Actually happenned to me in during a D&D cession. I was unknowingly weilding a sentient vampiric sword and it took over my mind for a moment, my character murdered a guy in the middle of the street and then I had to explain what happenned to the guard. I attacked them and my party members helped me, then I blamed it on the sword.
D&D is great, I pretty much broke the game by seducing everything the game master threw in our path, everybody hated me because my character was so stupidly op.
Something Random Inc. that is part of the reason but the other part is the weight. I believe Arnold Schwarzenegger already thought it was really heavy as that version of the sword so they kept it short. I seen this in some other weapon channels. sorry can't be more helpful for my sources on that.
Conan was my hero growing up... my dad read the stories and comics when he was young... and a lot of reverence was passed on to me... probably why I have such a respect for steel weapons
About the "look at him, he's so strong, he can wield a heavy sword no problem" thing, and for the record, Arnold _complained_ about the sword's weight.
@@rickarda9232 plus, the OG Conan sword is (in)famously well-made but horribly designed, heavy, cumbersome and illbalanced. I've handled a replica of the original and it's like handling a steel bar, not like handling a sword. It was made to look impressive, not to be functional. And it shows. Still don't want one of these in my collection - want two, at least.
@@notfeedynotlazy that's because it was not a sword made for humans but a ornamental dagger for a giant race, the atlanteans. all you guys are missing the point by about a mile
Remember where he found the atlantean sword, it was intended as a giant's short sword not a human's long sword, thus the odd proportions.But on a side note, could you imagine trying to block that thing if the wielder was strong enough to use it properly!
It's also worth noting that the sword dimensions hearken to bronze and iron age designs, rather that medieval sword technology. If you compare it to scaled-up weapons from that period, it's just about right. I think the blade thickness suggestion is an interesting idea, though.
@roguishpaladin: Precisely! Many real-world late Bronze age and early Iron Age swords were rather short. The fictional time and place in which Conan exists is heavily modeled on those time periods. Longer swords became more popular in the late parts of the iron age and in the early medieval period. Thematically, Conan should probably not have a greatsword, katana, kriegsmesser, claymore, or zwiehander, but rather a Kopesh, Gladius, Jian, or other short type of sword.
Great video, but as I've said before, I think the reason it was compact is because Conan was a thief and adventurer in the movie, not a soldier going into battle. He's running down tunnels, scaling the walls of a tower, climbing down ropes and swimming moats as much as fighting. The sword was a compromise, kinda like a concealed carry pistol.
More like a carbine loaded with .50 Beowulf, at only 10 rounds. Perfect for Arnie to concussively knock out armored guards who was the only actor on set able to swing the heavy sword effectively
Hey Skallagrim I have a remake of one of Kratos' sword from the God of War series (not the sword of olympus). If I sent that in would you be interested in reviewing it?
They are treated more like flails than swords though. In-game they count as little more than glorified daggers that he swings about like yo-yos. Awesome to play, awesome to watch. Same principal as the Witcher combat; you can see what they were going for and, for the character it was designed for, it works. But practicality? Pffffft
There are full blow companies which already make historically accurate and or custom weapons/props for film/tv and they do so on a regular basis. Where I find historians are usually "ignored" is whether something is accurate for the time period (think Braveheart with the kilts being 200-ish years early, i think). Sometimes this is a legitimate oversight and other times they know it is out of place but run with it as what should be used is aesthetically displeasing...
I forget the name of the movie but I've heard that in the film where the concept of the knight being winched onto his horse first appeared, the historical consultant begged the director not to do it. But they did it anyway. And it became the equivalent of a meme, copied from movie to movie until a significant part of the movie-going population was convinced that it was historical, and it took pretty thorough debunking to break that stereotype. Some people still think armor is that heavy, and the theme survives and thrives in online games and RPGs. For a more modern portrayal, look at the show Vikings, where the vast majority of armor and clothing better fits the fantasy stereotype of vikings than the historical evidence of norse culture. And another point in braveheart where the historian was most likely ignored is in the ridiculous use of the shield wall. As far as I know, no army that ever formed a shield wall would break formation to rush the enemy headlong (much less to jump up and onto the enemy *formation's* weapons), and I'm pretty sure a historian would know that too. Movies made in a certain time period are ATROCIOUS at historical depictions, and I'm sure we can all name dozens of films that do this. Directors are getting better in this regard, probably because the internet means people can do their own research from home so film companies are under more pressure to get things right, but there are still a lot of examples where history was completely ignored in favor of the stereotype and general "coolness."
Braveheart? The story of William Wallace, the rich Scottish noble and knight who lived about 100 years before claymores became common? Yep, definitely historically accurate.
I think a big reason why they made it so short is that it helps Conan look even bigger. The audience probably presumes it's a normal length sword and that he just dwarfs it, it adds to the illusion that he's a giant barbarian.
Back in the day there were programs about this movie, or ones it was mentioned on. They said that the sword was very heavy even compared to other ones in the movie and that Arnold was the only one who could use it. Even then it wasn't easy for him. This is probably true since if you watch, he does seem to be a little slow with it. Perhaps that is part because he's having trouble moving it and part putting too much momentum into that thing would be dangerous for the stuntmen he was fighting, and part the strain it would be to stop it.
That side-by-side of the historical greatsword and the shorter & heavier movie sword is the picture that's worth a thousand words when it comes to this subject. Well done again Skall :)
The greatsword is made of 15th century steel; I assume the Atlantean sword is also inspired by the short and chunky swords of the bronze and iron age, but I don't think even they were this heavy, and the Atlantean sword is implied to be relatively good steel.
