1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglass. Julie, 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: I know I'm kind of beating a dead horse here, 5 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: but but I just I always feel like violence on 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: our public transportation systems would be a lot more tolerable 7 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: if these guys were fighting with swords. So if you 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: think that if we all had scabbard on, well, I'm 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: not arguing for everyone to have a sword necessarily. I'm 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: not saying sword toting populace is a is a safe populist, 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: or anything to that extent. I'm just saying that, like 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: some dude shoots another dude at the train station, it's 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: it's this huge panic thing. But if two dudes are 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: sword fighting, I mean, you're gonna kind of take note, 15 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: You're gonna watch, You're gonna hopefully back up. But what 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: you're saying, there's something stylish, there's something classy, there's something 17 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: exhilarating about the about a good sword fight. Did you 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: make it sound like we live in Paris and someone 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,479 Speaker 1: is going on, God, that's what I'm saying. It would 20 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: be I mean that's how I imagine, you know, how 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: it goes in Paris. It's just random duels breaking out 22 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: on the subways, some of refresh listeners. If you're out there, 23 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: just if you could confirm, that would be great. Yeah. 24 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: And you know, Europe is just lousy with immortals trying 25 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: to cut each other's heads off from watching the TV. 26 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: But and and of course having watched the TV, having 27 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: watched movies, occasionally we do get to see a great 28 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: sword fight. And there is, for my money, nothing better. 29 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: Did you have any mind? Is there is there sword 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: fight that sticks out to you? What? I have a couple, Um, 31 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: The first one is Princess Pride does have some good Yeah, 32 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: Nigo Montoya, he's just the whole thing, like, uh, he know, 33 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: my name is Nigo Montoya. You killed my father to die? Yes? 34 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: And then they actually have a great fight. Yeah, yeah, 35 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: that's some really good swordmanship. And he fights he can 36 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: fight both, but they both actually uh Wesley and and 37 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: you go both well it's kind of trickery right because 38 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: it was edited, but they use the right and left 39 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: hand so it looks really fancy. And then my all 40 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: time favorite though is Killed Bill Volume one, the last 41 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: fight scene in which I believe it is or n 42 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: Ishi played by uh Lucy Lou fights the bride Uma Thurman, 43 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: and it is I mean, I love the scene. It's 44 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: a gorgeous scene. I mean, she's just Uma Thurman's character 45 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: has just slaughtered the crazy eighty eight, this gang. She's 46 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 1: blood splattered. She goes out into this courtyard in Tokyo 47 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 1: where she meets her her enemy or In, and the 48 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 1: snow is falling, and it's just beautiful because the scene 49 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: is it's stark, and it's full of honor and um, 50 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: you know, there's some exchanges that are really great. And 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: then of course Lucy Lu's character gets completely decapitated. Well 52 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: I'm not completely take that back her the top of 53 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: her head gets decapitated. Yeah. Well it's it's like decapitation 54 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: is such a hallmark of of sword fights on cinema. 55 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: It's like, after a while they realized and we can't 56 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: just go for the it up neck cut. We need 57 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: to go for something a little more inventive. So you 58 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: see the top of the head like the brain cut. Yeah, 59 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: which is really disconcerting, I think, you know, but it 60 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: allows her to say this line, which I love. She 61 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: says that really was a ha Tori Hanzo sword, which 62 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: to me, that's what that scene is about, right, the 63 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: power of this sword. Yeah. Well, um, that also brings 64 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: to mind this was not one of my favorite sword 65 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: fight films. But um, there's that the film Equilibrium years back. 66 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: It was kind of a matrix seeing had Christian Bale 67 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: in it, Sean Bean and it's it's not the best film, 68 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: but the action, some of the action was pretty slick. 69 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: Uh and spoiler alert, but Tay Diggs gets his face 70 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: cut off, like not like people, but like that straight up, 71 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: we can't actually cut anybody's head off because it's not 72 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: exciting enough for modern cinema. So just like the front 73 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: of his head is cut off. But but if I 74 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: were to choose thinking about okay, I'm sure you can 75 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: find it on YouTube, it's like he could have been 76 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: in the Body's exhibit then, because there's like a slice 77 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: of his face. Yes exactly. It's kind of like like 78 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: the dudes who choreographed these and planned this out, they 79 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: were like the bodies exhibited their favorite place. Yeah. Um, 80 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: but but in terms of like just great sword fights, 81 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: my my two favorites are probably the the in fight 82 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: