“Tough Traveling” is a weekly Thursday feature created by Nathan at Review Barn where participants make a new list each week based on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. This hilarious little book cheerfully pokes fun at the most prevalent tropes in fantasy. All are welcome to take part, and there is a link up over at his site. Join in any time!
This week’s trope is NAMED WEAPONS:
Surprise! This is not from the Tough Guide but fits the spirit of it well. So let us say for this topic the weapon either needs to be A. Named, B. Famous, or C. Sentient.
Props to Mogsy from BiblioSanctum for coming up with this week’s trope! Excellent choice if I do say so myself – there’s plenty to choose from. This week I chose to hone in on swords in particular.
 Lightning – Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Alana picks up a strange magical sword on one of her quests, and names it “Lightning” because it’s quick, powerful, and deadly. She later sacrifices Lightning in order to save her friends. |
 Pooky Bear – World After by Susan Ee
Through a bizarre series of events, Penryn comes to possess the sword of an Archangel. These swords have celestial power and must be named; as a joke, Penryn names the sword Pooky Bear without realizing that the poor sword is stuck with that name. She gets quite a bit of flak about that name, let me tell you. |
 Rhindon – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Peter Pevensie, High King of Narnia, wields a magical sword named Rhindon. Peter uses the sword to defend himself and his family from the wolf Maugrim, making him Peter’s first kill. The sword was given to Peter after the end of the Long Winter by – you guessed it – Father Christmas. That’s right folks, Santa gives out magical swords if you’ve been good. |
 Excalibur – Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Mallory
No list about named weapons would be right without including Excalibur! Le Morte D’Arthur is considered the definitive literary version of Arthurian legend and excalibur, introducing the sword in the stone myth and Arthur’s unique ability to wield it. |
Rabindranauth
Interesting list. I like that you worked a classic into it 😀
Danya @ Fine Print .
Gotta pay respect to the classics!
Kaja
Wow, I have absolutely no memory of Ee’s book even though I remember liking it quite a lot. I obviously have to rerad it!
I love that you’ve included a children’s novel, though Narnia isn’t my favourite. Lovely list!
Danya @ Fine Print .
Rereading is the best! Catching little details that you missed the first time around is so much fun…and Pooky Bear is definitely worth it!
Nathan (@reviewbarn)
A sword named Pookie Bear is absolutely why I am in love with lists like these. Because someone named a sword Pookie Bear! And that makes me smile to no end.
Danya @ Fine Print .
Right? I was grinning ear to ear every time the name was mentioned.
Bob Milne
Ah, Excalibur is where it all began, isn’t it? Great list!
Danya @ Fine Print .
Thank you! I was obsessed with Arthurian legends as a kid so Excalibur will always be named weapon numero uno in my mind.
Carmel @ Rabid Reads
Excalibur is an obvious pick, and I just finished reading Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs which actually featured the sword, so talk about timing! I’d like to add Vic and Lucretia from Jennifer Estep’s Mythos Academy series.
Danya @ Fine Print .
Whoop whoop for Anna and Charles!! Hope you’re loving them as much as I do! The Mythos Academy books have so many of these tropes, but my favourite thing about the books I’ve read thus far was Nicodemus (I think that’s his name, anyway). Librarian win!
Tabitha (@Not Yet Read)
I thought it was hilarious she named the sword Pookie Bear. I don’t remember the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe sword name but then I didn’t actually read the book haha.
Danya @ Fine Print .
I honestly laughed so hard at the name! All the cracks Penryn made about bedazzling the sword if she got out of hand were gold, too. I don’t think the sword is named in the film, but Peter definitely uses it in battle. I think maybe Aslan gave it to him in that version!
BiblioSanctum Blog
You and Wendy were on the same page with Pookie Bear! A great pick, if I say so myself, because it high lights the power – or absurdity, in this case – of a correctly or incorrectly named weapon. I had to laugh when I saw the Penryn books on both your lists! XD
~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
Danya @ Fine Print .
Hahaha, yay for Pooky Bear win! You’re too right about the power of names; one of the characters actually makes the point that none of the other swords will respect PB because of her name, haha.
Lynn Williams
I love your choices. Let me double check but I’m sure you managed to wangle Tamora onto the list!! And I love that you got The Chronicles.
Lynn 😀
Danya @ Fine Print .
Of course I did, Lynn! 😉 When it comes to my love of Tamora Pierce, my motta is that were there’s a will, there’s a way.
Lisa (@TenaciousReader)
Pooky Bear?!? I think I kinda love that 🙂
Danya @ Fine Print .
One of the highlights of the book for sure!! Perfect way to inject some much-needed humour.
Anya E. J.
I love named weapons so much, and especially sentient ones! There is one in the Sanderson cosmere that I particularly love >.>
Danya @ Fine Print .
Ohhhh well I’m sure I’ll come across it then! I’m slowly but surely making my way through Mistborn. 😉