If you've never browsed The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons by Leonid Tarassuk & Claude Blair, you have been missing a vital part of your life - especially if you're a writer whose characters have a need for weaponry.
When I bought this encyclopedia, one of the first things I did (besides skimming through it at least 5 times) was grab one of my many empty notebooks and begin a list of all the weapons in there that I could use in my books. I made it through "F" before another project got my attention and I completely forgot about it.
Still, that list has over 50 weapons in it, most of which I'd never heard of before but found fascinating.
I thought I'd share my top 20 of those obscure and underrated weapons for you to use in your next novel.
Ayda Katti
"A typical knife used in the Coorg region of India. Its blade is broad and heavy, curved and single-edged, widening toward the point and sharp on the concave side. Its wooden hilt--often painted red and decorated with silver rosettes--has no guard but a large, flat, kite-shaped pommel. Ivory hilts are also frequently seen about 16-20 in long, the ayda katti is carried without a scabbard on the wearer's back, where it passes through a flattened brass ring, a todunga, which is fastened to his belt."
Bagh-nakh
"An Indian weapon, not unlike the Eurpoean knuckle-duster. Its name means 'tiger claws,' which was particularly apt since it consisted of four or five steel claws riveted to a flat bar fitted with two rings to slip over the aggressor's fingers. Sometimes there was also a pike at the side. The bagh-nakh was never regarded as a prestigious weapon and was used mostly by thieves and murderers."
(And if you look up some videos of people using these things on wood and stuff, they're nasty. And very well-hidden. So if you're writing an assassin...)
Beidana
"An Italian peasant's sword, with a single-edged blade, narrow at the heel and broader toward the end, which was truncated. The size varied from 20-30 in., with the handle accounting for some 4 in. The cutting edge ran up only part of the blade, which was often set off from the grip by a decorative baluster. The cutting part was asymmetrical, with one side flat and the other slightly convex. This asymmetry clearly indicated that it was derived from the similar tool for cutting wood.
"The top of the back edge was almost invariably fitted with a spiral or volute-shaped piece bent backward. At the end of the grip, usually made of horn and fixed with rivets on the tang, a curved hook protected the hand an enabled the weapon to be carried at the belt, like billhooks used by peasants.
"The beidana always remained somewhat of a dual-purpose object.... It was used in the area of the central Alps in the 17th and 18th centuries since it was well suited to the guerrillas operating in mountainous regions."
Bhuj (or kutti)
"A characteristic dagger from... northern India, the bhuj is also called an 'elephant knife' because of the representation of an elephant's head which is usually part of the decoration, either chased on metal at the heel or modeled in brass between haft and blade. The blade is single-edged, with a short back edge at the point, between 7-10 in. long. It is rather broad and heavy, slightly curved, often with an engraved or gilded silver mount. The haft consists of a metal rod, also usually engraved or inlaid with silver, and finished off with a decorative knob which is, in fact, frequently the pommel of a screw-in dagger contained in the hollow haft."
Bichwa
"Although bichwa means 'the sting of a scorpion,' the shape of this Indian dagger is based on the curve of a buffalo's horns, and the blades were, in fact, made of horn in the earliest examples. The more modern metal blade has retained the original double curve and is sometimes forked, often fluted, always double-edged, and about 10 in. long. The steel hilt is looped to form a grip and knuckle guard, and may carry silver embellishments with bosses on guard and pummel.
"The bichwa is sometimes used in conjunction with a bagh-nakh, the bar joining the claws being attached to the grip. This combination makes a very nasty weapon indeed and has a reputation for having been the weapon used in treacherous assassinations."
Bolas
"A missile weapon of prehistoric Asian origin. It is widely used by the Eskimos and by the Indians of the South American plains.
"The Eskimo bolas, which is employed mostly for hunting wildfowl, consists of four, six, or ten weights made of walrus ivory or bone--which may be egg-shaped, spherical, or even carved to represent animals. These weights, which are about 1-2 in. in diameter, are each fastened to a cord about 28 in. long, the opposite ends being joined to form a short handle. When the hunter goes into action, he grasps the handle in one hand, the balls in the other and, with a quick jerk, straightens out the strings; as soon as he spies a flock of birds he lets the balls go, whirls them around his head, and releases the handle. This weapon is effective up to 33-44 yards.
