A bird sword name

I need help naming a sword. It's a sword magically enchanted to turn point-first in the direction it's moving when flung (because I wanted throwing a sword to actually work :P).

Its full title is "X, the blade that flies true" which is inscribed on the blade in a fictional foreign language. I just need help filling in the X part.

I was thinking some sort of bird would be appropriate, but I'm drawing blanks on ones that would sound good. The sword itself (and the language of the writing on it) is from a culture that's essentially a Japan/China mishmash, so maybe an Asian bird?... Except I know even less about birds from other continents than I do of birds from my own. Any help?

You'd want it to be a bird of prey, I think.

Falcons can be found in Asia, I believe. Though it's a fictional world, so that shouldn't matter too much.

edited 2nd Feb '12 2:09:08 PM by INUH

Do you want a mythological bird?

@INUH: Yes, a bird of prey was definitely my first instinct.

@Leradney: Mythological or real, either one could work.

Try this thread. If you already have, browse this page.

Try aigret or crane. They are almost always described as celestial birds in Chinese works.

As for Chinese mythological birds that are less known...Peng, aka Garuda. Luan, a heterogenous Chinese phoenix. Gui Che, a bird which originally had ten heads before one got chopped off. San Zu Jin Wu, a golden crow with three legs. Xuan Niao, the bird form of a goddess.

EDIT: The Chinese characters posted turned into gibberish somehow.

edited 2nd Feb '12 7:37:28 PM by YuriStrike

I honestly can't think of anything better than Falcon.

How about the Suzaku? The Vermillion Bird of the South - one of the Four Legendary Animals? Can't get more important with a beak.

Killer.

Of course, any one stupid enough to throw their sword deserves to die, so 'wielded by a fuckwit' may be a better name.

Grand enchanted swords with imposing names is kind of overdone, even in high fantasy. Therefore I'd like to throw into the pool the suggestion that you not name it anything at all.

"My Sword" - it cuts 'n stabs things.

There are birds that hunt fish by diving into the water, from the fly, beak-first (rather than talons-first like a falon). It might be the kingfisher but I am not sure. There are various Chinese words for kingfishers including Fei, Shuang, and Cui Niao.

"Grand enchanted swords with imposing names is kind of overdone, even in high fantasy."

On the other hand, it's not exactly uncommon in real life, either.

Falcon would probably be the best choice. According to Google, the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird. Fastest dive, anyway.

Wait, if the sword were to turn around, wouldn't it just hit the thrower when it returned?

(at least, i think that's what you mean by "turns point first")

edited 3rd Feb '12 7:00:01 PM by Collen

It's not a boomerang. I'm assuming you pull it out of the target after it's dead.

However, that leaves another problem. If the target fails to die after one throw, then you're fucked.*

edited 4th Feb '12 6:35:23 AM by Wheezy

Well, that's news to me. Especially the enchanted part.

I think what Tiamatty is trying to say is that the idea of a legendary, enchanted, named sword is a very old concept, and not one that's likely to go away any time soon. It's related to the broader idea that anything important enough to have a name must have some sort of special power or ability.

Vikings would name weapons, part of the boasting culture.

So do Chinese.

And there are also countless people who, throughout the ages, have shouted "NOOOOO!" due to completely justifiable circumstances, possibly looking upwards at the sky as they did. This does not make it a good idea to make one of your characters do that.

When you run across a named, enchanted sword in a fantasy-esque setting you don't think "Ah, as in the tradition of the Vikings and the Chinese", you think "Ah, as in every half-baked fantasy novel I have ever read". It's such a dead horse that Captain Carrot has a sword that is unique for not being magical at all.

This doesn't mean it can't be written well- if you make the culture believable and build it up as the kind of Proud Warrior Race who would actually name a sword, the suspension of disbelief might be able to deal. It also helps to avert all the routine magic sword baggage- Sword of Plot Advancement, and only The Chosen One can wield it, and all the usuals. Otherwise it can come off feeling like the writer went "what do I need to set the mood? Oh, right".

edited 5th Feb '12 7:17:26 AM by TripleElation

I like Suzaku a lot, I think I'm going to go with that. (I can probably even work it in to be the former sword of its now-undead guardian :3) Thanks to those who suggested ideas.

For those who cared to ask, it flies point forwards when thrown, but it doesn't come back. As Wheezy said, it's not a boomerang.

...Presumably one would learn to carry a second weapon due to that drawback.

(And as a note, this is the only weapon that shows up that has a title. There are others that have names, but no other grand titles, so I doubt it'll get overdone)

edited 13th Feb '12 9:45:07 PM by VensaeKorti

Does it have any particular virtue in terms of flying quickly or targeting itself? Otherwise it'd be rather useless; the speed at which you can actually throw a sword is less useful than one might suspect, and they can't be easy things to aim.

@alethiophile: It targets... In a way. Basically it's about as easy to aim as it would be to aim a thrown ball, but it doesn't lock onto a target and change directions if they move or anything.

I guess you could say it targets a direction. But even that can be fumbled with a slip of the arm or a far target where your aim is slightly off without realizing it.

And I set its weight at about 4 lbs. Presumably a decently strong person can throw one short distances without too much trouble. Longer throws would have the consequence of being harder to aim.

I don't know if they exist in Asia, but a shrike seems like a perfect bird to name a sword after - after all, shrikes are best known for impaling their prey.

Something related to cranes and herons, maybe? Herons don't actually impale their prey, but their long, sharp beaks are reminiscent of swords; plus they have a long-standing association with swiftness and grace.