It's interesting that your two-handed version actually looks far more "natural" for the sword design itself. I mean, a ricasso on s one-handed sword clips a lot of useful edge away from the already relatively short blade. I think I'd take the longer one if I could buy it. :3
In 'Conan the barbarian',it has perfect proportions. They messed with it in the 'Conan the destroyer', just a tad, and it already looked... well, not as good. (they did put longer blade, and longer grip. And widher ricasso with hooks on the end sticking out of langets toward the front end. Leather wrap on the grip, and the guard and pommel didn't look like nice dark old bronze, but more like bright gold.) My opinion is, the blade is thick like that, to get a nice deep fuller, and those beautifull deep hierogliph engrawings. By the way, Conan found it in a tomb of a atlantean general, which was a giant (cca 10 feet tall) compared to later race - humans. So it is reasonable to presume that for him, it would be a one-handed sword. But that's just my humble opinion. Greetings from Croatia
"Atlanean sword" is not а sword. "Atlanean sword" is а dagger. The Atlantic man had a height of 3-4 meters, therefore, his palm was the width of 2-2,5 times more than humans. The hilt of a "Atlantean sword" designed for one palm...the palm of the atlantic man. Therefore, "Atlanean sword" has a small length, but is designed with a long handle.
@@seighta5714 From what i have heard it was a Short sword the Giant used with one hand and was part of a matched set he duel wielded, although its brother was never found.
I just recently realized that and I wanted to comment on the subject. In the movie you can see Conan moving the hand of the Atlantic man and it is huge. I don't know if it is a dagger but surely is meant to be used one handed!
@@AutoFirePad This is the scene: ua-cam.com/video/pmnbK9VR7VM/v-deo.html There is a full shot of the throne and you can see that the hand of the corpse can easily grip the sword one handed.
This is the kind of video that made me fall in love with your content, Skall. I remember the first one I saw was the one about shard blades and it got me hooked.
Skallagrim likes the pommel, what a shock... Now being a bit more serious, I think the length was probably a production choice to fit it better in the shots or even to make it look small when compared to Conan himself, giving him more super-human features ("That big sword looks so tiny when he wields it, he is inhumanly big!"). Or maybe they just knew squat about it and it's all empty speculation and the sword just looked cool enough xD
Skallagrim: It's too heavy for it's size. Conan: I'm strong! Heavy blade means heavy punch! If i wanted a lighter punch I just punch! Skallagrim: A lot more exhausting to use and it would... feel clumsy. Conan: I'm a great warrior! I'm not clumsy! you're clumsy and puny with your light swords! Skallagrim: It's short! it's too short for it's wheight! Conan: I'm a great warrior! I'm no afraid of getting closer! And when I go closer, you go dead. Skallagrim: ... Right.
I'm a newer subscriber of yours, first few videos I saw I liked due to you making actual sense of the real thing. Decided to subscribe several months ago because you have this practical sense of how real historical battles would go and what weapon is more useful than some other or vice versa and so on and so forth. Plus you have this charismatic Viking-esque personality, I'm european myself so I also have quite a bit in common with the Vikings as the country I'm in was also a place of harbor at few areas near the seas (hint: Estonia). Anyhow glad you like the Conan's Atlantean sword too, am fan of that sword myself and I agree with making it longer and lighter to add some real usage to the sword. What made me like Conan and the sword he finds in the movie is how much Arnie puts a strong sense of strength into the character without speaking much and the scene with finding that sword from the ancient tomb in the cave is powerful in a sense of both music and how special it was for Conan when he found that sword. That and then there's the Riddle of Steel mystery/enigma put into effect by Crom, god under the mountain. Which is a powerful effect itself and the way Conan's father speaks about it all to the young Conan is a priceless moment as it has a sense of strength, mystery and vague path given to understand the meaning of steel throughout the rest of the movie. The Riddle of Steel has a real sensible meaning/answer that applies even in real life.
Length (or lack thereof) is also a bit puzzling when you consider the in-universe origins of the sword. Conan picks it up from this Atlantean king (or general?) whose skeleton is far taller than a normal human's. Milius says something to that effect on the BRD-commentary and it's pretty obvious when you look at the scene where the corpse's hand rests on the sword's pommel. So to that guy, this sword could only have been a short-sword at best - or perhaps even only a longer dagger. And yet it's presented in his tomb as if it had been his most prized weapon. Granted: We aren't told anything about Atlantean culture or burial rituals in the film, but I still thought it a little odd.. :)
I actually kinda like the stubbyness of it. Not for practicality sake of course, but because I feel it makes the details of his sword more concentrated and dense as well as fitting with the whole barbaric feel of minimal looking equipment. Dudes in basically a loincloth so I think having a shorter sword actually fits with the theme.
I agree but I wouldn't put the leather on the revised version. I never understood why they made the sword so short. I read the book before the movie came out and the sword belonged to a Giant so it should have been much larger even if it was a arming sword for the Giant. Conan's Father's sword is outstanding as well but suffers from being too heavy and could use some length as well. I own both and they feel like holding a large crowbar.
His father's sword was cast iron, so it would have to be short and stout to have any utility at all. The real riddle of steel is how anyone in that world built a good sword in the absence of proper forging techniques.
I own that sword and also Conan's fathers sword. Got them both from a good sword company out of toledo Spain. It's classed as a functional sword. Together, they cost a little over $1,000 plus s&h and taxes and all that jazz. They both are nice.
Wait, so if I take an empty pommel and fit another pommel inside it, will it be a double pommel or pommel^2 ? It's important to my research on pommels as potential alternative to antimatter as a fuel.
what if you cascade pommels? or put two pommels side to side at the end of the handle? do you have two pommels or just a technically still one but weireder pommel?
one thing I have always liked to see Skallagrim talking about is trick weapons from Bloodborne. It would be pretty interestig because how crazy some of the weapons are.
not much point when there is the guard on the blade to hold the sword similar to SOME great swords ( i.e www.coldsteel.com/two-handed-great-sword.html ).
Grew up idolizing this sword, more than the character this sword was the cornerstone of fantasy when I was a kid. The early 2000's Conan movie failed in my mind for the absence of this sword above all else.
