So I’m sitting there yesterday, thinking about doing something different for the blog. History stuff, you know? Swords popped into my head – those legendary blades you hear about. Sounded cool, maybe a quick Top 10 Famous Swords list. Little did I know...
Step 1: Opening Up My Browser
Just fired up Google. Simple enough. Typed in stuff like "most famous swords in history" and "legendary swords names world". Bam! A gazillion results. Wikipedia pages, history sites, fantasy forums, video game wikis. Total information overload, instantly. Felt like I'd opened Pandora's Box.
Step 2: Drowning in Names
Started clicking everywhere. Found names like Excalibur (King Arthur, obviously), Zulfiqar (Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law Ali's sword), and Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (that Japanese sword from the gods). Awesome names! But then, oh man, the mess began. Same sword popping up with five different spellings. Different websites fighting over which swords really belonged to whom or even if they existed. Like the Joyeuse – is it even Charlemagne's actual sword? Or just some sword said to be his? Arguments everywhere. Felt like I needed a history degree just to start sorting.
Step 3: Trying to Sort This Mess
Grabbed a notebook. Seriously. Pen and paper. Started jotting down every famous sword name I kept seeing repeated. Had columns: Name, Culture/Legend, Claimed Owner, Real or Myth?. Went back and forth online, comparing sources. Some swords were undeniably famous, like Excalibur or Japan's Kusanagi. Others, like the Sword of Goujian? Really old Chinese sword found perfectly preserved. Super famous among historians, but maybe not "household name" famous like the legends. Where does it fit? Realized "famous" depends who you ask! Historians, myth lovers, gamers – different lists.
Step 4: Picking My Battles
Okay, needed a plan. Decided on two main buckets:
- Pure Legend: Swords like Excalibur, King Arthur's blade, solidly in myth.
- Famous Real/Irish Ones: Swords that definitely existed OR are deeply embedded in national myth, like the Honjo Masamune (lost Japanese masterpiece) or Wallace's William Wallace.
Wanted a mix of both types. Threw in Durandal (Roland's sword, French epic) and the terrifying Tizona (El Cid's sword, Spanish history/legend). The Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar (Persian hero's gem-studded sword)? Crazy name, totally mythical, had to include it for uniqueness. Argued with myself over leaving out cool swords like the Curtana (English Ceremonial Sword of Mercy). Decisions were tough!
Step 5: Building the Damn List
Took me ages! Kept shuffling the list order. Does Excalibur always have to be #1? Probably, yeah. But after that? Do I put Kusanagi or Zulfiqar higher? How famous is Joyeuse compared to Wallace's Sword? Seriously frustrating. Ended up giving up on perfect "famousness" order around #3. Just picked the most impactful across different cultures and time periods. My final Top 10 became this mix of solid legends, famous real artifacts (or their stories), and sheer cultural weight:
My Final Top 10 List (After All That)
- Excalibur (King Arthur, British Legend)
- Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Susanoo/Yamato Takeru, Japanese Legend/Imperial Regalia)
- Durandal (Roland, French Epic)
- Zulfiqar (Ali ibn Abi Talib, Islamic History/Legend)
- Joyeuse (Charlemagne, French History/Legend)
- Tizona (El Cid, Spanish History/Legend)
- Honjo Masamune (Tokugawa Shoguns, Japanese History - Real Sword, Lost)
- Wallace Sword (William Wallace, Scottish History/Legend)
- Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar (Prince Amir Arsalan, Persian Legend)
- Sword of Goujian (Chinese State of Yue, Chinese History - Real Sword)
Writing It Up and Feeling Relieved
Finally translated my notes and decisions into a blog post draft. Wrote a little blurb for each sword, trying to capture why it was famous – the myth, the history, the pure cool factor. Honestly? Spent way more time researching and arguing with myself than I ever planned. What started as a fun idea turned into hours of head-scratching. Hit "Publish" today feeling a bit exhausted, but glad it’s done. And honestly? Learned a ton. History's messy, myths are powerful, and making a simple "Top 10" list is harder than it looks!
