, including outstretched hand. I have previously argued for a somewhat shorter handle, some 26 to 30" long, given the apparent flexibility of some of Jordan's measurements. A longer axe becomes unwieldy; Perrin's axe is easily concealed beneath his cloak, and never described or perceived as long-handled, unwieldy, or clumsy, though he takes it everywhere.Plainly made, and presumably lacking the simple ornamentation shown on the cover of TDR; Sweet also lops off the upper tip of the half-moon. The illustration on page 202 of RJWoT (left) has since eclipsed Sweet's version, and fits the facts far better. &@# +k( 0U!@4 8D# "return to Table of Contents1k1&(8 >y" ** The ruby-hilted dagger from Shadar Logoth **This strongly curved dagger probably closely resembles a Middle Eastern jambiya; Jordan's description is simple and elegant: ' & 0"A curved dagger with a gold scabbard worked in strange symbols. Fine gold wrapped the hilt, which was capped by a ruby as big as Rand's thumbnail, and the quillons were golden-scaled serpents baring their fangs." %' Little information is given in terms of size. However, even if slid fully from its sheath, it is small enough that Mat can hide dagger and scabbard both with his body. This suggests the dagger's length is at most, say, 12", though this is hardly certain. The curve of the weapon is pronounced: "The bare blade curved like a horn ..." . The ruby is repeatedly referred to as "capping" the hilt, i.e. "... a ruby the size of a pigeon's egg capping the hilt ..." which likely places it atop the very end of the hilt, rather than being set into the side of the hilt, and is described further as "... dark as a drop of blood..." A f& 7Except for the serpent cross-guard, the depiction in RJWoT could be fairly accurate, though I imagine this dagger comes closer to the stylized chapter icon shown above, or some hybrid of the two. Unfortunately, no more information is provided. +%( 0U!f4 8D# "return to Table of Contents11(TG  C T"  ** Mat Cauthon's ashandarei **This "... odd black-hafted spear with a short sword blade in place of a spearpoint, slightly curved and single-edged ..." follows the design of a basic Western glaive; some such are richly ornamented and a perfect match for Mat's ashandarei. Glaives however can widely vary in appearance; the Japanese naginata has a far more stereotypical form and is also an excellent match.0P , ( "& v # P s & 0"A line of some strange cursive script ran its length, bracketed by a pair of birds inlaid on metal even darker than the wood. Ravens ... Another pair were engraved on the blade ..." v o@< Fk PGH"Specifically, these words were inscribed upon the blade, in a script Rand could not read, and presumably in the Old Tongue: "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made.Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades.What was asked is given. The price is paid." The blade itself was 2' in length , of black metal; the raven markings are at the point of the blade . The "... iron-hard black haft ..." could be either round or oval in cross-section; if modelled on the naginata, it would be oval. The length of the weapon is unclear: Mat standing straight has the sword blade beginning just level with his head . That is, if the blade starts level with the start of his head, the length of the weapon is about 82", if level with the top of his head, about 95". If a length of 20" is assumed for the 2' blade, the overall length becomes either 78 or 91" respectively. Either length is typical for a polearm, though the shorter length sees o@ms more likely for a weapon used out of formation, and is more typical of the Japanese naginata. Ys A( PGHAlso worth of comment, not only for sake of the imagery involved, which surely is Jordan at his finest, are Mat's medallion, and the ring he acquires in ACoS. His medallion consists of "... a silver foxhead that almost filled his palm ..." , or 3" or so across - a gift from the Eelfinn, the Foxes, themselves: kCo@[C( PG0H"The pupil of the fox's eye was a tiny circle split by a sinuous line, one polished bright, the other shaded in some way. The ancient symbol of Aes Sedai ..." Since only the one eye is mentioned here, and elsewhere, the foxhead likely consists of a side-profile view .^3AE+ $g Mat's ring foreshadows his fate: to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons. "Inside a border of large crescents, a running fox seemed to have startled two birds into flight ... He certainly needed to be crafty as a fox ... the medallion had made him fond of foxes." The crescent border should consist of nine crescent moons. The two birds are undoubtedly ravens, like the twin ravens engraved on blade and haft of his ashandarei - not coincidentally, symbols of the Seanchan Imperial family