User blog:Inept Wiki User/Exploring Bases: Swords of the British Halloween

We're nearly at the end of 2018 and nearly half-way through Toaru Majutsu no Index III. We're in the middle of the British Royal Family Arc, with Carissa having launched her coup d'état attempt, later known in-universe as the British Halloween. At the same time, on the wiki, we've been somewhat delayed and are trying to catch up with the planned overhaul. Given the circumstances (and as it is Christmas), I'd thought I could work on a new entry for this little side-project which coincides with some of the existing work which I'm already doing as part of STOP (the Series Three Overhaul Project) - on the backgrounds of some of the stuff involved in the British Halloween. As there are still a fair number of tools and techniques left to be shown, for this entry I'll be just focusing on the backgrounds and abilities of the three main swords which are in play during this arc's events, all of which have been shown; Curtana, Ascalon and Hrunting.

NOTE: Bear in mind that a number of the subjects which might be involved have differing interpretations and disagreements concerning them. Also, I'm just a casual reader in these areas, so there may be some mistakes at times, though I try to avoid them as much as possible. If there are any points for improvement, correction or discussion, please feel free to discuss them in a constructive manner in the comments section below.

NOTE: Still under construction as of 26/12/2018.

Curtana
Under Construction First off, the Curtana, the sword (or technically swords) at the heart of the conflict. Said to be the greatest spiritual item of the United Kingdom and the British Royal Family, it is wielded by the country's ruler and is at the core of a powerful spell which spans the whole of the kingdom. The one in Queen Elizard's hands being the Curtana Second, created after the first sword was lost, the unearthing of the Curtana Original and its delivery to Second Princess Carissa signalled the beginning of her coup d'état.

Known as Sword of Mercy due to its blunt end, the real-life ceremonial sword is one of the and is used in the coronations of British monarchs. Just like in the Toaru series, the current one is not the original, being a copy made in the 17th century. The Toaru sword differs in appearance from the real-life Curtana, which is also more gilded. There are several different stories concerning the Curtana's origins.

Ascalon
Under Construction The second sword is Ascalon, the weapon which Acqua of the Back (aka William Orwell) brought with him to make up for his decreased capabilities in the wake of his defeat in Academy City at the hands of the Amakusas.

The sword is derived from the tale of and based on the weapon with  (a figure whom William Orwell is compared to in the narrative ) used to slay the dragon (either a sword, spear or lance depending on the version of the tale in question). The name Ascalon came to be associated with the weapon in certain medieval romances, derived from the Levantine city of. The sword featured in the Toaru series was created at the end of the 16th century by an artist who tried to work out what exactly would be need to slay the dragon from the legend if it actually existed, with the sword's giant form and multiple implements being the result.

Hrunting
Under Construction The last of the three is the sword wielded by the Knight Leader, Hrunting.

Its namesake, from which it is derived, comes from the Old English poem, perhaps the oldest surviving long story in Old English and considered one of the most important works in Old English literature. A Nordic story set in, it focuses on Beowulf, hero of the , who goes to the aid of , King of the , whose hall was being terrorized by the monster. Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by tearing off his arm, causing to seek vengeance. Given to Beowulf by (who had previously doubted/disliked him and apparently wished to make up for it), the sword was said to be tempered in blood and had never failed anyone who wielded it in battle, having apparently been used for heroic feats before. However it proved ineffective against Grendel's mother and Beowulf had to discard it. After killing her, Beowulf returned the sword to Unferth, with "no ill word" for it despite its failure, and subsequently returned to his homeland, where he would become king and reign for 50 years before being mortally wounded while slaying a dragon.

In the Toaru series, the Knight Leader uses Telesma, provided by the Curtana and the All-English Continent, in place of blood to temper his blade.

External References
 