scene between Macbeth and McDuff and Roman Polanski's adaptation, because 83 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: like that one, because it's just such a brutal, drag 84 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: out fight, Like there's nothing like fancy and swashbuckley about it. 85 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: It's it's uh, it's just two dudes going at it 86 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: with this this air of on one side vengeance and 87 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: then the other side, uh, just you know, backed against 88 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: the wall with nothing to lose. And uh. And then 89 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: the movie Rob Roy has a great scene between Archie 90 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: Bald Cunningham played by Tim Roth and Rob Roy played 91 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: by Nicon. So those are those are two great ones. Really, 92 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: Scott's the duelist. Also, it's generally right up there on 93 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: the top of everyone's list is having just a fantastic 94 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: cinematic sword fight. So in case you guys are wondering, 95 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: you know, what do you think we're talking about today? Swords? Um, 96 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: how we romanticize them, how they're a huge part of 97 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: our culture, Um, what they're made of, and the craftsmanship. Um, 98 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: you know, just all sorts of different aspects of how 99 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: this tool really um entered our society and forever changed 100 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: the world and of course the world right and uh, 101 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: and the word tool is is essential here. Uh, And 102 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: I aroge anyone to go back and listen to our 103 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: podcast that we did on tool use and the evolution 104 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: of tool used, because a lot of what we say, 105 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: they're really sums up um or really gets to the 106 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: heart of of what's amazing about the sword. The idea 107 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: that the sword, I mean, it's kind of a cliche 108 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: from anything where any kind of film reverred a master's 109 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: swordsman instructing the uh, the young apprentice, Uh, you know, 110 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: telling them about the sword is then extension of the 111 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: human body, that the sword is part of your arm 112 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: and it studies have shown neurologically, this is the way 113 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: um humans and other animals conceptualize their tool use. That's 114 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: how it ends up making sense inside the human mind. 115 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: And it is uh and it's very basis. It is 116 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: the intation of the human body with with something to 117 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: perform a task, in this case a death dealing device. Right. 118 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: We've talked about this before too, Like you know you've 119 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: brought it up. Okay, if you wear contacts, then are 120 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: you still human? Right, because you're augmenting yourself and so 121 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: you think about the sword and when we think about 122 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: it now, I think it's completely antiquated. It's been out 123 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: of general use for at least two hundred years. Um. 124 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: You know it's just in a very in in a 125 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,559 Speaker 1: sportsman's like way. Um. And yet here is this, um, 126 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: this augmenting of ourselves back in the day because at 127 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: one point, really is especially in the Middle Ages, almost 128 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: all men had a sword, right, this was this was 129 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: very common to possess. Yeah, if you could afford it, 130 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: for sure. Yeah. But although at some point it really 131 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: you know, is affordable to a degree. I mean maybe 132 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: your sword would break and you would be killed. But um, 133 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: you know it's very possible that a peasant could have it, 134 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: and certainly a kink. So this was something that that 135 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: at one point history unified a great many people. So 136 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: the origin of the sword is as another one of 137 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: those things that just kind of vanishes into prehistory when 138 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: you try and you know, nail it down. Like the 139 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: already earliest blades were likely made out of bone, bits 140 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: of stone. Eventually they're creating things out of bronze. Um. 141 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: We found some really amazing not when I say we, 142 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: I mean humans archaeologist not last week have found arsenic 143 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: copper alloy soy swords inlaid with silver from roughly uhtree BC. 144 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,559 Speaker 1: So we've been really into it for a while. And 145 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: as far as the creation of the modern sword goes, 146 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: it generally comes down to heat treatment. You can't make 147 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: steel at room temperature. You have to get iron glowing 148 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: with heat. You have to infuse it with carbon, then 149 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: quench the resulting material and cooling liquid. Where you get 150 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: you know, the very cinematic scene of somebody thrusting the 151 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: newly forged sword into the into the water or into 152 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: the snow or something. Um. And then there's you know, 153 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: there's layering. It's it's a very complicated craft to create 154 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: a a fine sword, and some of these techniques have 155 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: been lost over time or or certainly the appreciation for 156 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: it is often uh forgotten as as human warfare moves 157 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: on to different technologies. Yeah, there's one Scottish sword from 158 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: Middle Ages that I think is it's fascinating. Um. It 159 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: is in the movie Reclaiming the Blade. They feature it 160 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: there and um, this sword was forged by by weaving 161 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: six strands of iron together and then the edge was 162 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: made up steel and it made it incredibly strong. But 163 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: the steel made it really like very uh I mean lethal, right, 164 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: because it could cut very well. But they were saying 165 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: that forging this blade would have taken thousands of hammer 166 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: blows struck just right in order to both strengthen the 167 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: steel edge and maintain the degree of flexibility in the blade. 