Like the video. The thing most people don't notice though, is the SIZE of the skeleton Conan takes the sword from. It's taller than Ahnuld SITTING DOWN! Conan's sword was likely just like a giant's version of a Roman short-sword made for close-range heavy chopping. But like Frodo with the Elven dagger Sting, it looks like a full-sized blade in his hands.
2:24 a counter weight ha! What a ridiculous Idea. Obviously it's their so that you can end your opponent rightly! on the slightly more serious side does having a hollow pommel reduce ones ability to mordhau ?
Hit with the cross guard I suppose. Just hope the smith didn't make that hollow as well. And besides, a pommel is still a pommel, and you can throw them in Mordhau.
To answer, Not fully. If it's good metal the Pommel's shape and thickness will still allow it to preform it's function. If it's bad metal you may just fuck up your pommel... or your entire sword. given bad metal often doesn't hold up well in a fight.
Pada LAN A peasant walked over to his friend. The peasant says "I just turned 20 years old!". His friend would look at him and say "So what should I wear for the funeral?".
Doesn't Conan fight monsters n' shit? Would it be that the sword is bulky/heavy for more power? While an IRL Greatsword would be against humans, with more reach for more techniques etc when facing humans?
Yeah, with its weight it would essentially be a crushing weapon on top of a slashing one. And its short size allows really accurate thrusts, which is important for hitting weak spots in a creatures hide. Its not the best design for a weapon, but given the universe where monsters are almost as common as people, you need specialized weapons.
Especially against monsters you'd want to have more reach. Plus a longer blade gives you a bigger force of impact because in the same swing the tip of the sword will move faster than that of a smaller one.
While that makes sense to make a heavier weapon to fight tougher enemies, it's the distribution of weight that is the problem. A heavy blade isn't bad, but when more than 50% of the weight is in the half closest to you it would make the blade harder to swing. If the false edge was uncovered and on the other side of the sword (Like Fire Emblem's Armour Slayer sword) it might work that way, but not the way it is currently balanced.
Monsters? => Axe / hammer / spiked mace A sword is not supposed to be a bludgeon, that is contrary to its design. Also, if it's too heavy it limits the velocity of the strike, which in turn lowers the kinetic energy that can be generated. Velocity increases the energy at a faster rate than mass does.
Worth noting the 'Conan the Adventurer' cartoon adapted the basic design of the Atlantean sword, making it longer and giving it a wider guard with upswept horns. The distinctive strips along the ricasso were kept but shortened to the point of being decorative only.
"With face in Palm I say" I must now kill yoy. I know you are joking, it's all fun and games till I start to cry and people start to die. I'm sorry, but a threaded pommel killed my family and my dog. Raped brother and burned down my gazebo. I have dedicated my life to destroying any evidence of the concept of a threaded pommel. I shall make the world as though they had never been. I mean who the fuck has the skill set to temper a blade yet can't manage a kindergarten lvl technique like hot peining a god damn tang so. I don't understand how guy like the man at arms guys justify this shit. They shall drowned in lakes of blood now they will know why they fear the night
I love your videos so much. I get excited with every upload. And thank you for making me even more interested in swords and collecting them ☺️ keep up the good work!
Don't let the shortness of the blade distract from the fact that Skall literally has the best hair in the HEMA community. It's luscious. It's rich. You just don't see hair like that nowadays.
It would be a club I guess, If it has the right proportions to classify as a sword but was simply larger then it would still be considered a sword but if it was made for a human then it would just be a very stupid sword.
I'm new here.. and watched vids from 2014 up till this one.. a marathon really! and I noticed something eerily similar with every single one of them.. The pommel seems to be going strong.
As a big weightlifter (6'2" 275) I really like swinging this thing around. Feels powerful in the hand in that once it get's going... I cannot image effectively blocking it. TLDR it's fun to chop shit up with it, but I can imagine it being worthless for anyone smaller.
I own the Atlantean sword, made from Marto Toledo , the official company that made the original. It's an amazing piece but definitely has its disadvantages as a weapon.
Just rewatched this classic on netflix and was thinking a video about the various swords and weapons in it would be interesting. I was particularly partial to the sword of the archer subotai, but also valerias sword too, theres also alot of stuff like that hammer thorgrim uses that would be hilarious to here your take on.
Once upon a time, I bought the cheapo replica of this sword. It had a lot of issues, namely it was made of stainless and incredibly "top heavy" with the blade. The handle and pommel were hollow and had no weight to them, and the handle was very lightweight as well. Second, of course it had a rat tail tang. I'm glad I learned what that was before I hit anything with it and had the blade snap off the handle. All in all, it was really just made to look pretty and hang on a wall.
I love the antediluvian blade. I cant remember which novel Conan finds the Atlantean sword but I remember it was epic.Lost in a swamp/jungle pursued by a hungry dinosaur and scaling a cliff to get away. Cliff turns out to be like the Andes mountains so Conan ends up climbing for what seems like days.When his great strength is about to fail and plunge him to his death he finds a cave and in this cave he finds the crypt containing the sword among other things. The sword was described as like no other sword seen in Hyborea since the sinking of Atlantis. Perfect in weight razor sharp and never seeming to dull,and unbreakable.
You should review the swords from Fire Emblem, Falcion, Ragnell, etc. I think they do a decent job of giving them a fantasy flair while retaining some semblance of practicality
People tend to forget Conan found this sword in the crypt of a giant king. In the book, he had to fight this giant skeleton king for this blade. The blade in the giant's hand would have functioned as more of a short sword or long dagger (that's not a sword, it's more of a dagger) than a true fighting sword for this giant. I think this is where the origins of this shape, style, and weight come into play. It was more of a king's ceremonial sword for a grave than a fighting weapon however magical or true it could have been in the story. Just my opinion on the matter. Great vids and reviews. Keep up the shiny work.
