Of all the weapons in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Blade is probably the most iconic. Guan Yu and his Green Dragon Blade are so closely associated that this kind of blade-on-a-stick weapon is still known in China as the “Guan Dao” (“Dao” means blade). But it is also anachronistic – as far as anyone can tell, this type of weapon did not appear until more than 700 years later in the Song Dynasty. Also they’re not used much in actual battle – they tend to be heavy and were used mainly for strength training.
Growing up, i’ve always been in awe of the Guan Dao (learned from Taiwanese puppet shows growing up, it wasn’t until i actually read the Three Kingdoms that i realized it was actually called The Green Dragon that Covers the Moon Blade)… now, having actually studied ancient weapons and used some of them (fencing, archery, a short and ill conceived few weeks of horse back riding and lance/blade handling), i realize the difference between iconic and practical (by all means, this is a personal realization and not meant to be a general statement of fact, weapons are personal, as are opinions regarding them)…
Yet, two nights ago, while playing Avernum 6 with the TV on the background, i realized the programing has drifted into that silly “Deadliest Warrior” show (Comanche versus Mongols) and my first glance at the show was of them demonstrating the Mongol “Glaive”… i think the words i muttered at that point was, to my wife, “Hon, did you know the Mongols stole Guan Gong’s sword?”
Horse back riding and lance/blade handling, now that sounds like the vacation I should take…
Interesting you should mention the puppet shows though – some of the accounts I’ve read maintains that Guan Yu first started using a bladed polearm in these old puppet shows, and that image eventually worked its way into the novel. I have never seen these puppet shows myself, would love to see one someday.
In the end you have to go with the Guan Dao. Figures of legend just have to wield their legendary weapons. Robin Hood and King Arthur might well never have existed, but they will always bear the longbow and Excalibur. The three brothers look suitably heroic, though Zhang Fei looks a little too ferocious (foreshadowing his eventual fate?).
Well, Zhang Fei has always been the muscle of the outfit… Liu Bei the brains… and Guan Yu the personified balance… it is true what Mercy said about legendary arms… even in the statues of Guan Yu where he is standing or sitting while reading a scroll or book, the Guan Dao is either held in the off arm with the point down in a position of rest or propped up near by readily at hand. Truely, with out the Guan Dao, Guan Yu may just be yet another red faced Chinese warrior, lost in the sands and faces of time! Well, probably not, how many (sober) red faced Chinese folks is there?
I totally agree regarding the weapons. I’ll be pretty much sticking to the weapons in the novel even though a good number of them were not historically accurate.
As for red faced Chinese, I refer you to this estimable gentleman: http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/x1/x9873.jpg
nice image there Koad… he was a rather ruddy fellow wasn’t he…
Ruddy yes… although now that I think of it, I’m not entirely certain if he should count as being sober…