168 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: So obviously the person who is creating this, the blacksmith, 169 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: is highly skilled at this. And in fact, we'll talk 170 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: about this and a little bit. Some swords we can't 171 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: even quite figure out how to replicate to right and 172 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: uh and like you alluded to, their these things have 173 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: to take a lot of stress. It's not just hacking 174 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: into uh, you know, unarmed peasants with these things. It's 175 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: uh that they're gonna hit wood, they're gonna hit armor, 176 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: they're going to hit bone, they're going to there's gonna 177 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: be stress ricocheting through the material or reverberating through the 178 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: material itself. So you have to make it. Anyone could 179 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 1: could potentially make something and call it a sword. You 180 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: could carve one out of kindling. But to to make 181 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: an instrument like this that is going to last, uh 182 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: in many cases for centuries and centuries, um, it requires 183 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: a great deal of skill. Just another quick note, though 184 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: particularly interesting weapon I ran across and researching this. There's 185 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: a Danish blade called a seek u s e a 186 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: x um or perhaps it's a sex I don't I 187 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: may have the pronunciation there wrong, but I just can't 188 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: bring myself. I just can't bring myself to talk about 189 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: baio wolf slang Grendel with his sex um. Yes you can, yeah, 190 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: I probably can, but but anywa rate uh baio Wolf 191 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: supposedly had one of these, it or would have. It's 192 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: a very old blade and the handle was actually made 193 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: of something called usk or usk, which is mineralized walrus penis. 194 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: Of course, yeah, because the thing is you don't want 195 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: the handle to get slippery and all the blood that 196 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: and the Grendl blood that's going everywhere, so so you 197 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: want something that's it's gonna hold tighten your hand. Well, 198 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: and I can't help thinking too that although I don't 199 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: think of as walruss is like overly masculine one with 200 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: the big tusks. Yeah, but I don't think of them 201 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: as being like, hey, I'm gonna take you down, not 202 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: like a tiger. Yeah. I guess you don't see a 203 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: lot of walrus tattoos, right exactly. It would be amazing. 204 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: So you know, my first thought was, Okay, you're just 205 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: transferring the power of the walrus to the to the handle. 206 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: But perhaps that was just what was available. Yeah, just 207 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: in aside, there's an amazing bit of street art in 208 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: San Francisco Walrus laser beam, giant walrus laser beams coming 209 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: out of his eyes. It's great if you Okay, there 210 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: there's a tattoo. If you guys see it, take a 211 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: gaze at it. But the style of swords varies just 212 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: throughout the world. Um, like every culture has the sort 213 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: of slightly different take on the blade. Uh. And you 214 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: know it depends on the time too. As warfare evolves, 215 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: so does the sword. And we could devote a whole 216 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: podcast to to just discussing that. But but just to 217 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: briefly mention some some other models. Um, there's of course 218 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: the rapier, the slender, sharply pointed sword that you see. 219 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: I think of that more of like a gentleman's sword. Yeah, 220 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,719 Speaker 1: the gentleman's sword early modern Europe during the sixteen seventeen centuries, 221 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: um used for thrusting and uh and yeah, there's yeah 222 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: kind of a musketeer type thing, you know. Um, the 223 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 1: Samurai swords of Japan, which are highly revered for their craftsmanship. 224 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: Those things are still around. The handles will often be 225 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: replaced over time, but the blade itself often really holds up. Well. Yeah, 226 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: I actually read somewhere too that um, somewhere in England 227 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: the samurai's swords fights have become somewhat common. Actually, say, 228 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: isn't the UK? Yeah? Said one. One member of Parliaments 229 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: says they happen every week in her home city. Um. 230 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: And the government actually moved to ban the manufacturer, sale 231 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: or import of Japanese style swords in two thousand and eight. 