"The South American bolas is almost twice as big, consisting of a cord or thong with a leather-covered stone ball fastened to each end. Sometimes the leather covering is not used, and a groove is cut around each ball with the cord tied into the groove. A second cord, with a smaller ball, is usually attached to the middle of the first cord, and it is this third ball that is held in the horseman's hand as he rides after his prey, whirling the other two around his head until they have attained sufficient velocity. The weapon is then released so as to strike or entangle the legs of the enemy or of an animal or large bird such as an emu. A two-balled bolas is known as a somai and a triple-balled one as an achico."
Boomerang
"A missile weapon of the Australian aborigines.... Sickle-shaped, the boomerang is usually made of hardwood, although horn, ivory, and metal ones are not uncommon. Its average length is about 16-28 in. and its width 2-3 in. It has sharp edges and is slightly more convex on one side than the other. There are two main types: the return boomerang and the nonreturn or war boomerang.
"The return boomerang is more of a plaything, although it can be used for killing birds and is often as dangerous to the thrower as to the target.... A special technique is required, too, in the throwing, but when this is done correctly the boomerang will travel straight for some 100 ft. or more, with nearly vertical rotation; it then inclines to the left, lies over on its flat side, and rises into the air, returning to the thrower when it has described a circle about 165 ft. in diameter. Some highly skilled Australian aborigines can achieve throws of 330 ft. before the leftward curve begins. It is even claimed that a boomerang has been seen to return to its thrower after having hit its target.
"The war boomerang is altogether bigger and heavier, and may be 40 in. or more in length. It is a deadly weapon in the hands of an expert."
Brandistock
"An edged weapon, a kind of tuck, concealed within a stout hollow stick. In order to release the thrusting blade it was necessary to 'brandish' the stick in a forward direction; by so doing, the blade could slide outward from the stick to the right position, where it was locked by a catch with a spring release. The compact size of this weapon made it eminently portable and ideal for footmen and coachmen, and possibly also for pilgrims. The staff used by the wayfarer on his long journeys must have seemed harmless enough, but when required, it could be turned into a fearsome weapon. In addition to this type, with one blade, which can to some extend be considered the forerunner of the sword stick, there was another type with fairly consistent features which was designed for military use. It had three blades: the central one, some 27 in. long, and a much shorter blade sticking outward on either side of it; these were housed in a metal tube which normally was closed at the top with a hinged cap."
Cestrosphendone
"Derived from the Greek words for 'dart' and 'slings', the cestrosphendone was a sling operated mechanically, in an engine, or by hand, which threw special darts. The dart was about 15 in. long and consisted of a wooden pole fitted with a strong, pointed iron head, either many-sided or leaf-shaped, immediately behind which were fixed two or three vanes made of wood. In the hand-operated sling, two straps were affixed at the tip or behind the vanes. By spinning the cestrosphendone at ever-increasing speed, a hurler lent tremendous impetus to his weapon, which could hit targets some distance away."
Chakram (or chacka)
"[The chakram] consisted of a flat steel ring... with a very sharp outer edge and a rounded inner edge, which was used to whirl the weapon around the forefinger before throwing. Another method of whirling consisted of holding the chakram between the thumb and the first finger and throwing it to coincide with the full swing of the body, like a discus. Its effective range was 42-54 yards.
Combination Weapons
"A generic term for weapons that are hidden or appear to be innocent articles of everyday use, such as a sword stick, the fakir's crutch and the Japanese tanto, a dagger shoese sheath was sometimes made to look like a fan. The term also includes any weapon that combines different kinds of arms and fulfills various functions.
...Even small items such as cutlery were combined with pistols. A set consisting of a knife, fork, and spoon - probably made in Germany in the early 18th century - had small flintlock mechanisms and handles the concealed small barrels."
Cane gun:
"A pistol or a gun concealed in a walking stick. In the case of a pistol, the weapon was hidden in the handle, which had to be detached from the stick before the pistol could be fired. In the gun version, the metal stick, covered with leather or painted to imitate wood, was the actual barrel, whose muzzle was usually closed by a spring plug or a screw-on cap. The handle, straight or bent, contained a percussion mechanism that was cocked by pulling a button or a ring; the same act exposed a folding trigger."