This explanation makes perfect sense, but in my personal opinion it even makes it more of a sword for the sword Conan the Barbarian. His whole outfit is to be barbaric and make use of everything he has, even the fist against a camel. The more "clumsy" the weapon is, more he has to be on close of someone and be that Barbaric muscle pile we all love :D
Some counter points, based on Conan from the books and comics. 1. Conan is always described as being immensely strong. In fact his hyborian broadsword is described a few times in the books of being of a size and weight that other people would have to use 2 hand and he swings it like a twig. 2. His fighting style, from the books and comics, which is completely different in the movie, is described by several professional swordsmen in the books and comics is of not being able to find a gap in the defence because he has no defence, every blow coming fast as lightning and hitting like a hammer, jarring their arm to the point of numbness with every blow. The style of picking up a sword and swing it really fast and hard.
I love it when people ask him to talk about a fictional sword and he basically goes "That's actually pretty good as it is. This and that could be different, but other than that, good sword."
It wasn't my fault officer, the sword wants to move, it wants BLOOD!
Actually happenned to me in during a D&D cession. I was unknowingly weilding a sentient vampiric sword and it took over my mind for a moment, my character murdered a guy in the middle of the street and then I had to explain what happenned to the guard. I attacked them and my party members helped me, then I blamed it on the sword.
Dear Castiel Fuckin' Craven Edge, am I right?
D&D is great, I pretty much broke the game by seducing everything the game master threw in our path, everybody hated me because my character was so stupidly op.
It will not return to its sheath until it has spilt blood
People don't kill people, swords that crave the blood and innards of your enemies do.
It's probably short so they could keep the whole sword in the frame and get closer shots.
interesting thought
I had the exact same thought. It's the only way it makes sense to me.
Something Random Inc. that is part of the reason but the other part is the weight. I believe Arnold Schwarzenegger already thought it was really heavy as that version of the sword so they kept it short. I seen this in some other weapon channels. sorry can't be more helpful for my sources on that.
but why wouldnt they just make it thinner in that case?
If Arnold Schwarzenegger thought it was heavy, it must've been lol.
Conan was my hero growing up... my dad read the stories and comics when he was young... and a lot of reverence was passed on to me... probably why I have such a respect for steel weapons
still got most of my conan stuff from the 70s and frazettas on walls of living room
My father introduced me to Conan comics as well, Robert E. Howard was a genius and created such a beautifully savage world.
I've still got the action figure!
It's good fun but all the racism in Robert E. Howard's work feels very dated these days.
+DJ Doc's Videos
Aye, its racism should be updated to modern standards, like rambling about the evil privilege magic of Cishet White Men.
About the "look at him, he's so strong, he can wield a heavy sword no problem" thing, and for the record, Arnold _complained_ about the sword's weight.
Yeah! Why should Arnold have to use such a light sword! He's gonna get out of shape!
Note: I am joking.
he did alot of swordfighting taught classes before the film(which you can tell) so he was probably used to more practical swords from those classes.
@@rickarda9232 plus, the OG Conan sword is (in)famously well-made but horribly designed, heavy, cumbersome and illbalanced. I've handled a replica of the original and it's like handling a steel bar, not like handling a sword. It was made to look impressive, not to be functional. And it shows.
Still don't want one of these in my collection - want two, at least.
thats because he's..like...an actor, you know. the conan as imagined by the creator would see things a little different i reckon
@@notfeedynotlazy that's because it was not a sword made for humans but a ornamental dagger for a giant race, the atlanteans. all you guys are missing the point by about a mile
Remember where he found the atlantean sword, it was intended as a giant's short sword not a human's long sword, thus the odd proportions.But on a side note, could you imagine trying to block that thing if the wielder was strong enough to use it properly!
WVMADMAN1 exactly
why block it when you can redirect the momentum of the less nimble blade and make him overextend
+LaughingOwlKiller exactly. Have it roll over to you side when blocking it to redirect the blunt force of the attack.
It's also worth noting that the sword dimensions hearken to bronze and iron age designs, rather that medieval sword technology. If you compare it to scaled-up weapons from that period, it's just about right. I think the blade thickness suggestion is an interesting idea, though.
@roguishpaladin: Precisely! Many real-world late Bronze age and early Iron Age swords were rather short. The fictional time and place in which Conan exists is heavily modeled on those time periods. Longer swords became more popular in the late parts of the iron age and in the early medieval period. Thematically, Conan should probably not have a greatsword, katana, kriegsmesser, claymore, or zwiehander, but rather a Kopesh, Gladius, Jian, or other short type of sword.
But what is steel, compared to the hand that wields it.
In this case, a very tired hand.
What is the hand compared to the will that compels it?
DOOM, DOOM, DOOM
@@ericward8459 that is exactly it. thulsa was wrong. flesh is weak. will is strong.
Great video, but as I've said before, I think the reason it was compact is because Conan was a thief and adventurer in the movie, not a soldier going into battle. He's running down tunnels, scaling the walls of a tower, climbing down ropes and swimming moats as much as fighting. The sword was a compromise, kinda like a concealed carry pistol.
More like a carbine loaded with .50 Beowulf, at only 10 rounds. Perfect for Arnie to concussively knock out armored guards who was the only actor on set able to swing the heavy sword effectively
I remember Conan fighting his enemies, with a metal sword or with bare flesh fists. I don't remember Conan running down tunnels like a rat.
A fantasy sword he actually likes? Holy crow!
• _reads title_
• _mumbles_ "Best. Soundtrack. Ever"
• _goes on to watch video_
best soundtrack ever confirmed
It's one of the few movies I'd recommend on the soundtrack alone.
I listen to the soundtrack more than I have seen the movie. I can actually see the scenes in my head while listening to it.