232 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: This is in the UK. This is in the UK. 233 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: This is from an article from Slate dot com Without 234 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: swords and nerds. Well, I mean, on one hand, maybe 235 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: that's just a shun, the sign that the gathering is occurring, 236 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: right and well yeah, but but the other I mean, 237 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: these are not trained samurai. These are really just like 238 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: kids going out in hack and they might as well 239 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: be using clean on blades, which sometimes they do. But 240 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: but but back to actual weapons. There's also the conda, 241 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: which is an Indian double edged straight sword that it 242 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: comes to a point really abruptly, especially if you're more 243 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: familiar with looking at Western and Eastern more traditional Western 244 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: and Eastern models of the sword. This one is particularly 245 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: interesting to look up, and it was used just throughout 246 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: the region a by like the Sikhs, the Maratha's, the 247 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: jots Um. And then of course there's a sword that 248 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: I've found particularly interesting to to look into. And then 249 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: of course it's like the great two handed great sword, 250 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: which you'll recognize from medieval iconography. This just sort of 251 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: that with a really long handle that you would have 252 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: to grip in two hands, and and it's just a 253 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: really long blade so that if the thing was standing 254 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: next to the man wielding it, it would be about 255 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: his height. And uh, you see this, Uh, this sort 256 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: of myth emerges over time that this weapon is not 257 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: a skilled weapon that it or or even if it 258 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: is a skilled weapon, that it is a weapon of 259 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: brute strength and brute power. And then there's not a 260 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: martial art to it, like obviously, like anyone can can 261 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: look at a Samurai sword and then look at some 262 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: of the images of it and you're like, yeah, there's 263 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: there's definitely a martial art to that well, and it's 264 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: better documented to right right right, whereas yeah, it's it's 265 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: to a certain extent, it's less documented in um, you're 266 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: talking about European martial arts, right right. These were used 267 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: fourteen fifteen, sixteenth century. And even if this war began 268 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: to gravitate more towards the smaller weapons and thinner weapons 269 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: and change. I mean, initially, these these new soldiers that 270 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: they didn't have the resources at their their fingertips, so 271 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: they weren't historians, so it was easy to say, oh, well, 272 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, today we use this more skillful blade. And 273 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: then and in the old days are they just lumbered 274 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: around with these giant pieces of steel? And then even 275 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: today I've read some some interesting criticism pointing out that 276 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: that a lot of this a you have like historians 277 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: looking into blades, and like, if the historian picks up 278 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: even an authentic sword, they're not they're not gonna necessarily 279 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: know what to do with it. If they say it's heavy, 280 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: what does that mean? This is like some eighty year 281 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: old British dude, right right, And especially the ones from 282 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: the or the Middle Ages, which they're kind of rusted 283 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: out looking. They look very crude. So if you if 284 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: you don't have an understanding of how they were using 285 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: you could sort of jump to the conclusion that you know, 286 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: this is one step away from barbary, right, and then 287 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: if you're if you're dealing we like, so you can't 288 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: use the you can't actually mess around with the real things, 289 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: so you're looking at a replica. The problem with replicas 290 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: is that a lot of times they are they're trying 291 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: to capture the look of the of the weapon, but 292 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: they end up getting the weight all wrong and the 293 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: balance and the weapon all wrong. And the balance and 294 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: a sword is key, like even like in a rapier. 295 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: The idea is is that the hilt is heavier than 296 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: the sword because it gives you balance. And these great 297 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: two handed swords you you see you often see a 298 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: big ball on the end pommel and that is a 299 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: counterweight that helps in leveraging the weapon. Yeah. Yeah, So 300 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: there's a whole there's a whole system of weights to 301 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: keep in mind. And when you really look back up 302 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: at the text from that agent, people were writing books 303 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: about how to fight with these things. It wasn't just 304 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: like here is a big sword, go out and kill 305 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: people with it. Now, they were they they showed different techniques, 306 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: there were different ways of doing it. There is a 307 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: particular move with the with the long sword called the 308 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: and this is in um in the German school of swordsmanship, 309 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: the mord strike or the mordor slag, which is the 310 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: murder strike and the murder blow. And this would occur 311 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: when you would you would actually turn the sword around 312 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: and then bash somebody in the face with that weighted pommel. 