Heron-mark sword
Encyclopedia
In the world of Robert Jordan
's The Wheel of Time
series, heron-mark swords are traditionally presented to those who have earned the title of "Blademaster"- either by killing a Blademaster in a fair fight or by being granted the title by a unanimous vote of five Blademasters. These individuals are unrivaled in their mastery of the sword, and are accordingly rare.
Some heron-mark swords were made during the War of Power through use of the One Power
, which produced blades that never required maintenance, and were essentially unbreakable. Rand al'Thor
possessed one of these swords, a gift from his father. But after the Three Oaths were established, forbidding Aes Sedai
to (among other things) use the One Power to make weapons, the number of blademasters eventually began to outstrip the number of Power-wrought blades, necessitating the creation of heron-mark swords of a more conventional nature.
One of the most famous of these swords belonged to Laman Damodred, former king of Cairhien
. In an effort to revitalize his noble House's standing, he cut down Avendoraldera, a sapling taken from the legendary Avendesora
and given to Cairhien as a gift by the Aiel
. He had wanted to create a throne that could not possibly be duplicated by any other ruler, but by destroying the Aiel's token of thanks, he incited what came to be known as the Aiel War, which involved the Aiel coming to take his life in revenge. His sword, which was taken by the Aiel as proof of his death, eventually found its way into the possession of Rand al'Thor
, better known as the Dragon Reborn
. He replaced his original sword, destroyed in battle with Ba'alzamon, with this new blade, and has used it ever since.
Numerous other characters in the series have been depicted as owning heron mark swords. Rand confronted Seanchan
High Lord Turak, a blademaster whom he managed to kill. Be'lal
of Forsaken
is known to have wielded one. Another heron mark sword was owned by Eamon Valda, and was given to Galad Damodred
after killing the former in a fair fight. Toram Riatin had one, but it is unknown whether it was power wrought.
The weapons themselves may vary in the particulars of their designs, as only one (Tam's
) has ever been described in detail, but all have a heron
etched into the blade just above the crossguard. Some also have herons on the hilt. Tam's sword had forward-slanted quillon
s and a curved, single-edged blade narrowing to a point, and its hilt
was long enough for two-handed use. This overall design is reminiscent of the Japanese katana
.
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
's The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
series, heron-mark swords are traditionally presented to those who have earned the title of "Blademaster"- either by killing a Blademaster in a fair fight or by being granted the title by a unanimous vote of five Blademasters. These individuals are unrivaled in their mastery of the sword, and are accordingly rare.
Some heron-mark swords were made during the War of Power through use of the One Power
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
, which produced blades that never required maintenance, and were essentially unbreakable. Rand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
possessed one of these swords, a gift from his father. But after the Three Oaths were established, forbidding Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
to (among other things) use the One Power to make weapons, the number of blademasters eventually began to outstrip the number of Power-wrought blades, necessitating the creation of heron-mark swords of a more conventional nature.
One of the most famous of these swords belonged to Laman Damodred, former king of Cairhien
Cairhien
Cairhien is a country set in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series of fantasy fiction novels. Cairhien is located in the east central part of The Westlands, on the east it borders with the Spine of the World. The sign of Cairhien is a golden sun rising on a field of deep blue...
. In an effort to revitalize his noble House's standing, he cut down Avendoraldera, a sapling taken from the legendary Avendesora
Avendesora
Avendesora, or The Tree Of Life, is a recurring object in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.Avendesora is the last cutting remaining from the chora trees that lined the streets of Paaren Disen, in the Age of Legends. Chora trees are distinguished by their tri-foil leaves and the feeling of...
and given to Cairhien as a gift by the Aiel
Aiel
In Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, the Aiel are a race of people. They live between the "wetlanders" in the west and the Sharans in the east, in a desert which the Aiel call The Three-fold Land and which everyone else calls the Aiel Waste. They have earned a reputation as skilled...
. He had wanted to create a throne that could not possibly be duplicated by any other ruler, but by destroying the Aiel's token of thanks, he incited what came to be known as the Aiel War, which involved the Aiel coming to take his life in revenge. His sword, which was taken by the Aiel as proof of his death, eventually found its way into the possession of Rand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
, better known as the Dragon Reborn
Dragon (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the Dragon is the champion of the Light and the Creator against the evil Dark One. Although the Dark One was imprisoned by the Creator at the moment of creation, he continually seeks to break free of his prison. In each Age, the Dragon...
. He replaced his original sword, destroyed in battle with Ba'alzamon, with this new blade, and has used it ever since.
Numerous other characters in the series have been depicted as owning heron mark swords. Rand confronted Seanchan
Seanchan
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Seanchan is the name of a continent, the empire that occupies it, and the people that live in the empire...
High Lord Turak, a blademaster whom he managed to kill. Be'lal
Be'lal
Be'lal is one of the primary antagonists of the The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.- Origins :...
of Forsaken
Forsaken
Forsaken or The Forsaken may refer to:In gaming:* Forsaken , a first person shooting video game similar to Descent* Forsaken , a series of World of Warcraft machinima produced by Edgeworks Entertainment...
is known to have wielded one. Another heron mark sword was owned by Eamon Valda, and was given to Galad Damodred
Galad Damodred
Lord Galadedrid of House Damodred, called "Galad" for short, is a fictional character in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan....
after killing the former in a fair fight. Toram Riatin had one, but it is unknown whether it was power wrought.
The weapons themselves may vary in the particulars of their designs, as only one (Tam's
Tam al'Thor
Tam al'Thor is a secondary character in Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He is the adoptive father of the Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thor. He is a resident of the Two Rivers in Andor and a tabac and wool farmer. His farm is located just outside Emond's Field on the edges of the westwood...
) has ever been described in detail, but all have a heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
etched into the blade just above the crossguard. Some also have herons on the hilt. Tam's sword had forward-slanted quillon
Quillón
Quillón is a Chilean city and commune and Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Quillón spans an area of and has 15,146 inhabitants . Of these, 7,536 lived in urban areas and 7,610 in rural areas...
s and a curved, single-edged blade narrowing to a point, and its hilt
Hilt
The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...
was long enough for two-handed use. This overall design is reminiscent of the Japanese katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
.
External links
- A licensed replica in the likeness of Tam's sword, produced by Windlass SteelcraftsWindlass SteelcraftsWindlass Steelcraft is a company based in Dehra Dun, India, producing replicas of swords, sabres and other historical arms and armour. The company goes back to a 1943 establishment selling Kukri knives....
.