A Sword Worthy of Running a Foot Through…
July 24th, 2008 | 
Author: I don’t know if any of you saw this, but there was a recent article in the news about a Lebanon, Ind. woman who accidentally ran her foot through with a sword during a Wiccan good luck ceremony at a local cemetery.
Now I suppose sword injuries are an occupational hazard if your religious beliefs (or hobbies) involves a lot of sword play or even just frequent handling, so I can see how this could happen. In fact I know people who have had similar misfortunes, including a friends somewhat recent incident… (You know who you are 
)
But here’s the thing. Though I’m not normally one to laugh at anothers misfortune, but I have to admit I find the whole idea of “running ones foot through” a little funny. It’s just one of those weird kind of accidents that when I read about I get this picture of the Three Stooges, or Laurel and Hardy in my mind and I can’t help but grin.
Yes, I’ve cut myself on numerous occasions. I have yet to completely impale a foot, (at least not with a sword) but have done equally dumb things to my hands and feet, legs, arms, etc. So it’s not like I can’t sympathise on the pain of having a blade turn on someone. It’s just that, most of the time when they have turned on me in the past, it was because I was being a dumb-ass, and they got tired of having to deal with it.
I just still laugh at myself when I remember the stupidity of these incidents. You know, it’s like a cartoon boulder falling on Wiley Coyote. After he’s been blown up by his own rocket. In real life I suppose it’s not supposed to be so funny, but in the toons… Ok, so I’m possibly a really jacked up individual. Maybe. Most likely. Whatever. I never claimed to be normal. So there!
But back to the blade at hand, I thought it interesting that less than a day before I read this article, I ran into an interesting sword on a UK site called Witchcraft Ltd. The timing…? Creepy… Check these out:
![[Click to view full size]](http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s216/phyreblade_blog/Wayland%20Forge/RAM.jpg)
The RAM
[click image to view full size]
Ah, now ain’t it a beaut? This sword is hand forged by Wayland forge for Witchcraft Ltd. specifically for things like Wiccan ceremonies and stuff. And while it lacks some of the flash, finish and glam of it’s more commercial counterparts, it is exactly the kind of sword i like to see.
This Ram sword, so called ostensibly because of the double ram horn shaped pommel, is a study in sword simplicity and elegance. I would almost say it’s a no frills sword, except that it isn’t. The blade has an excellent profile, with smooth but subtle curves and the two interesting curlicues on the spine.
The simple unfinished grip curves up and into the rams head at the pommel. And that’s it. So simple, but so very engaging. Here’s another one:
Spiral Path
[click image to view full size]
Another similarly designed but very interesting sword. Spiral path carries the same simple finish, but an even more aggressive blade profile, carrying the same two curlicues on the spine of the blade, but with a deeper, almost scimitar-like curve starting half way to the tip of the blade.
And, as it’s name aptly describes, a simple slightly contoured but unfinished grip rolls neatly into a tight coil at the pommel. Simple but beautiful. And these are not so much the sinister lines I usually prefer, as much as elegant and organic. It’s interesting how much character such a simple sword can have.
That’s not to say these are without any deficiencies. From my perspective, these really do need a proper grip, with either scales, or a wrap, as well as a good guard. I think these are definitely a necessity for a good sword. But then my perspective is more combat oriented than ritual, and so I cannot really fault the simple organic elegance the designer had in mind for these swords.
There are a couple of more traditional looking blades, albeit with the same simple finish, on the site, however I have to say these two are my favorite. Though now that I think about it, I’m not entirely sure i would prefer to have a foot impaled with one of these, or with one of your regular, run-of-the-mill flashy swords.
For one thing, I’m thinking a shiny highly polished mirror finished sword would probably go in and come out smoother than a simply finished sword … But that’s just me thinking aloud here…
The Ram, Spiral Path swords – [Wayland Forge/Witchcraft Ltd.]
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Oh my, yes. That’s why I don’t use swords; I just had a drawing of one. But that’s by the by.
These swords… well, I s’pose the idea is you wrap them yourself. Since it’s destined for ceremonies (and probably fighting off hordes of witch-hunters) you want it to be your own. The organic feel is really, really nice, though… I really do love it.
First of all, that is quite funny I must say, and when physcial injury is involved as well as a certain amount of human error and stupidity I do enjoy laughing at the misfortunes of others. I am a huge fan of the Darwin Awards.
