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Post by thatguy on Jan 13, 2023 17:29:59 GMT
KJ Parker's first trilogy is a work of art. The sheer attention to detail alone sets him apart from other authors in the genre. Which is partially why I found the description of the Guelan broadsword a little frustrating. Sure, you leave plenty of room for individual interpretation, but it does make it harder to fit it into any sort of typology (a foolish endeavor for most swords in fantasy, but still).
It is described as being roughly two and a half feet long (in packaged form at least), with a short heavy blade that has a ricasso and a long handle, somehow suited for either one or two hands, cutting or thrusting.
One sword I've seen recently that put me in mind of the Guelan was the Gurthang from Darksword Armory (www.darksword-armory.com/medieval-weapon/medieval-swords/elf-sword-1553/). 32 inch blade (I always tend to think of that as arming sword length) and a 10 inch grip. To my mind, KJ Parker's broadsword doesn't have a blade any longer than that or what was the whole point of mentioning it was roughly two and a half feet long in the first place? In my head at least I tend to think of the blade as a shorter version of Albion's Viceroy sword without the hollow ground ricasso.
Anyone else familiar with this sword or the trilogy it came from? Any thought as to what kind of modified typology it could fit into? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2023 17:38:50 GMT
Hello there!
In terms of typology, I think you could look at the type XIX. These blades are relatively broad and aren't more than 34 inches long. So just under 3 feet. They also have a ricasso and a hexagonal cross section. Good for cutting but can also administer a solid thrust. LK Chen makes a nice sword of this type called the Ribaldo.
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Post by thatguy on Jan 15, 2023 4:56:58 GMT
The type XIX certainly fits with its flat ricasso. Beef up the dimensions to represent the "short heavy blade" description and give it a longer hilt and I can see that working. I'd wonder about how it would handle. The protagonist Bardas Loredan has extensive fencing experience and utilizes the sword by letting the weight guide it, and according to the books uses it to great effect.
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AndiTheBarvarian
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Jan 15, 2023 6:19:05 GMT
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Post by thatguy on Jan 16, 2023 4:35:19 GMT
I'm a little more inclined towards the Hanwei hand and a half, if only because it's more in keeping with the setting of the books. Also, while being a writer of fantasy, KJ Parker tends to keep more towards military realism regarding the weapons. Dimensions on the fantasy swords look about right to my eye though.
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AndiTheBarvarian
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Jan 16, 2023 6:19:34 GMT
I've read a few of Tom Holt's novels and he does research on the stuff he writes about
My first thought was the Hanwei and also it's probably the best handling sword of the three.
Another thought was the Windlass German Bastard as a heavy, shorter bladed bastard sword but it has no ricasso but siderings on the guard.
I'm personally not a fan of "heavy" swords but sometimes some of them are nevertheless fun to handle just to "grow stronger".
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jan 16, 2023 13:09:11 GMT
I have the Windlass German Bastard Sword and find it a powerful cutter. It’s more of a battlefield weapon than a personal duelling weapon. It's not a fun sword, but in the beginning delighted in its cutting ability. Mine comes in at 4¼ lbs. and will indeed build one up and it will cut through bone. I’ve done this severing a pig’s leg protected by three plies of rugs. The side rings and long quillons should give good protection. The sword can be handled with one hand. There's another video showing that.
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Post by thatguy on Jan 16, 2023 16:18:05 GMT
I have a Windlass German Bastard. Only ever used it for light cutting, but impressive to see it handle a flesh and bone target like that. Given the Guelan sword in the books was predominantly meant for the battlefield, it's not a bad fit at all.
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