The creation of fantasy weapons -or at least their naming-is largely based on psychological reasons. It served to bolster the power of the wielder or the importance of the weapon in varied ways. For example, Thor without his magic hammer Mjolnir cannot be a god, only a simple smith. Excalibur was the main instrument King Arthur of Camelot ascended the throne of England. Without it, he cannot be England's rightful heir to the throne after Uther Pendragon, his father. The symbolic sword Kusanagi is one of Japan's Imperial Regalia, symbols of the Emperor's divine descent.
Such swords and weapons are often imbued with magical powers to improve the owner's or wielder's invincibility. Durendal, Roland's indestructible sword, was said to be his most trusted 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. The Irish legends have Fragarach, owned by the god of the seas, a sword that can smite medieval armour or any kind, no matter how impenetrable the armor is by any other sword or weapon.
For the fantasy weapons of the Twentieth Century, two world war weapons that may termed fantastic are the Me262 or Me163, as well as the Paris Gun. 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) . The Swallow began combat operations in the middle of 1944, and one 262 damaged a Mosquito in 26 July as the jetplane's first combat win. In contrast, the Meteor scored its first wins when it downed two V1 weapons on August 4, 1944. The rocket-armed Komet, a jetplane faster than the Swallow, saw limited role in the air war and did not figure prominently in it.
Meantime, the Paris Gun (Paris-Geschtz) was a long-barrel siege gun used to pound Paris, 120 kilometers away, in World War 1. The primary purposes was to instill terror in the hearts of Parisiennes so French resistance to German advance would weaken. 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. On the other hand, Paris was not evacuated by civilians, and the German Army failed to occupy the city.
So weapons may be termed fantasy weapons, they need to be -or believed to be--- fanciful items. They are imbued with extraordinary powers or capabilities by the user, enough to become superior to comparable ones. Whether the endowment of extraordinary powers was by legend, fiction or real, the general purpose was create confidence in the individual holder, the group or nation so a positive outcome of the war may be attained, and develop a hero as center of faith for victory. 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. Durendal, Roland's indestructible sword, was said to be his most trusted 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. The Irish legends have Fragarach, owned by the god of the seas, a sword that can smite medieval armour or any kind, no matter how impenetrable the armor is by any other sword or weapon.
For the fantasy weapons of the Twentieth Century, two world war weapons that may termed fantastic are the Me262 or Me163, as well as the Paris Gun. 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) . The Swallow began combat operations in the middle of 1944, and one 262 damaged a Mosquito in 26 July as the jetplane's first combat win. In contrast, the Meteor scored its first wins when it downed two V1 weapons on August 4, 1944. The rocket-armed Komet, a jetplane faster than the Swallow, saw limited role in the air war and did not figure prominently in it.
Meantime, the Paris Gun (Paris-Geschtz) was a long-barrel siege gun used to pound Paris, 120 kilometers away, in World War 1. The primary purposes was to instill terror in the hearts of Parisiennes so French resistance to German advance would weaken. 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. On the other hand, Paris was not evacuated by civilians, and the German Army failed to occupy the city.
So weapons may be termed fantasy weapons, they need to be -or believed to be--- fanciful items. They are imbued with extraordinary powers or capabilities by the user, enough to become superior to comparable ones. Whether the endowment of extraordinary powers was by legend, fiction or real, the general purpose was create confidence in the individual holder, the group or nation so a positive outcome of the war may be attained, and develop a hero as center of faith for victory. 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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