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. Thor, the Viking god of war, is distinctive only because of his hammer, Mjolnir. The sword Excalibur was King Arthur's primary weapon and symbol of royalty. The sword actually proved his lineage to kingship after Uther Pendragon who was 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. Roland has the indestructible Durendal as his most cherished war companion. The sword Dyrnwyn of Welsh legends was said to flame up with fire when used by worthy warriors, but consumes the wielder with fire is he uses it for evil purposes. 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.
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 Messerschmitt 262 Swallow was the first jetfighter to see air combat and bring down an enemy plane around mid-1944 (in contrast to the British Gloster Meteor which was assigned combat roles only in 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. Meanwhile, the Meteor was first assigned an anti-V1 role, downing two rockets 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.
In World War 1, the long-barreled siege cannon Paris Gun was used to lob shells into Paris, 120 kilometers away. 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. 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. 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 sword Dyrnwyn of Welsh legends was said to flame up with fire when used by worthy warriors, but consumes the wielder with fire is he uses it for evil purposes. 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.
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 Messerschmitt 262 Swallow was the first jetfighter to see air combat and bring down an enemy plane around mid-1944 (in contrast to the British Gloster Meteor which was assigned combat roles only in 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. Meanwhile, the Meteor was first assigned an anti-V1 role, downing two rockets 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.
In World War 1, the long-barreled siege cannon Paris Gun was used to lob shells into Paris, 120 kilometers away. 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. 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. 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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