Is Narsil a Longsword?

[Jaif]

Ok, for those of you who've seen the LoTR movie (like there's any doubt<g>), what kind of sword is Narsil?  I'm talking about game terms here - I know that in real life people in the middle ages were very sloppy with their names.

-Jeff

[Jake Norwood]

From what I've seen it has a long handle and a long blade. If it's got both, then it's a longsword.

In Narsil's case, sort of.

Jake

[Lance D. Allen]

Um.. Okay, so here's where I show myself to be an ignorant lout... But which one is Narsil?

[Jaif]

Aragorn's blade - the one that was broken and was reforged (though they didn't bother showing the reforged part in the movie).

-Jeff

[Ben Morgan]

Not sure if they even got to that part. It's possible they moved that whole thing to the end, to go along with his whole "claim your birthright" thing. I can't remember what sword he was using during the last half of Fellowship. Or that could be something that was cut, and we might see it on the Special Edition in Nov.

Wow I'm a geek. :)

[Jaif]

You're not a geek.  I watched it a few billion times on DVD. :-)  They have a scene in the movie with Boromir wandering around Rivendell in which Boromir picks up the broken blade and wonders at it.

[Mokkurkalfe]

Perhaps off topic, but is there any scene where Boromir actually use his shield?

Most swords seem to be longswords. They carry them at the hip but use them with two hands(or at least without shield)

[Brian Leybourne]

It had a pretty long handle though - surely that screams hand-and-a-halfer (i.e. bastard sword).

Brian.

[Hoser]

Aragorn did wield a sword, but I don't think it was Narsil.  I believe that Narsil becomes whole after he claims his birthright.  (I could very well be wrong tho - I haven't read the books since high school, over 20 years ago).

[Jaif]

In the books, Narsil is reforged in Rivendell, and Aragorn takes with him (renaming it Anduril).

The question I asked was a light one, but my confusion comes when trying to tell a bastard sword from a longsword.  I think a longsword is a whispy thin blade and a bastard sword is a manly thick one, but I wasn't sure so I thought I'd ask.

-Jeff

[Brian Leybourne]

In the books, Narsil is reforged in Rivendell, and Aragorn takes with him (renaming it Anduril).

The question I asked was a light one, but my confusion comes when trying to tell a bastard sword from a longsword.  I think a longsword is a whispy thin blade and a bastard sword is a manly thick one, but I wasn't sure so I thought I'd ask.

-Jeff

AFAIK (and I bow to superior knowledge), a bastard sword has a slightly longer blade, but not noticably thicker, however it has a longer hilt, allowing it to be wielded with two hands. It's still light enough to be swung with one hand as well though (thus "hand and a half" because that's the average *grin*).

Brian.

[Mike Holmes]

See if I can pick this one up before Jake does.

From their demo at Origins, the bastard sword and longsword are similar lenghts and weights, both being usable one or two handed. The difference is in the nature of the tapering. Bastard swords taper all along the blade to a nasty point at the end. Longswords only taper a bit, and then come together much more suddenly at the end. What this means is that the bastard sword is great for puncturing armor with half-swording technique. Which, IIRC, was exactly what it was designed for. While a longsword might be a bit heavier and more robust for a particular length.

Did I get that right, Jake?

Mike

[Jaif]

Bastard swords taper all along the blade to a nasty point at the end.

Thanks for the description.  That actually described what Boromir's sword looked like.  In fact, if you watch his final battle he finishes a lot of orcs off by thrusting (slash to knock shield aside, thrust to belly).

Perhaps off topic, but is there any scene where Boromir actually use his shield?

He used it during the troll fight.  He wasn't a central character in that fight, so you only catch it if you watch closely.

-Jeff

[Mokkurkalfe]

When Boromir lies in the canoe/canoe/whatever you can clearly see his sword. I'd say it's pretty triangular. Like a bastard sword.

[Sneaky Git]

In the books, Narsil is reforged in Rivendell, and Aragorn takes with him (renaming it Anduril).

The question I asked was a light one, but my confusion comes when trying to tell a bastard sword from a longsword.  I think a longsword is a whispy thin blade and a bastard sword is a manly thick one, but I wasn't sure so I thought I'd ask.

-Jeff

This is one of those places in which the movie differs from the books...
Books - Aragorn II is the bearer of the shards of Narsil (birthright of Isildur's line).  In Bree, while attempting to allay the fears of the Hobbits, Strider bares his blade.. "He drew out his sword, and they saw that the blade was indeed broken a foot below the hilt."
Movie - Strider apparently wields a thoroughly whole blade.. and to good effect.

Books - Aragorn bears the reforged Narsil (Anduril - Flame of the West) when he joins the Fellowship of the Ring.
Movie - Aragorn wields a weapon other than Anduril.. I think it was the blade he carried prior to their arrival at Rivendell.