313 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: Oh man, Yeah, And there's not enough of that in 314 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: movies like I don't know and see. You know. One 315 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: of the reasons that this is the sort of information 316 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: isn't sort of widespread and we don't when we think 317 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: of swords, we don't automatically start thinking about your p 318 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: mars arts is because these texts have been sitting around 319 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: in musty libraries and um sort of lost their way, 320 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: particularly in the UH in Europe, when you know, gunpowder 321 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: came into play, people began to use less and less swords, 322 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: and then it was taken up as a gentleman's sports. 323 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: So all of a sudden you have the sword changing 324 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: from maybe a heavy instrument or a super long blade 325 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: becoming very uniform and light um so that you could, 326 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: you know, have some sort of duel which really wasn't 327 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: meant to end in death right that was just about 328 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: defending your honor. Sometimes there was there was definitely some 329 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: death involved. Certainly there there are many instances, but mainly 330 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: you just want that that that snansy scar on your face. Right. 331 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: You can be like, man, h, yeah, that's right, I 332 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: got a duel um. But the point is there is 333 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: that there's some information that was that just didn't transition 334 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: from the Middle Ages from the fourteenth century to eighteenth 335 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: century UM, and so we began to think of swords 336 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: and a very different way. One last note on the 337 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: weight of medieval swords. I have a quote here from 338 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: the late Awart oaks Halt, who was a w wrote 339 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: the book Sword in Hand, and he was a leading 340 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: expert on medieval swords. He said, medieval swords are neither 341 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: unwieldablely heavy, nor all alike. The average weight of any 342 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: one of normal size is between two point five pounds 343 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: and three point five Even the big hands and a 344 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: half war swords rarely weighed more than four point five pounds. Uh. 345 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: Such weights too. Men who were trained to use the 346 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: sword from the age of seven, and who had been 347 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: tough specimens to survive that age, were by no means 348 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: too great to be too practical. So okay, so that's 349 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: like the way I use my step aerobics class. If 350 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: I went to a step aerobics class, right, yeah, I 351 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: mean you know, in one hand. So yeah, thankfully they 352 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 1: do not let you bring swords to the y. Right. 353 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: Oh well, I did tell you about the belly dancing class. 354 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: Actually she never brought a sword. She just would talk 355 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: about when she was belly dancer. Because the belly dancwers 356 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: will do that thing where they have the sword balanced 357 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: on their head and yeah, and they bound set on 358 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: their stomach. It's it's pretty exciting stuff. So if you 359 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:04,360 Speaker 1: would always say to the classes, if we all had, 360 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 1: you know, swords at home. Okay, so this is a 361 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: part where you just kind of jut up your hip 362 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: and so on and so forth. Um. One of the 363 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: things I did want to mention too, is this the 364 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: skill that you needed in order to wield this instrument? Um, 365 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: Because think about it. In this case, you are attacking 366 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: and defending yourself at the same time. And to me, 367 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: it's like this physical game of chess because you have 368 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: to try to figure out what your opponent is doing. 369 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: So every attack contains a defense, and every defense contains 370 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: a counter attack because you attack, you open shoot yourself 371 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 1: up potentially for an attack from either the person you're 372 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: dealing with or some other individual on the field of battle. Yeah, 373 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: and that's why there were so many manuals that were 374 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: instructing people. And it was I kind of think of 375 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: it now too. If you get a Samsung I don't know, 376 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: some sort of electrical device and then you get a 377 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: user's manual with it, I'd like to imagine that. You know, 378 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: back in the day, you got your sword and little 379 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: users manuals say this is the best use of um 380 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: of UH the sword, given how it's weighted and how 381 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: your body should be an extension of it. You know, 382 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: this is how you should lunch. UM. I will try, 383 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: if I will try and make sure that I mentioned 384 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: this on a blog post or just on the Facebook 385 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: page for stuff to blow your mind. But if anyone 386 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: wants to see some images of like the long sword 387 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: UM user manual, if you will UM. There's an excellent 388 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: resource called and it was written in fourteen fifty nine 389 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: by hands tal Haafa called Alta Amatea und ring Kunst 390 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: and Uh and the whole text is available online and 391 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: you can you can browse through it and see how 392 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,119 Speaker 1: to use a long sword, a dagger, a spear, a poleaxe, 393 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: and