r/SWORDS • u/bazzismenace • 10d ago

Mysterious sword

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This sword from the « tales of earthsea » has been haunting me since I saw the movie, where does this sword design comes from ? I searched and I found its kind of German inspired, tho not sure about that I could be totally wrong. Please help me find out. Thanks !

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u/MuttTheDutchie Federschwert Enthusiast 10d ago

This is the Ghibli adaptation of a book written by an author (Ursala K. Le Guin, and yes I did have to look up the spelling) who described the sword in the books as just "long and slim." The Ghibli film annoyed me because I always pictured a rapier, not that.

Anyway since it's Ghibli and drawing inspiration from Japan and China it's probably meant to be a Jian like sword. The pommel and lack of crossguard are very inline with Jian, as well as it being long and thin.

13

u/UtgaardLoki 10d ago

For what it’s worth, the difference between some Jian blades and some rapier blades is about 4 inches and a heavier hilt.

9

u/luluzulu_ 10d ago

Ghibli design is almost definitely closer to what Le Guin was describing. Earthsea is a bronze age world, and the sword in the movie shares a lot of characteristics with some bronze age swords.

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u/spiteful_god1 10d ago

Interesting. I read the book and came away with the impression that it was a fantasy Bronze Age Polynesian culture.

So when you said rapier, this is the type of rapier I imagined in the books: