The Weaponry of Game of Thrones

[Westeros]

This is one I’ve been asking for for awhile, and boy, am I happy to see it. HBO’s Making Game of Thrones has posted a brand new Artisans video, this one featuring weaponsmaster Tommy Dunne as he discusses—and shows—a number of weapons made for the series. Among them, one can see Ser Gregor Clegane’s greatsword standing next to Eddard Stark’s Ice, Ser Waymar Royce’s amber-encrusted sword, and more:

The Artisans: Tommy DunneLook particularly closely at the weapons behind Dunne at the opening. There’s one balde that looks as if it has ring guards on it, and it’s quite slender and long… is that Arya’s sword, Needle? I am suspicious!

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[Brude]

I couldn't pick out the 'potential Needle' in the stack of weapons.

They showed a drawing of Ser Waymar Royce's weapon and then later what I think was the hilt of the same weapon with the bejeweled grip. It looks a bit more fantastical than I would have expected in its style, but whatever. I'd like to see the whole blade as a unit to see how the whole thing looks.

Ser Gregor's sword looks great. Huge, gray, cold steel with an ominous and simple ring design on the pommel.

[Ran]

There's a silver-handled weapon lain across a sword, and right next to that silver-handled weapon is another hilt that seems attached to a very slender, sheathed blade. That's Needle, I think.

[The Mormegil]

Is that green pommel (seen at about 58s) in the shape of a Kraken or possibly a Dragons head?

Edit

It's the same sword Robert is seen with in the EW photo, so not a Kraken. Could still be a Dragon I suppose if Robert took a sword that belonged to Aerys.

[Brude]

It's the same sword Robert is seen with in the EW photo, so not a Kraken. Could still be a Dragon I suppose if Robert took a sword that belonged to Aerys.

Or maybe from Rhaegar? But I don't think it's a dragon, even.

It looks almost skull-like, but not really that either. It's a very strange design and may be purely decorative. I wonder if it's supposed to be a sword held by Orys Baratheon from before he took the Stormlands for Aegon and then took the old Storm Kings' sigil and words? There's no word on what symbol Orys might have used before he took the Stag symbol (if any at all), so maybe they made something up? Maybe that's a clue to what the old Valyrian aesthetic will be like.

Oh, and I think it's amusing to see poor Samwell getting smacked on the ass with the flat of somebody's sword during his first time training as a black brother.

[Bubs]

I know nothing about swords (well, besides sticking with the pointy end) but I thought the bejeweled hilt was cool. Any idea whose sword it may be?

[Ran]

That's Waymar Royce's sword.

I'm told several of the swords we see in this are actually from the time of the pilot, and are rather more fancifully conceived than most of the swords designed after the pilot. So... I'm thinking that's Robert's sword with its dragon (has to be a dragon, and I'm guessing the notion was it provides continuity with the Targaryens, or perhaps it's a sort of trophy from Rhaegar's corpse or from Aerys's armory which he keeps around so he can remind himself that he killed them off) and Waymar's overly-ornamented sword.

That said, I agree with you, I love Waymar's sword with all the pieces of amber ornamenting it.

[So1ar]

weapons look pretty cool. is that gregor and sandor sparring? it also looked like loras at the end.

[FatCatOberyn]

Can't wait for this to come. Must get HBO...

The weapons look great, I love the dark grey look of some swords, the hilts are just amazing, and Gregor's sword looks very dark, big, simple and brutal. Love it!

I would like to see another video like this, that focuses on armor, and another that focuses on foods, and another, that focuses on the music...

[So1ar]

there is one that focuses on food already. the armor and music would be nice as well.

[The Mormegil]

Or maybe from Rhaegar? But I don't think it's a dragon, even.

It looks almost skull-like, but not really that either. It's a very strange design and may be purely decorative.

If we were in a different mythos I would say it represented Cthtulu.

Maybe that's who the Great Other actually is and Robert was a secret Worshiper :bowdown:

[Halfhand]

It definitely looks like a kraken head to me. Loot from Balon's rebellion?

[Ran]

The indention suggesting a nose doesn't seem very kraken-like to me, personally.

[arrowfan]

Was just going to post this vid link... but Ran's the man. :cheers:

Weapons look fantastic. Agree that one with the amber ornamentation is the the coolest by far. Really like the scenes at the wall - looks just like I pictured it. Looks like Jon is sparing with Gren...

[Herr Fick]

I already posted my thoughts on the swords (http://yfrog.com/new0bp) over at winter-is-coming.net, but wanted to add to the discussion here. So, sorry for the double posting.

Lord Eddard Stark's Ice (http://yfrog.com/mthslp) looks pleasingly stark. ;) The tips of its cross-guard and the pommel work fine together; very simple and elegant - for a Zweihänder. It is shorter than described in the novels, but that's okay. Following Brude's comment over at winter-is-coming.net, I can also see the steel's 'Valyrian' pattern more clearly now. The fact that Ice's hilt is not wrapped in leather underlines that it serves ceremonial functions mainly, is seldom used in battle (the last time during the Greyjoy rebellion, I think) and not carried around by Eddard Stark all the time.