Dolo:
"A term used... to describe a weapon with a blade concealed in a stick or cane; in effect this was the forerunner of the sword stick."
Corsesca
"A staff weapon [that] had a three-pronged head with a central triangular double-edged blade and two sharp upturned wings.
"A well-developed form of this weapon, with large, cusped side blades, was sometimes called chauve-souris (French for 'bat'). The side blades served several functions: as a guard when a thrust was delivered with the central blade, thus protecting the warrior's forward hand; as a stopping device, preventing a deep penetration of the trusting central blade; as a hook for unseating a mounted opponent and tripping his horse.
"A variation of the weapon, with a long, narrow spike and two upcurving side blades, served as a boarding weapon in naval warfare."
Ebira
"A type of Japanese quiver which was hung from the left shoulder. It usually consisted of an open box fitted with bars to steady the arrowheads and an open metal or whalebone frame, rising from the back of the box, with cords to hold the shafts. ...A small drawer in the lower part of the box was often arranged to contain an extra bowstring, an ink slab, or other small accessory."
Fakir's Crutch
"A rather rare form of Indian mace or pick used, as the name implies, mostly by religious mendicants forbidden by law to carry arms. Usually made from a solid piece of steel, it has a short handle on one side of which is a head shaped like a hand holding an antelope's horn and, on the other, a serpent with a tiger's head. This 'crutch' is placed under the arm when the fakir is seated and, should the need arise, can be a very efficient weapon."
Fakir's Horns
"A rare form of Indian weapon used by some fakirs, who as holy mendicants have never been allowed to carry ordinary weapons. It consists of a pair of black buck horns fastened together with their points going in opposite directions. The tips of the horns are sometimes furnished with steel spikes."
Falchion
"A sword with a heavy single-edged blade, whose back was either straight or slightly concave, while the edge had a pronounced convex curve. The blade also broadened considerably toward the point where the back formed a long cut-off sharpened section (back edge)."
(Yes, Orcrist is a falchion. That is the sole reason I included a sword in a post about "obscure" weapons. XD)
Falx Supina
"A particular type of war knife of Oriental origin, with a curbed blade and concave cutting edge, used in Roman times by Thracian gladiators. It was so named because of its shape close resembled that of a sickle."
(Falx Supina is Latin form "recurving sickle", by the way.)
Feruze
"An unusual Japanese weapon consisting of a hollow stave about 39 in. long, which contains a chain to which is attached an iron ball. When the stave is brandished, the ball flies out with sufficient force to kill a man. Its invention is traditionally attributed to the priest of Nara Hozoin Inei."
Flissa
"This sword has a single-edged blade, quite straight on the back, with a long point. The cutting edge has a double curve, like a yatagan, the widest part of the blade being about the central point of percussion, roughly at one-third of its length from the point, narrowing above and then widening to nearly its maximum again at the hilt. The average blade is about 39 in. long, frequently engraved and inlaid with brass in simple geometrical designs of triangles, semicircles, and scrolls. The hilt is small with a one-sided pommel, without guards, and formed in the shape of a bird's head. ... The cross section of the grip is octagonal, and the pommel is fixed by a transverse rivet, the ends of which look like a bird's eyes."
Funda
"A Roman term for a sling, consisting of a strap made of flax, leather, or horsehair, in the middle of which there was a pocket or pouch which held the missile. As a rule three slings of different lengths were carried for hurling the missile different distances - the maximum being some 500 ft. The idea of replacing the hand and arm with a weapon which offered far greater range came into being at a very early stage in virtually all primitive peoples and, apart from the well-documented use of it described in the Bible, there is evidence of it at the Mycenae and throughout the Mediterranean basin. ... It was also used for hunting large wildfowl - waterfowl in particular."
I don't know what it is about weapons that is so fascinating, but I love finding new ones - even better when I can add it to a story. ;P
Did you find any new, interesting weapons in this list? Have you ever heard of the Encyclopedia? Did you notice how many weapons were made by and/or for monks, priests, and other religious people? What was your favorite item on this list?
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! ^_^
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