(NES music)
- Look, I wasted a lot of money on this sword.
I gotta use it as much as possible, alright?
Throughout history, the greatest and most legendary
heroes and figures have been known for not only changing
history, but also for their legendary weapons.
So much so in fact that some people argue whether
the hero wielded the weapon,
or whether the weapon wielded the hero.
In any case, the following swords became so legendary
that they became more well-known than the heroes themselves.
Here are 10 legendary swords that changed history.
Number 10 is Honjo Masamune.
Considered one of Japan's greatest sword smiths,
Goro Nyudo Masamune made a number of incredible blades.
Though the most famous one he ever forged was likely
the Hanjo Masamune.
This was the sword that during the Edo period in Japan
represented the Shogunate, the military dictators who
ruled the country.
Named after Honjo Shigenaga,
a general who first carried the weapon,
the sword was won by him in a duel against an enemy.
The Honjo Mesamune changed hands
a number of times afterwards,
many of those hands belonging to Shoguns.
It was declared one of Japan's national treasures,
but unfortunately after the end of World War Two,
the sword mysteriously disappeared.
Literally people still search for it to this day.
Just kidding, that's the master sword.
Don't get too excited.
Number nine is the curved saber of San Martin.
During South America's fight for independence against Spain,
many military leaders rose to fame.
One of those leaders was San Martin,
an Argentine General who was known as the first protector
of Peru after he helped them gain independence
on July 28th, 1821.
Before arriving in South America, San Martin visited London
where he bought a curved sword that he would come to rely on
and appreciate so much that he armed his calvaries with
similar blades.
This style of sword was highly maneuverable,
especially when charging on horseback,
and could've been the difference in the battles won
while using them.
San Martin's specific sword was handed down to other
leaders and their families until it was finally given to
the National Historical Museum in Buenos Aires,
where it is still on display today.
Number eight is Zulfiqar.
Both cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad,
the prophet of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib,
was better known simply as Ali.
He was the leader of the Islamic Calaphit
in the Middle East, between 656 and 661 AD.
An admirer of Ali's abilities in battle,
Muhammad gave him a great sword,
a simitar called the Zulfigar.
Now there are conflicting stories about exactly
how the sword looked,
though the most popular seems to be that it was a curved
weapon with a split roughly half way up that
made it seem like a double-bladed simitar.
Ali used the Zulfigar during the Battle of the Trench,
when a larger Confederate force attempted a siege
on the city of Medina.
Using the sword, he thwarted their attempts,
and today it's considered a priceless artifact,
and Ali's sword is said to be part of a famous collection
of such relics called the Al Jafar.
Number seven is the seven-branched sword.
Given as a gift in 372 AD to a Yumoto ruler in Japan
by King Jinchogo of the Baejke Dynasty in modern day Korea.
The seven-branched sword was likely not a combat-ready
weapon, but one of ceremony and display.
The sword is made of pure iron
and is 74.9 centimeters long with six smaller extensions,
which curve out from the main blade,
curling upwards in the same direction.
While many swords are famous for the many lives that
they took on the way to helping change history,
the seven-branched sword has unique value.
It's discovery revealed a relationship between the
kingdoms of Korea and Japan at a time when experts believed
there likely wasn't one.
At least not one in which such gifts were exchanged.
Number six is the goujian.
Found in a tomb in Hubei, China, in 1965,
the sword of Goujian is a relic that dates back to
a time between 771 BC and 403 BC.
It belonged to Goujian, a famous Emperor who apparently
took back his kingdom a decade after it fell to a
neighboring state.
Upon its discovery, archeologists were shocked to find
that even though it had been in the tomb
for thousands of years,
there was no trace of serious wear on the blade,
which was still very sharp.
In addition, there was also no tarnish or rust on it,
which is especially odd considering it's made up of
tin and copper and the crypt was soaked in water from
the Zhang River the entire time.
Today it rests in the Hubei Provincial Museum still sharp.
Number five is Tizona.
Born in Vevar, Spain, 1043,
Rodrigo Diez de Vevar, more commonly known as El Sid,
or The Lord, was a military leader who was famous
for his many victories over his enemies.
Almost as famous are his two swords Calada and Tizona,
which he used to cut down forces from
Moors, Barcelona, and Aragon.
Tizona is said to have been forged in Cordoba, Spain,
with steel from various sources, including Damascus steel
from the Middle East.
It's over a meter long and weighs just over a kilogram.
I don't know if you quite understand how long and heavy
that is but you gotta be real strong.
Tizona saw its fair share of battles on its way to
helping shape the future of the kingdoms within Spain.
Today the sword is a cherished relic and is on display
at a museum in Spain.
Number four is Napoleon's sword.
Considered a strategic genius, Napoleon Bonaparte was
a statesman and military leader during the French
Revolutionary War that was granted the title of
Emperor of the French from the French senate in 1804.
During his rule, Napoleon expanded his empire,
toppling many regimes by personally attending battles
with his pistol and sword at his side.
That sword was a calvary-style blade,
and is said to have been made from the finest metals
available at the time.
Gold-encrusted, the Emperor gave it to his brother as
a wedding gift, hoping the victories that he'd won with it
would deliver good luck.
Although I find that kinda odd.
Hey, here's a bloody golden blade, enjoy.
The sword was handed down generation to generation,
until it was finally sold off.
Then on June 10th, 2007, Napoleon's sword was purchased
at an auction by his descendants, who paid a hefty price
of nearly $6.4 million for it.
Number three is the Wallace sword.
The sword used by the guardian of Scotland himself,
William Wallace, this two-headed sword is a whopping
1.63 meters long and weighs 2.7 kilograms,
making it a truly deadly weapon in the hands of someone
strong enough to swing it.
I am not one of those people.
It's length added to the legend that Wallace was a giant man
and fell every enemy that he faced with a single swing.
Truth be told, it did take down a number of large
English soldiers during the wars of Scottish independence,
specifically in the Battle of Sterling in 1297,
and the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.
After he was captured in August of 1305,
Wallace was brutally executed.
His sword changed hands a number of times,
but is now on display at the Wallace Monument near Sterling,
where he and his sword had their greatest victory.
Number two is Joyeuse.
The sword of Charles the Great, better known as Charlemagne,
Joyeuse was carried by the leader until his death in 814 AD.
The sword is over one meter in length with an 82.8
centimeter blade, and weighs almost 1.6 kilograms.
As Charlemagne's personal sword, Joyeuse,
which means joyous, was used to battle enemies,
execute prisoners, and knight loyal followers.
He was truly fond of his weapon as it helped him
transform from King of the Franks to the first
Holy Roman Emperor.
It's said that during one particular battle,
the sword was lost, but it was soon discovered by one
of the Emperor's knights and returned to him.
Charlemagne was so happy to get Joyeus back,
or joyous that he got it back,
that he granted the knight his own piece of land to rule.
And number one is Curtana, the sword of mercy.
Many stories surround the sword used by British monarchs
during coronations.
Some say it originally belonged to a knight of the
Round Table named Tristan, while others believe it was
Edward the Confessor's.
But unlike many legendary swords, Curtana's blade
is missing nearly 2.5 centimeters of its tip,
which is squared off as a blunt object.
It's purpose is strictly ceremonial, not violent,
which is why it's been given the nickname,
'The Sword of Mercy'.
One legend tells of the sword's tip being broken off by
an angel to prevent a killing,
though the true reason is likely it either broke off
accidentally or it was purposely removed for safety.
The sword of mercy is one of the Crown Jewels of the
United Kingdom and is one of the few such relics
to survive the English Civil War of the mid 1600s.
So that was 10 legendary swords that changed history.
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