even wrestle. So unarmed and armed combat. So very cool, 394 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: Old hands, has you covered? Um? I did want to 395 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: mention to uh in skill in in a cultural use 396 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: of swords kendo. Japanese swordsmanship very cool. They follow a 397 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: very rigid rules that are meant to instill as much 398 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: integrity into dueling as possible. For instance, when you're about 399 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 1: to attack your opponent, you actually make a thumping down 400 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: with your foot to to sort of signify like, hey, 401 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: I'm about to to to rip you a new one. 402 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and I'm speaking of Japanese swordsmanship. I should, 403 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: I would. I would be remiss if I did not 404 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: mention that one of the great sword fighters of all time, 405 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: not Zorrow, was Miyamoto Musashi, author of the Book of 406 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: Five Rings sixteen seventeen centuries Ronan swordsman. His reputation is 407 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: just right up there at the top of of real 408 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: life dudes and you know, probably fictional dudes too. Yeah, 409 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: and it turns out there are a lot of these 410 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: real life dudes magical weapons. This is something that that 411 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: i've I've just I found really cool for a number 412 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: of years since I first discovered it. And that is that. Um. 413 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: You you have these blades, these swords that are not 414 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: just made from iron, they're made from meteoric iron. They're 415 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 1: they're made from iron that fell from the sky in 416 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: the form of a meteorite or multiple meteorites. Because generally, 417 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: in some cases you might have enough uh meteoric iron 418 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: there to make to forge one sword, but generally you 419 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: having to poke around. Um. And uh. Today we have 420 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld novels, He actually 421 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 1: has a sword made from such iron. Uh. And it's 422 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, very much a novelty. It's you know, it's 423 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: a cool thing to have in the There was a 424 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: time though, before uh, smelting technology really took hold back 425 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: in the Bronze Age, before mining allowed us to really 426 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: harvest iron ore. Uh. This is one of the few 427 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: sources of of iron, and that was you know, you'd 428 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: have to go out and like in the desert somewhere 429 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,719 Speaker 1: where like black bits of stone that have fallen from 430 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: the sky will show up really easily. Somebody would gather 431 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: these together. They get so sold here and there, and 432 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: then they'd wind up in the hands of a metal 433 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: worker and a swordsman, and you would have these just 434 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 1: fantastic weapons. The ancient Egyptians called it black copper, and 435 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,719 Speaker 1: it was generally just considered, you know, the the the 436 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: best metal to have, the best weapon to have. And 437 00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: it would and it often end up being sort of 438 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: ceremonial because the dudes that have them can afford the 439 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: best swords. It can also probably afford not to have 440 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: to use them. Right. The seventh century calyps Um of 441 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: the Middle East were said to have brandished these weapons 442 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: and uh and supposedly such iconic figures as a till 443 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: of the hunt and Tamerlane also wielded these cosmic blades 444 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: against their enemies. Um, like I said, that's that just 445 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: blows my mind. They're just thinking about these these ancient 446 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: dudes carrying around these blades forged from the heavens. And 447 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: you can imagine, I mean it, you imagine how you 448 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: get tales of magical weapons just off of that. I mean, 449 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: can you imagine an eBay back then? That would have 450 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: been very sought after? Of course it is today too, 451 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: but um, it makes me think about how when we 452 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: when we talk about ancient swords that we think about 453 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: the material and the techniques as being primitive by today's 454 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: technological standards, but in fact, um their techniques were really advanced. 455 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: And what I'm talking about here is a sword, possibly 456 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,360 Speaker 1: the question mark right forged out of nanotechnology. Damascus Blade. Uh. 457 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 1: These are sabers from Damascus now known as Syria, and 458 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: they date back generally during and they were just considered 459 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: the ultimate weapon to to have at hand because they 460 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 1: were strong, but they were and they were sharp, and 461 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: they were but they were light, and they could supposedly 462 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: cleave a silk scarf in two as it was floating 463 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 1: to the ground. It could I think their tails too, 464 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: that it could cut through a not only the night, 465 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 1: but riding a horse, but the horses well and all 466 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: the armor and the saddle and one swoop right. Yeah, 467 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: there's a saying something like cleaved man and horse together 468 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: and all armor in Twain. That was on the the 469 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: ad on the packaging right at the sword store. And 470 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: there are some people who think that the steel for 471 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: the blade actually originated in India, but because it was 472 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: exported to Europe through Damascus, it was assumed to be 473 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: its source. Yeah, it comes down to these uh, woots cakes, right, yeah, 474 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: which sounds delicious delicious, Yeah, Like it's you know, nice 475 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: and oatmeal on the outside and then like some creamy 476 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: goodiness I was going in the middle. Yeah. Oh, in 477 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 1: a way, there was surprise in the middle because these 478 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: these cakes had had iron in them and with apparently 479 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: just just a perfect array of impurities that that lent 480 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: itself exceedingly well to the creation of these these magnificent swords. 