Jason Doe adds pommel meme
Hey Skallagrim I have a remake of one of Kratos' sword from the God of War series (not the sword of olympus). If I sent that in would you be interested in reviewing it?
really? i wish i could see it in action in real life
They are treated more like flails than swords though. In-game they count as little more than glorified daggers that he swings about like yo-yos. Awesome to play, awesome to watch. Same principal as the Witcher combat; you can see what they were going for and, for the character it was designed for, it works. But practicality? Pffffft
According to the wiki, they are falchion-like blades. But yes, they are a bit stubby.
Please answer my question about another video game weapon. How effect would the penetrator (sr3 dildo bat) be in real life?
that would be a cool one to review
Its still the most beautiful sword ever.
Na, the Master Sword is.
Azure Griffin Not even close
Looks like a kitsch. It looks like it fucking escaped from china town. Ugly as fuck if you ask me.
@@rollothewalker5535 blade looks more beautiful then your sister mate
Says the Mjølnir.
@Skallagrim:
You should really work as a movie consultant!
But UA-cam is his job, so we would get far fewer videos...
There are full blow companies which already make historically accurate and or custom weapons/props for film/tv and they do so on a regular basis.
Where I find historians are usually "ignored" is whether something is accurate for the time period (think Braveheart with the kilts being 200-ish years early, i think). Sometimes this is a legitimate oversight and other times they know it is out of place but run with it as what should be used is aesthetically displeasing...
No one ever listens to consultants ask the guys and lady who worked on "Kingdom of Heavens"
I forget the name of the movie but I've heard that in the film where the concept of the knight being winched onto his horse first appeared, the historical consultant begged the director not to do it. But they did it anyway. And it became the equivalent of a meme, copied from movie to movie until a significant part of the movie-going population was convinced that it was historical, and it took pretty thorough debunking to break that stereotype. Some people still think armor is that heavy, and the theme survives and thrives in online games and RPGs. For a more modern portrayal, look at the show Vikings, where the vast majority of armor and clothing better fits the fantasy stereotype of vikings than the historical evidence of norse culture.
And another point in braveheart where the historian was most likely ignored is in the ridiculous use of the shield wall. As far as I know, no army that ever formed a shield wall would break formation to rush the enemy headlong (much less to jump up and onto the enemy *formation's* weapons), and I'm pretty sure a historian would know that too. Movies made in a certain time period are ATROCIOUS at historical depictions, and I'm sure we can all name dozens of films that do this. Directors are getting better in this regard, probably because the internet means people can do their own research from home so film companies are under more pressure to get things right, but there are still a lot of examples where history was completely ignored in favor of the stereotype and general "coolness."
Braveheart? The story of William Wallace, the rich Scottish noble and knight who lived about 100 years before claymores became common? Yep, definitely historically accurate.
Plot twist: hollow pommels were used to transport beer during long marches.
No: It's a weapon to fight like with like; hollow pommels to end rightly the hollow headed...
It's a pretty small space for beer. Maybe it was something stronger...
*Unscrews pommel to end the day rightly*
something to end your consciousness rightly
Nothing beats a good drink after a hard day's war i say
Hollow pommels are for hollow knights...
I think a big reason why they made it so short is that it helps Conan look even bigger. The audience probably presumes it's a normal length sword and that he just dwarfs it, it adds to the illusion that he's a giant barbarian.
Thats why Groo has that pair of shoto?
Back in the day there were programs about this movie, or ones it was mentioned on. They said that the sword was very heavy even compared to other ones in the movie and that Arnold was the only one who could use it. Even then it wasn't easy for him. This is probably true since if you watch, he does seem to be a little slow with it. Perhaps that is part because he's having trouble moving it and part putting too much momentum into that thing would be dangerous for the stuntmen he was fighting, and part the strain it would be to stop it.
So Sven-Ole Thorsen, Denmark's Strongest Man (83) and Europe's 10th Strongest Man (82) is a weakling?
That side-by-side of the historical greatsword and the shorter & heavier movie sword is the picture that's worth a thousand words when it comes to this subject. Well done again Skall :)
The greatsword is made of 15th century steel; I assume the Atlantean sword is also inspired by the short and chunky swords of the bronze and iron age, but I don't think even they were this heavy, and the Atlantean sword is implied to be relatively good steel.
its a god damn dagger
I just love his videos. You get what you are promised and no useless stretching out of the videos length.
It's interesting that your two-handed version actually looks far more "natural" for the sword design itself. I mean, a ricasso on s one-handed sword clips a lot of useful edge away from the already relatively short blade.
I think I'd take the longer one if I could buy it. :3
In 'Conan the barbarian',it has perfect proportions. They messed with it in the 'Conan the destroyer', just a tad, and it already looked... well, not as good. (they did put longer blade, and longer grip. And widher ricasso with hooks on the end sticking out of langets toward the front end. Leather wrap on the grip, and the guard and pommel didn't look like nice dark old bronze, but more like bright gold.) My opinion is, the blade is thick like that, to get a nice deep fuller, and those beautifull deep hierogliph engrawings.
By the way, Conan found it in a tomb of a atlantean general, which was a giant (cca 10 feet tall) compared to later race - humans. So it is reasonable to presume that for him, it would be a one-handed sword.
But that's just my humble opinion.
Greetings from Croatia
"Atlanean sword" is not а sword. "Atlanean sword" is а dagger. The Atlantic man had a height of 3-4 meters, therefore, his palm was the width of 2-2,5 times more than humans. The hilt of a "Atlantean sword" designed for one palm...the palm of the atlantic man. Therefore, "Atlanean sword" has a small length, but is designed with a long handle.
True, that's a dagger. To be correct, the altantean general is 2.5m. Said by Millius.
@@seighta5714 From what i have heard it was a Short sword the Giant used with one hand and was part of a matched set he duel wielded, although its brother was never found.
@@Knight121198 i never heard about this. I read the interview and it is not mentioned.
I just recently realized that and I wanted to comment on the subject.