But back to the topic at hand. Those are some really cool looking blades, and I will say this, that these sorts of weapons are never intended for funtional use in an acutal fight, they are meant to be purely used for ritaul purproses, historicaly and in still in some parts of the world, in certain traditions, they were made as tools for sacrifice.
Also a bit of random triva, a ritulistic blade is called an Anthame
=3 And just ’cause I can… another bit of random trivia to add is that the Anthame is also spelled Athame. The sword, when used as an athame/anthame, tends to be for the whole coven – each Wiccan’s personal athame tends to be a double-edged dagger.
And another bit of random trivia? Typing Wicca sword into Google gets hundreds of hits about the silly woman who stabbed herself.
“including a friends somewhat recent incident… (You know who you are)”
Hey…you’re not refering to my bloody toe I hope…..supposed to keep that secret.
It’ll ruin my street cred.
Can’t say the sword does too much for me…interesting look…nice blade but it need a handguard.
I’m not sure why, but I like these alot. I know I claim to be the function over form guy, but I belive these have enough form to appeal to those… whatever it is they are, and enough function to do… whatever it is that girl from foamy does.
But at the same time I can’t completely rule out its use in combat, (as I’ve mentioned before this is usually the first thing I check for) no it doesn’t have a grip, no it doesn’t have a gaurd. Still, at least in the spiral’s case, the curve in the blade can do pretty well in terms of kepping the opponent away from your finger-nails.
“No gaurd, and no grip” …where have I heard that before? ~_~
Crosseyes
X_X
@Sinz
ROFL… 
LOL hey man, I was trying to keep it a secret!! I kept your name out of it and everything… but nooooo…. you had you stomp all over my painstaking effort to keep you anonymous with your bloody toe…
@Crosseyes
LOL You hear about your poor guard and grip a lot do you?
@LoS
Yeah, I saw they had athames/anthames specifically labeled on that site… But to my way of thinking, any sword could be used as an athame right…? They don’t have to be specially designed for it do they?
You think correctly, Phyre. But and however, swords made to be athames are just that; made to be athames. They’re either for the Wiccan who wants a sword that has been made for that purpose, or for the Wiccan who perhaps doesn’t have quite our passion for collecting bladed death.
Or for collectors interested in that sort of stuff.
I was actually referring to a TV show that you may or may not have heard of.
I’m sure someone here knows what I’m talking about
Crosseyes
X_X
as a pagan, an athame doesnt even have to be a metal knife (you can even get Quartz ones some where!) and a wand (no not like magicians have) can often be a stick! The Athame (pronounced: ath-a-may) is the ritual knife and the Boline is the working knife used to chope herbs or inscribe Theban script (witch alphabet) on objects which are then blessed before a ritual or sabbat … i could go on for hours lol
Quartz knives? Very interesting… I think i’ll stick with steel though…
Actually, quartz keeps a decent edge – provided you treat it nicely. it may be brittle, but the physics of quartz crystals is spectacular. Similar to diamonds, quartz deals extremely well with compressive forces such as what’s present in cutting things. [/geekout]
@ MoZZA: ^^ Nice to meet someone knowledgable on such topics!
@ Phyre: yeah id rather have a nice cold chnk of sharp steel too, but hey in wiccan rituals the atame is only used for directing energys
@ Niccolo: nice to meet someone who doesnt instantly dismiss that knowledge as a load of crap lol
@Niccolo
Yeah, I’m fairly certain quartz would make for a great cutting edge, however Balrogs crave blades that will cleave flesh and bone in a single slash, and even cross with the occasional opponents sword, and come back for more… I fear quartz would not be up to the task…
Oh, Gods no. It’d shatter as soon as the other blade looked at it funny.
imagine that in a sword fight “i am the balrog! fear my mighty …. rose quartz dagger…..”
A Balrog wielding a “Rose Quartz Dagger” in battle? Nope… Ain’t never gonna happen… LOL
… see youve obliterated my ideas again!
LOL OOOPS!!
Did no one get it, or have we just moved on?
We moved on, huh? /sadface
Crosseyes
X_X
we got it. we laughed at it. we moved on LOL
you seem to have a fetish for destroying my ideas dont you PhYrE *shakes fist*
btw does the finger in warm water trick still work with balrogs?
LOL no, no, no, it’s not a fetsih…
It’s not my fault, it’s an oc habit. I can’t help it… LOL
lol, i love you uncle phyre….. freaked out yet?
LOL Nope… Gonna have to do better than that…
damn….