481 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,719 Speaker 1: That being said, the guys hauling these woots cakes out 482 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: of the ground, they didn't necessarily recognize what was great 483 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: about them. They just realized that they were They could 484 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: sell these for some some good coin, and the the 485 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: metal workers realized that these could be used really well 486 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,919 Speaker 1: to create something. But now a modern scientists have been 487 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: looking at the namass displayed in particularly, they've been looking 488 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 1: at one that dates back to believe the seventeenth century, 489 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: and you know, studying it, uh and trying to figure 490 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 1: out exactly what made it awesome. Has really high heart 491 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: carbon content. So they dissolved part of the weapon actually 492 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: in hydrochloric acid and studied it under an electron microscope, 493 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: and they found that the steel there contained these carbon 494 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: nanits tubes and these are like each one of these 495 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,640 Speaker 1: is just slightly larger than a nanometer. We've covered these before. 496 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: These are the cannot carbon nanotube is kind of the uh, 497 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: you know, one of the golden childs of nanotechnology, the 498 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: idea that you're you're taking these little miniscule carbon tubes 499 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: and uh and if you if you build something out 500 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: of them, then the material is strong and flexible. It's 501 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,719 Speaker 1: the thing that people talk about building uh, space elevators 502 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: out of and you know, sis a hundred times stronger 503 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: than steel and much lighter. Yeah. And the researchers also, 504 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: uh say that they discovered nanoscale wires of semontite, extremely 505 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: hard carbon iron compound. Um. Yeah, it's a carbon steel geometry. Yeah, 506 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: they were probably formed inside the nanotubes. Now, nobody's making 507 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: an ancient aliens or you know, technology of the ancients 508 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: argument here to say that, oh, well they Damascus swords 509 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: miths of old head nanotechnology. Well not not exactly. They 510 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: didn't they didn't know that. They're not saying that they 511 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: knew there was a car there were carbon nanotubes, any 512 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: sort of a fortuitous accident, right, Yeah, and you see, 513 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: you see even earlier examples of this in like stained 514 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: glass and UH and various UH glass blowing techniques that 515 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 1: would end up using what we would later understand is 516 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: nanotechnology to change their coloring um. Because if you it's 517 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,639 Speaker 1: like we said before, if you change something at the 518 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 1: smallest level that can you can greatly increase the way 519 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: a substance behaves. It's various properties, even chemical properties. The 520 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: argument here is that is what is inadvertently going on 521 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 1: in the creation of these blades. Yeah, and they were 522 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: saying to you that, I mean, if you think about 523 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: it this way, like the edge of the blade would 524 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: would almost feel like it was composed of tiny diamonds, right, 525 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: And so that's why it's so effective and slicing um. 526 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: And there are also accounts of it being self sharpening, 527 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: which again if we don't know whether that was the case. Now, 528 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,880 Speaker 1: there were number of people this UH initial study came 529 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: out a few years back, and and even when it 530 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: came out, there were a number of people that were 531 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: also kind of doubtful. They were like, I don't I 532 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: don't think that this is you're necessarily seeing what you 533 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: think you're seeing, or I think you're seeing something that 534 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: is present in in most steel if you really looked 535 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: at it. Uh and uh, as far as I can tell, 536 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: the there's no definitive word yet on exactly what the 537 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: deal is with a Damascus steel other than it's uh. 538 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: I mean the craftmanship is still above reproach. But right, 539 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: and this is actually again, this is the sword that 540 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: they cannot replicate in terms of the high carbon content 541 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: and its ability not become brittle or break. Right. Yeah, 542 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 1: the the recipe for it was lost centuries ago and 543 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: uh and since that that time. But also the woods 544 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: cakes were all used up for the most part, so well, 545 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: you know what did it expect? Put them out at 546 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,640 Speaker 1: a party. Everybody's gonna eat them? All right, let's talk 547 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: about some fun with swords. How can I have fun 548 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 1: with swords? Well, like you mentioned, you can, I mean, 549 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: aside from dueling on the subway, you can dance with them, 550 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: of course, yes, um uh and and I actually I 551 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: love seeing the sword dancing with the with the belly dancers. 