In the movie you can see Conan moving the hand of the Atlantic man and it is huge. I don't know if it is a dagger but surely is meant to be used one handed!
@@AutoFirePad This is the scene: ua-cam.com/video/pmnbK9VR7VM/v-deo.html
There is a full shot of the throne and you can see that the hand of the corpse can easily grip the sword one handed.
100% agree on all points.
SOMEONE Needs to produce your version. I would buy it sooo fast.
When holding a real sword "I'm really feeling it!!!"
When holding the monado "I'm really feeling it!"
Goku Uzumaki you know it!
''can you feel it Mr Conan ??''
what a necromeme~
This is the kind of video that made me fall in love with your content, Skall. I remember the first one I saw was the one about shard blades and it got me hooked.
Skallagrim likes the pommel, what a shock...
Now being a bit more serious, I think the length was probably a production choice to fit it better in the shots or even to make it look small when compared to Conan himself, giving him more super-human features ("That big sword looks so tiny when he wields it, he is inhumanly big!").
Or maybe they just knew squat about it and it's all empty speculation and the sword just looked cool enough xD
The sword's previous owner was even bigger, though. Well, taller at least.
I think it was supposed to be a giant's short sword.
all the above my friend, all the above...
None of the above. The sword was made katana-length because the actors trained with katanas.
I really like your logical arguements. It's almost soothing to listen to a reasonable man.
Skallagrim: It's too heavy for it's size.
Conan: I'm strong! Heavy blade means heavy punch! If i wanted a lighter punch I just punch!
Skallagrim: A lot more exhausting to use and it would... feel clumsy.
Conan: I'm a great warrior! I'm not clumsy! you're clumsy and puny with your light swords!
Skallagrim: It's short! it's too short for it's wheight!
Conan: I'm a great warrior! I'm no afraid of getting closer! And when I go closer, you go dead.
Skallagrim: ... Right.
Accurate depiction of the alleged conversation between the two.
I'm a newer subscriber of yours, first few videos I saw I liked due to you making actual sense of the real thing. Decided to subscribe several months ago because you have this practical sense of how real historical battles would go and what weapon is more useful than some other or vice versa and so on and so forth. Plus you have this charismatic Viking-esque personality, I'm european myself so I also have quite a bit in common with the Vikings as the country I'm in was also a place of harbor at few areas near the seas (hint: Estonia).
Anyhow glad you like the Conan's Atlantean sword too, am fan of that sword myself and I agree with making it longer and lighter to add some real usage to the sword. What made me like Conan and the sword he finds in the movie is how much Arnie puts a strong sense of strength into the character without speaking much and the scene with finding that sword from the ancient tomb in the cave is powerful in a sense of both music and how special it was for Conan when he found that sword.
That and then there's the Riddle of Steel mystery/enigma put into effect by Crom, god under the mountain. Which is a powerful effect itself and the way Conan's father speaks about it all to the young Conan is a priceless moment as it has a sense of strength, mystery and vague path given to understand the meaning of steel throughout the rest of the movie. The Riddle of Steel has a real sensible meaning/answer that applies even in real life.
Length (or lack thereof) is also a bit puzzling when you consider the in-universe origins of the sword. Conan picks it up from this Atlantean king (or general?) whose skeleton is far taller than a normal human's. Milius says something to that effect on the BRD-commentary and it's pretty obvious when you look at the scene where the corpse's hand rests on the sword's pommel.
So to that guy, this sword could only have been a short-sword at best - or perhaps even only a longer dagger. And yet it's presented in his tomb as if it had been his most prized weapon. Granted: We aren't told anything about Atlantean culture or burial rituals in the film, but I still thought it a little odd.. :)
Nice!
Seeing Conan (Arnie) with a huge 2 handed sword is quite a view!
I actually kinda like the stubbyness of it. Not for practicality sake of course, but because I feel it makes the details of his sword more concentrated and dense as well as fitting with the whole barbaric feel of minimal looking equipment. Dudes in basically a loincloth so I think having a shorter sword actually fits with the theme.
totally agree I always thought it was unusually short and it always looked heavy to me!
I agree but I wouldn't put the leather on the revised version. I never understood why they made the sword so short. I read the book before the movie came out and the sword belonged to a Giant so it should have been much larger even if it was a arming sword for the Giant. Conan's Father's sword is outstanding as well but suffers from being too heavy and could use some length as well. I own both and they feel like holding a large crowbar.
Rich Stone I have the Atlantean Sword. You're absolutely right. It's nearly unusable.
Rich Stone Which book was this? Im familiar with original Howard stories, but not ones by future writers.
Think he means the novelization for the film
Rich, think of it as an iron age sword for a giant. Then the dimensions might make more sense.
His father's sword was cast iron, so it would have to be short and stout to have any utility at all. The real riddle of steel is how anyone in that world built a good sword in the absence of proper forging techniques.
So glad too see more about hema and swords again
Now someone needs to make this so we can buy it... Skallgrim's Atlantean greatsword.
see brother banzai
Thanks. They even have Link's sword. Want.
I've being watching your videos for a while now and I think there probably the best put together on UA-cam very useful and informative
Anything wielded by Arnold is automatically the deadliest weapon in the whole multiverse.
Could you make that into a series?
Taking fantasy swords and make them practical is definately something I would like to see more often.
Damn...that thing is heavy as shit! It'd be like swinging a AK-47 around.
King Kessef An AK47 Is actually pretty lights.
@@carbonbasedlifeform6693 an ak weighs close to 7.5 pounds.
I own that sword and also Conan's fathers sword. Got them both from a good sword company out of toledo Spain. It's classed as a functional sword. Together, they cost a little over $1,000 plus s&h and taxes and all that jazz. They both are nice.
