The creation of fantasy weapons -or at least their naming-is largely based on psychological reasons. The purpose was to strengthen the confidence of the wielder in his weapon, or the weapon itself through different means. Thor, the Viking god of war, is distinctive only because of his hammer, Mjolnir. Excalibur was the main instrument King Arthur of Camelot ascended the throne of England. The sword actually proved his lineage to kingship after Uther Pendragon who was his father. In Asia, any Japanese family's claim to the royal throne is bolstered by possession of the Imperial Regalia which includes the sword Kusanagi.
Such swords and weapons are often imbued with magical powers to improve the owner's or wielder's invincibility. Roland has the indestructible Durendal as his most cherished war companion. The Welsh legends has the sword Dyrnwyn, which was said to burst into flames on use and helps the user if the purpose is good, but burns the holder if he intends to use it for evil aims. Meantime, the Irish has Fragarach, the sword that can penetrate all kinds of medieval armour that are otherwise unaffected by ordinary weapons.
In the more modern times, two fantasy world war weapons may be the Me262 'Schwalbe' or the Me163 'Komet', and the 'Paris Gun' which was often confused with the 'Big Bertha'. The Me262 was the first-ever jetfighter to fly the skies and bring down enemy airplanes (the RAF Gloster 'Meteor', a similarly-designed jet fighter, did not reach air combat operations until late 1944) . It was fielded for combat by Germany in appreciable quantities in mid-1944, and damaged a RAF Mosquito on July 26, 1944 as its first air combat victory. In contrast, the Meteor scored its first wins when it downed two V1 weapons on August 4, 1944. The Komet was a rocket-firing jet fighter that was even faster than the Me262.
Meantime, the Paris Gun (Paris-Geschtz) was a long-barrel siege gun used to pound Paris, 120 kilometers away, in World War 1. It was meant as a psychological weapon to scare Parisians into evacuating the city or ceasing resistance to the German military advance. Maybe the objective was achieved, because the citizens of Paris first believed they were being hammered by a new kind of super airweapon because there was no noise before the shells fell. Yet, the people did not leave Paris -not all, anyway--- and the German did not conquer the City of Lights.
So weapons may be termed fantasy weapons, they need to be -or believed to be--- fanciful items. They should be extraordinary or even supernatural enough to be exceptional over similar ordinary weapons. Legend, fictional or real, fantasy weapons serve to bolster the confidence of the wielder, inspire the nation or group, and create a hero figure which aspiring minds can identify with. In legends and fiction, these weapons are often successful or come to a romantic end, but for real-life ones, their service is often not worth the efforts and expectations accorded them.
Such swords and weapons are often imbued with magical powers to improve the owner's or wielder's invincibility. Roland has the indestructible Durendal as his most cherished war companion. The Welsh legends has the sword Dyrnwyn, which was said to burst into flames on use and helps the user if the purpose is good, but burns the holder if he intends to use it for evil aims. Meantime, the Irish has Fragarach, the sword that can penetrate all kinds of medieval armour that are otherwise unaffected by ordinary weapons.
In the more modern times, two fantasy world war weapons may be the Me262 'Schwalbe' or the Me163 'Komet', and the 'Paris Gun' which was often confused with the 'Big Bertha'. The Me262 was the first-ever jetfighter to fly the skies and bring down enemy airplanes (the RAF Gloster 'Meteor', a similarly-designed jet fighter, did not reach air combat operations until late 1944) . It was fielded for combat by Germany in appreciable quantities in mid-1944, and damaged a RAF Mosquito on July 26, 1944 as its first air combat victory. In contrast, the Meteor scored its first wins when it downed two V1 weapons on August 4, 1944. The Komet was a rocket-firing jet fighter that was even faster than the Me262.
Meantime, the Paris Gun (Paris-Geschtz) was a long-barrel siege gun used to pound Paris, 120 kilometers away, in World War 1. It was meant as a psychological weapon to scare Parisians into evacuating the city or ceasing resistance to the German military advance. Maybe the objective was achieved, because the citizens of Paris first believed they were being hammered by a new kind of super airweapon because there was no noise before the shells fell. Yet, the people did not leave Paris -not all, anyway--- and the German did not conquer the City of Lights.
So weapons may be termed fantasy weapons, they need to be -or believed to be--- fanciful items. They should be extraordinary or even supernatural enough to be exceptional over similar ordinary weapons. Legend, fictional or real, fantasy weapons serve to bolster the confidence of the wielder, inspire the nation or group, and create a hero figure which aspiring minds can identify with. In legends and fiction, these weapons are often successful or come to a romantic end, but for real-life ones, their service is often not worth the efforts and expectations accorded them.
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