The sword is a very ancient weapon. The first ones of which there is evidence are dated 4,000 years BC. Both the workmanship and the handling of the swords suffered practically no modification over the centuries, however, there are many technical differences between them, both due to the period in which they were manufactured as the culture to which they belonged. The sword was a weapon that denoted prestige and the best ones were carried by knights., so it is not surprising that they have gone down in history alongside mythical characters. Join us at to learn about some of the most famous legendary swords: Zulfiqar, Tizona and Excalibur.
Three Legendary Swords: Zulfiqar, Tizona and Excalibur
The blade and hilt are the essential parts of a sword and the scabbard is the covering in which it is placed when not in use. Legendary and non-legendary swords always have at least one of the edges sharpened and in many cases both. The word sword comes from the Latin «spatha» which was the name given in Rome to a long, straight sword used by the army’s cavalry. In many places it was considered an element related to nobility. The commoners had to settle for an axe.
1. The legendary sword Zulfiqar
Dhû’l-fiqâr, better known as Zulfiqar or Zulfikar, is one of the most famous legendary swords, especially in countries of Muslim religion. It is the name of a two-pointed sword that the Prophet Muhammad found as part of the loot he collected after the battle of Badr. This sword is undoubtedly one of the best known symbols of Islam and we can see it represented in numerous places, also being considered a talisman.
The meaning of Zulfiqar’s name is not clear and there are numerous interpretations, although it is commonly considered to mean «two-pronged» since it is the main characteristic of this powerful bladed weapon and for this reason it is said to «distinguish good and evil.» evil». The story goes that Prophet Muhammad carried Zulfiqar with him during the battle of Uhud. During the fight, his son-in-law Ali broke his saber against the helmet of the strongest of his opponents, leaving him victorious but unarmed. Muhammad, who had two swords in his belt, gave Zulfiqar to Ali.. Other versions say that in the middle of the battle it was the archangel Gabriel who offered him the weapon. In any case, it became one of the legendary swords in history so that based on the legend, swords with the edge divided into two points were made in various places.
2. Tizona, one of the legendary swords of El Cid
According to the Cantar del mio Cid, El Cid had two legendary swords, the most important of which was Tizona or Tizón.. The name of the second was Colada. She originally belonged to a king of Morocco called Búcar and the Campeador won her by fighting against him in Valencia.
The name of Tizona comes from the Latin word “titio” which means “burning ember or log.”. It belonged to the Cid after defeating its owner, the king of Morocco, and had a peculiarity since its power depended on whoever wore it. He helped the powerful and scared the unworthy. One of the legends related to Tizona says that when the hero lay dead in the Church of the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña, fully dressed in his armor and sword, a Jew wanted to tear off his beard and Tizona knocked the man down. The monks revived him and the Jew was baptized and given the name Diego Gil, going on to serve the Cid’s squire.
3. Excalibur, the most famous of the legendary swords
King Arthur of Camelot was also the possessor of one of these legendary swords. His name was Excalibur and there are many myths that speak of the extraordinary properties of this weapon. Legend has it that when King Uther Pendragon died, Merlin the magician, forged a sword in Avalon, the island of fairies. This sword was Excalibur and he stuck it into a stone located on the side of a small church in the city of London waiting for the king’s successor to extract it from the stone. Her old name was «Caledfwlch» or «Caliburnus» meaning «hard leaf».
Legend has it that before King Arthur died, he had ordered that Excalibur be thrown into the lake where Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, lived after his death. Her knights resisted, but finally they did and watched in amazement as A hand emerged from the waters and grabbed Excalibur, taking it to the depths.
Sprats, cutlasses, foils, rapiers or falcatas are some of the different types of swords that have been manufactured throughout history. Only some of them have gone down in history. Did you know Tizona, Excalibur or Zulfiqar? Do you know other legendary swords with interesting stories? Share them with us! We will be happy to read them. If you want to know other interesting stories related to swords, we suggest that you learn about The Legend of the Sword of Damocles | Does it hang over your head?