Wait, so if I take an empty pommel and fit another pommel inside it, will it be a double pommel or pommel^2 ? It's important to my research on pommels as potential alternative to antimatter as a fuel.
antimatter fuel would end the use of fossil fuels rightly
Dick Kick'em double pommel
Double pommel.
+Mr Teepawt Nah, I don't do cooking anymore, my girlfriend does it for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
what if you cascade pommels? or put two pommels side to side at the end of the handle? do you have two pommels or just a technically still one but weireder pommel?
one thing I have always liked to see Skallagrim talking about is trick weapons from Bloodborne. It would be pretty interestig because how crazy some of the weapons are.
EXTRA THICC sword.
HELL SPOON 30 minutes or it comes with a free extra pommel?! Excellent!! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
I really missed this kind of videos. Hope you can find some more weapons to review like this :)
WOW no crossguard lengthening?? really? im quite surprised you critizise this so often @Skallagrim
not much point when there is the guard on the blade to hold the sword similar to SOME great swords ( i.e www.coldsteel.com/two-handed-great-sword.html ).
Grew up idolizing this sword, more than the character this sword was the cornerstone of fantasy when I was a kid. The early 2000's Conan movie failed in my mind for the absence of this sword above all else.
have you ever reviewed A Knight's Tale's fight choreography? Maybe even the jousting? I'm not sure if you have any knowledge of the sport, though.
Always enjoyable and thoughtful. When Skall makes a vid, he's practically inviting you into his house for a cup of tea. It's quite cool. :-)
i feel blue balled by the abrupt ending, you need to ramble a bit more :P
Like the video. The thing most people don't notice though, is the SIZE of the skeleton Conan takes the sword from. It's taller than Ahnuld SITTING DOWN!
Conan's sword was likely just like a giant's version of a Roman short-sword made for close-range heavy chopping. But like Frodo with the Elven dagger Sting, it looks like a full-sized blade in his hands.
_"why the heck is this thing so short and stubby?"_
thats what she said
I really like that you use different units, like Kg and lbs.
2:24 a counter weight ha! What a ridiculous Idea. Obviously it's their so that you can end your opponent rightly!
on the slightly more serious side does having a hollow pommel reduce ones ability to mordhau ?
Hit with the cross guard I suppose. Just hope the smith didn't make that hollow as well. And besides, a pommel is still a pommel, and you can throw them in Mordhau.
To answer, Not fully. If it's good metal the Pommel's shape and thickness will still allow it to preform it's function.
If it's bad metal you may just fuck up your pommel... or your entire sword. given bad metal often doesn't hold up well in a fight.
The Livid Dead Bad metal also sounds like shit.
"bad metal" sounds like a highschool metalcore band.
The Livid Dead thanks.
Jody Samson
Artist who created this sword for the movie. He deserves the credit for creating this sword. Great job Jody, one of my favorites too.
No, Ron Cobb designed the Sword. Samson "only" forged it.
You make it better by giving the sword a detachable pommel of course.
That can't be
Right.
Better yet, reforge the steel and make a bunch of pommels instead of a sword.
Oh, fuck you, I wanted to write that...
On the other hand - I'm glad I didn't... an overused joke by this point.
Yes, it's close to becoming cancer. We need more medieval jokes
Pada LAN
A peasant walked over to his friend. The peasant says "I just turned 20 years old!". His friend would look at him and say "So what should I wear for the funeral?".
im actually reeeally interested now to see an analysis of Jet's swords from ATLA
Doesn't Conan fight monsters n' shit? Would it be that the sword is bulky/heavy for more power? While an IRL Greatsword would be against humans, with more reach for more techniques etc when facing humans?
Yeah, with its weight it would essentially be a crushing weapon on top of a slashing one. And its short size allows really accurate thrusts, which is important for hitting weak spots in a creatures hide.
Its not the best design for a weapon, but given the universe where monsters are almost as common as people, you need specialized weapons.
Especially against monsters you'd want to have more reach. Plus a longer blade gives you a bigger force of impact because in the same swing the tip of the sword will move faster than that of a smaller one.
Conan does PVE, not PVP
While that makes sense to make a heavier weapon to fight tougher enemies, it's the distribution of weight that is the problem. A heavy blade isn't bad, but when more than 50% of the weight is in the half closest to you it would make the blade harder to swing. If the false edge was uncovered and on the other side of the sword (Like Fire Emblem's Armour Slayer sword) it might work that way, but not the way it is currently balanced.
Monsters? => Axe / hammer / spiked mace
A sword is not supposed to be a bludgeon, that is contrary to its design. Also, if it's too heavy it limits the velocity of the strike, which in turn lowers the kinetic energy that can be generated. Velocity increases the energy at a faster rate than mass does.
Worth noting the 'Conan the Adventurer' cartoon adapted the basic design of the Atlantean sword, making it longer and giving it a wider guard with upswept horns. The distinctive strips along the ricasso were kept but shortened to the point of being decorative only.
If you want to make the sword better, you must make the pommel able to unscrew.
SavageHjerte - ᚱᚨᚷᚾᚨᚱ make sword secretly have a sling to throw your pommel farther.
carlos conde Hidden sling inside the handle..... That's brilliant!!
So that you might end him rightly!!
"With face in Palm I say" I must now kill yoy. I know you are joking, it's all fun and games till I start to cry and people start to die. I'm sorry, but a threaded pommel killed my family and my dog. Raped brother and burned down my gazebo. I have dedicated my life to destroying any evidence of the concept of a threaded pommel. I shall make the world as though they had never been. I mean who the fuck has the skill set to temper a blade yet can't manage a kindergarten lvl technique like hot peining a god damn tang so. I don't understand how guy like the man at arms guys justify this shit. They shall drowned in lakes of blood now they will know why they fear the night
Actually, historical swords seldom had pommels that could be unscrewed. That would be a mark of a cheap, unreliable sword.
I love your videos so much. I get excited with every upload. And thank you for making me even more interested in swords and collecting them ☺️ keep up the good work!
