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Weaponry from Inheritance
Swords
Swords are hard
weapons to define, since there are so many different kinds. Basically, a sword
is a cutting or thrusting weapon consisting of a handle (hilt) and a blade.
Swords are probably the most common of medieval weapons, probably because of
their variety. Scimitars, two-hands, long swords, short swords, and daggers are
just a few different kinds of swords. In Eragon, very few ordinary swords are
described but, considering the circumstances, most of the swords were probably
simple 1-hand swords. Murtagh is described to have a hand-and-a-half sword.
This sword is just like its name – a sword with half of its length being a
handle and the other half being a blade.
One special sword
described is Angela’s huthvirn (a staff/sword mix) that she won through trickery
from the dwarves. It is described as being two-handed, with a long wooden shaft
with a sword blade attached to each end. Only the dwarves are allowed to use
the huthvirn, with Angela as an exception.
A
Rider’s Blade
A Dragon Rider’s
sword was very special. First of all, they were crafted by the elves, which can
only mean quality. A Rider’s sword will never stain or tarnish. They are
eternally sharp, perfectly balanced and incredibly light, although, they are
very heavy to everyone but the Rider. They are generally 3 feet long, and are
colored to match the color of their dragon. Also, the hilt of the sword is
traditionally fixed with a gem the same color as the rest of the sword.
The only Rider’s blade
described throughout the trilogy is Zar’roc, the crimson blade that once
belonged to Morzan but now belongs to Eragon. Zar’roc was made by the renowned
elven smith Rhunon, who made the blades for all Dragon Riders. Zar’roc means
“Misery”, and it was used to create misery before it came to Eragon. Zar’roc
has a golden pommel with a ruby in it, with a grip that has wire wrapped around
it and a silver cross-guard.
Bows and Arrows
Archery is the use
of a bow to propel an arrow toward a target. It is generally used in hunting and
warfare. Today, bow hunters use complicated bows, which actually resemble a high
tech crossbow. In Eragon’s technological period, there was no such thing. A bow
was simply a piece of flexible bent wood with a string pulling the two ends
together. An arrow was a stick with a sharp point or sharp rock at one end (used
to kill victim) and some feathers connected to the back (used to keep arrow
going straight.) To shoot the bow, you must first nock an arrow onto the piece
of string. Then, with your fingers in the appropriate place, you must pull back
on the arrow. After aiming, you release the string, shooting the arrow forward
toward the target. In the first chapter of Eragon, we see him hunting with a bow
and arrow that he crafted himself. This shows us that Eragon is a brilliant
craftsman, seeing as how hard a bow and arrows are to make. It also shows that
he is a strong, sturdy young man, as well as a good archer. Serious archery
isn’t something you can do occasionally.
->
Specific Bows
Just as there are many
types of swords, there are also many types of bows. The simplest one is a
shortbow. A shortbow has a rather shorter piece of wood and is usually made for
people who are not as competent yet with a bow. There is also a longbow, which
is like the shortbow but with a longer piece of wood. Then there is the
composite bow, in which the piece of wood is curved twice. Lastly there is the
recurve bow, which is simply a bow with a generally larger curve in the wood and
with curled tips.
A special bow that Eragon
receives is from Queen Islanzadi before he departs to Surda. It is a bow of the
elves, long and dark with reflexive limbs and curled tips. Silver and painted
dogwood leaves decorated the length of the bow. The wood used to make it was
sung from a yew tree, and the string would never break. Eragon also receives
arrows from Islanzadi, fletched with white swan feathers.
Axes
Just as in other fantasies, dwarves in Alagaesia are the more
prominent wielders of axes. In Eragon, before the battle at Farthen Dur,
the dwarves are described to carry either mattocks or war axes in their right
hand and a shield in their left hand. These axes probably were like the general
war axes – usually having one or two ax heads.
Volund is a special ax/hammer of the dwarven king Hrothgar. It was made by
Korgan, the first dwarven king. It is very large and has the symbol of
Hrothgar’s dwarf clan on it – Durgrimst Ingeitum (a symbol with a hammer and
stars). Ever since Volund was made, it has been passed down to each new dwarven
king.
The Other Weapons
Very few to no
other weapons are described in Eragon, although we can make inferences on some
of the creatures weapons. Urgals probably had a variety of weapons, although
all of them would be brutish and cheaply made. Battle-axes, spears, short
swords, and clubs would be their most likely weapons. Elves are usually known
for their archery. Although they craft incredible swords, we learn that their
preferred method of warfare is archery. A dragon’s weaponry consisted of it’s
fire breathing, teeth, claws, and pure brute strength. Although dragons are
living breathing things, they can definitely be described as a Rider’s greatest
weapon in a battle. Weaponry was usually a situation of life or death in
Eragon’s time, so we can be sure to see more weaponry described in future books.
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