Ser Gregor Clegane's Zweihänder (http://yfrog.com/5hxjhp) looks brutishly practical. The pommel's design is cool, because it's neither fancy nor bland. The dark brown hilt is neat, but I don't know whether what we see is wood or very tight leather wrapping (at 1:42 it looks like wood to me, but I'm not sure). 64 inches (162cm) long, the sword is not unnaturally large, considering that Mr Stevens will most likely wield it two-handed (not one-handed and with a shield, as in the novels). In fact, there are Zweihänder that exceed 180cm in length, although it is sometimes difficult to determine if they were used for actual combat or just for ceremonial purposes. Be that as it may, the wooden sword with which Mr Stevens 'fights' Mr McCann is, I believe, much shorter than his prop weapon. Being a lay person, I find that odd (would you not use a matching weapon for practising your choreography?). Furthermore, Mr Dunne's statement at 1:39 is startling. If the steel version of Clegane's sword really weighs 12 to 16 (!) pounds, then it's absurdly heavy. But then again, Mr Stevens looks like he can handle it...

On the table behind Mr Dunne some additional swords can be seen. Ran already spotted Arya's Needle among the pieces. I believe, it is the slender weapon with the dark hilt, brass-coloured pommel and ring guard lying atop King Robert's sword. If so, the design is very different from Mr Martin's description as adopted for the weapon's official replica by Valyrian Steel. Personally, I think HBO's design is neat and adds to the settings cultural diversity.

We get a glimpse of Ser Waymar Royce's sword (http://yfrog.com/5x3mbp) as concept art first. The hilt looks oddly ceremonial, studded with gems of some sort. Later, at 01:01, these gems appear to be pieces of amber in its warm colours from bright yellow to dark red. I don't know of any connection House Royce has with amber, except that Runestone, their castle, stands by the shore north of Gulltown. The amber thus is a well-thought-out design feature, in my opinion.

Additionally, the sword's hilt sports golden ornament and an ivory-coloured grip. Somewhat contrary to this pomp, the cross-guard is of a simple and elegant design. But all in all, Ser Waymar's weapon (or at least its hilt) looks neither modest nor practical, which at the same time fits his somewhat pompous character and contradicts his obvious martial prowess and diligence. But as a statement of style as well as character, a sword like this one should work very well on camera – especially since the other brothers in Ser Waymar's band are equipped so much more plainly. Ran pointed out, that some of the pilot's weapon designs are more flamboyant than what was made for the series afterwards. If so, I like the decision.

Viserys Targaryen's scimitar (http://yfrog.com/hqqdcp) is initially shown as concept art, too (at 0:32). We have already seen this weapon in the behind-the-sceens feature (at 0:33). It has a slender, slightly curved blade, gilded, upwards-pointing hand guards, a dark (wooden?) grip, a golden orb at the top of the hilt and a dragon's head pommel of somewhat oriental design. All of this fits with the weapon being a gift from Magister Illyrio to a deluded Targaryen would-be king. I'm not able to determine from the video, whether the concept art already features the dragon pommel or another (bird-like?) design.

King Robert Baratheon's sword is a mystery to me. The hilt is fashioned from bright wood, the silver cross-guard decorated with golden scrollwork and distinct golden tips – it looks quite nice and regal (http://yfrog.com/jvirmp). But the interesting thing is… Cthulhu's head. ;) (http://yfrog.com/mg9j2p)

I have no idea what it is that adorns the sword's pommel. It doesn't look like a dragon (at least I very much hope so!) or any other heraldic animal associated with Robert Baratheon for that matter. And because my first reaction was, indeed, "Cthulhu fhtagn!", I came up with only one – very far-fetched – explanation: The pommel depicts a kraken and the sword belongs to the Greyjoys of Pyke, from whom Robert took the weapon after he crushed Lord Balon's rebellion. Well, that is some outlandish theory, but hey, it's some outlandish pommel, too! :)

Another mystery is the pale coloured sword (http://yfrog.com/nedgdp) in the scabbard we can see lying beside Visery's sabre at 0:13 to 0:15. It has a very flashy grip, made of ivory or bright wood. The cross-guard is entangled by twisted strands of metal and tipped with golden discs. The scabbard sports a lot of gold, too, as well as two ornaments shaped like sun discs or chrysanthemums – oh no, Lannister samurai again!-- ;)

At the very last moment of this shot we get to glimpse at the pommel which seems to be quite big and distinctly shaped – it could well be a lion's head with a curly mane. I'm guessing, that this is Ser Jaime Lannister's sword, and after comparing the weapon (again and again) to Mr Coster-Waldau's arming sword in the Entertainment Weekly photograph, I am now quite sure of it. The colour saturation is different, but the grip's shape is the same in both swords.

All in all, my impression is one of awe and approval. The craftsmanship is stunning, the designs very diverse, telling (in terms of culture and character) and – most importantly in my opinion – not in the line of common fantasy kitsch. Great work!

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Oh man. I love this video, particularly the Castle Black scenes. And did he say that Ser Gregor's sword is five and a half feet? Holy fucking shit. That's taller than me.

[Padraig]

I already posted my thoughts on the swords (http://yfrog.com/new0bp) over at winter-is-coming.net, but wanted to add to the discussion here.

Wow. Very comprehensive. Interesting.

[Brude]

Oh man. I love this video, particularly the Castle Black scenes. And did he say that Ser Gregor's sword is five and a half feet? Holy fucking shit. That's taller than me.

I think it's slightly less than that, but yeah, it's long. It's about right for the larger great swords (Zweihanders, especially, which is basically what that is) and there were even longer ones that we know of. The longest one is 7 feet, though it was probably ceremonial. Five to six feet long is more in line with the ones that were actually used, however the weight of Clegane's sword is more in line with the ceremonial blades. The ones that were actually used would have been maybe half that weight.