Don't let the shortness of the blade distract from the fact that Skall literally has the best hair in the HEMA community. It's luscious. It's rich. You just don't see hair like that nowadays.
Finally! I've been waiting for years for you to cover this sword! Thank you Skall! By the way I never tought you actually like this weapon.
SUPER THICC PUMMEL
I'm loving the videos you've been posting! Keep up the great work.
but arnold is a bodybuilder...
A lighter sword would be even deadlier in the hands of a strong man than a very heavy one.
Sherrig Ofdenmark what if the sword is too big to be called a sword, too thick, and too heavy.
It would be a club I guess, If it has the right proportions to classify as a sword but was simply larger then it would still be considered a sword but if it was made for a human then it would just be a very stupid sword.
+Elrozzo Seicentoquattordici So Guts has an excuse for weilding the Dragonslayer but Conan doesn't for weilding Atlantean?!
+ComradeStirner Exactly, the Atlantean sounds normal compared to the Dragonslayer.
lol, I can just imagine Conan screaming in Arnold voice "Gah! It' was made for mighty barbarians!"
Same conclusions Matt Easton had. I too always loved the Atlantean sword..it and He-Man's sword of Power is what lead me down the path of weaponry.
the sword made at the beginning has always been my favorite.
I'm new here.. and watched vids from 2014 up till this one.. a marathon really! and I noticed something eerily similar with every single one of them..
The pommel seems to be going strong.
As a big weightlifter (6'2" 275) I really like swinging this thing around. Feels powerful in the hand in that once it get's going... I cannot image effectively blocking it. TLDR it's fun to chop shit up with it, but I can imagine it being worthless for anyone smaller.
It's not for mortal men. It's Atlantian!
4:41 is the answer to the question asked in the title. also, it looked so badass i immediately clicked like after seeing it
YAY! Been so long since we had one of these.
I want to see Skallagrim analyze the weaponry of the Predator. That should be pretty fun.
I like the way you transformed the Atlantean Sword from a Bastard Sword to a Longsword.
I like the look of that gallowglass when put up by Conan's sword.
I own the Atlantean sword, made from Marto Toledo , the official company that made the original. It's an amazing piece but definitely has its disadvantages as a weapon.
Just rewatched this classic on netflix and was thinking a video about the various swords and weapons in it would be interesting. I was particularly partial to the sword of the archer subotai, but also valerias sword too, theres also alot of stuff like that hammer thorgrim uses that would be hilarious to here your take on.
Hear*
Once upon a time, I bought the cheapo replica of this sword. It had a lot of issues, namely it was made of stainless and incredibly "top heavy" with the blade. The handle and pommel were hollow and had no weight to them, and the handle was very lightweight as well. Second, of course it had a rat tail tang. I'm glad I learned what that was before I hit anything with it and had the blade snap off the handle. All in all, it was really just made to look pretty and hang on a wall.
I love the antediluvian blade. I cant remember which novel Conan finds the Atlantean sword but I remember it was epic.Lost in a swamp/jungle pursued by a hungry dinosaur and scaling a cliff to get away. Cliff turns out to be like the Andes mountains so Conan ends up climbing for what seems like days.When his great strength is about to fail and plunge him to his death he finds a cave and in this cave he finds the crypt containing the sword among other things. The sword was described as like no other sword seen in Hyborea since the sinking of Atlantis. Perfect in weight razor sharp and never seeming to dull,and unbreakable.
Good old video mate, thank you.
You should review the swords from Fire Emblem, Falcion, Ragnell, etc. I think they do a decent job of giving them a fantasy flair while retaining some semblance of practicality
Holy shit, I did not expect such a massive difference between the two.
love the topic here. balance is definitely key.
This has always been my favorite movie sword.
A version with these modifications would be beastly. If they made it I bet it would sell so well.
I wanna see Man At Arms make your version of Conans blade now
I've always been more in love the father's sword
Yet another video that we''d love to see.
LOVE THIS GUYS REFERENCES !!!!!!!!!!!!
The Atlantean king who's corpse Conan got the sword from was a giant, and used it as a 1 handed sword.
People tend to forget Conan found this sword in the crypt of a giant king. In the book, he had to fight this giant skeleton king for this blade. The blade in the giant's hand would have functioned as more of a short sword or long dagger (that's not a sword, it's more of a dagger) than a true fighting sword for this giant. I think this is where the origins of this shape, style, and weight come into play. It was more of a king's ceremonial sword for a grave than a fighting weapon however magical or true it could have been in the story. Just my opinion on the matter. Great vids and reviews. Keep up the shiny work.
This explanation makes perfect sense, but in my personal opinion it even makes it more of a sword for the sword Conan the Barbarian.
His whole outfit is to be barbaric and make use of everything he has, even the fist against a camel.
The more "clumsy" the weapon is, more he has to be on close of someone and be that Barbaric muscle pile we all love :D
the most epic looking and beautiful sword ever
Fantastic video skall, very interesting!
Some counter points, based on Conan from the books and comics.
1. Conan is always described as being immensely strong. In fact his hyborian broadsword is described a few times in the books of being of a size and weight that other people would have to use 2 hand and he swings it like a twig.
2. His fighting style, from the books and comics, which is completely different in the movie, is described by several professional swordsmen in the books and comics is of not being able to find a gap in the defence because he has no defence, every blow coming fast as lightning and hitting like a hammer, jarring their arm to the point of numbness with every blow. The style of picking up a sword and swing it really fast and hard.
We (The entire history of mankind) demand more videos about fantasy swords!
Keep it up. Epic explanation and show. Good job, eager to see much more vids!
I love it when people ask him to talk about a fictional sword and he basically goes "That's actually pretty good as it is. This and that could be different, but other than that, good sword."
Awesome work! Would love to see more of this "Fantasy in real life" content!
wish the sword was cheaper so that you could test it :P