552 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,919 Speaker 1: That's that's always frightening and beautiful to behold. Because what 553 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: if it falls off and it kills out somebody in 554 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 1: the restaurant, know what a bumber night? Yeah, But then 555 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: there's also sword swallowing. Yeah. Well, and I was gonna 556 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 1: mention too that there are Scottish sword dances too, just 557 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 1: in case. Presumably they performed them before the swordsman uses 558 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: the blade to cut the haggas women danced the men do. Yeah, 559 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: but yeah, they're swords swelling. And we actually have a 560 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: really great article how sword swelling works by pop Stuffs 561 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: Tracy Wilson. You should check out. And that looks like 562 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: it's a it's just a sled of hand trick, but 563 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: it is not. They're really sticking it down their throats, 564 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: really putting it in their GI tract. So there you 565 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,680 Speaker 1: have it. The sword sword. Some of the things that 566 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: make them amazing, uh, some of the things that you 567 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: might not have known about, how they're made and how 568 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: they are used by skilled hands. All right, so speaking 569 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: of skilled hands, let's get some hands on some listener males. 570 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: Are you talking about a robot? Yes? Yeah, skilled hands. 571 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: That's on a kind of creepy there, skilled hands. Yeah, 572 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: there you go. Look how look how well he handles. 573 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: I haven't received a agmassage from robot that would be weird. 574 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: Al Right, here's one from Russ Russ Rights in Dear 575 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: Robert and Julie. I wanted to thank you both for 576 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: the great work you do on your podcast. You guys 577 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: have gotten me through many boring hours in the treadmill 578 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: with topics that are far more mind bending and thought 579 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: provoking than just staring at a wall or I muted 580 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: TV high praise your Your podcast is really great. I 581 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: recently just listened to the podcast about the future of Stink, 582 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: and ironically enough, I saw something the next day in 583 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: a hotel lounge and Serbia while I was on I 584 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: was on a business trip, and I thought you might 585 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: find it interesting. It's called an Aroma brand, and it 586 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: blows a certain type of smell into the lounge. Um. 587 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: The lounge has a kind of homy type feel as 588 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: a result of the smell, and it had a type 589 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 1: of wood burning fireplace apple pie baking instant smell to it. 590 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: It made me feel more at home there, oddly enough, 591 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: since Serbia is just about as far from my home 592 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: as possible since I'm from Chicago. But I'm guessing that's 593 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: what the benefit of a roma brand is meant to be. 594 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: At any rate, it was definitely better than the smell 595 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: of David Beckham's sweaty Sock. Thanks again for doing such 596 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: a great podcast, and happy holidays to you both, because 597 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: we're decent this and we were reading it during the holidays. Yeah, yeah, 598 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: thank you so much for that. And um yeah, for 599 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: for anybody who missed that podcast about about smell. We 600 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: we actually had a sample of David David David molecule 601 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: David Beckham's foot molecules, which smelled incredibly like cheese, and 602 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: it confused me because I was sort of attracted to it, 603 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: but then I was because I thought it was cheese, 604 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: and then I was completely repulsed. Yeah. I had a 605 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: lot of feelings work out after that podcast. Yeah, and 606 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: and certainly that's that's one of the things we talked 607 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: about in the the podcast, just about it, how many how 608 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: much goes into our our interpretational smell but it's a 609 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: good snore of bad smell and how our memory wraps 610 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: around it. So yeah, there you go. But what do 611 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: you guys have to share with us? Do you have 612 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: something you want to share about swords? What is your 613 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 1: favorite sword fight in cinematic history? What is your favorite 614 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: sort of related kill in cinematic history? Let us know. 615 00:30:57,840 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear about it. You can find us 616 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: on Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, we're stuff to Blow 617 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: the Mind and UH. On Twitter, you can you can 618 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: find us by searching for stuff to Blow your Mind, 619 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: but our handle is below the Mind when work, and 620 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: you can always email us at blow the Mind at 621 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: house to work dot com. Be sure to check out 622 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. Join House 623 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: to Work staff as we explore the most promising and 624 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.