Difference between revisions of "Scimitar"
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The term is European in origin, and covers an assortment of different "Eastern" curved swords inspired by types that Central introduced to the Middle East by Central Asian ''ghilman'' (early Islamic slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries). These swords include the Persian shamshir (the origin of the word scimitar), the Arab saif, the Indian talwar, the North African nimcha, and the Turkish kilij - all of these swords are originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia (Turkestan), and the earliest evidence of their use dates back to the 9th century CE. | The term is European in origin, and covers an assortment of different "Eastern" curved swords inspired by types that Central introduced to the Middle East by Central Asian ''ghilman'' (early Islamic slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries). These swords include the Persian shamshir (the origin of the word scimitar), the Arab saif, the Indian talwar, the North African nimcha, and the Turkish kilij - all of these swords are originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia (Turkestan), and the earliest evidence of their use dates back to the 9th century CE. | ||
| − | The scimitar serves a symbolic role in many cultures, both "Eastern" and otherwise | + | The scimitar serves a symbolic role in many cultures, both "Eastern" and otherwise - Akkadians and other Old Babylonian peoples viewed the the scimitar as a symbol of royalty or godhood; the scimitar also appears as a symbol of the Russians in the coat of arms of Finland, which depicts a lion brandishing a sword and trampling a scimitar. In the works of [[wikipedia:William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] and other classic literature (such as ''[[wikipedia:The Count of Monte Cristo|The Count of Monte Cristo]]'', which provides the [[encyclopedia]] entry), the scimitar was a symbol for the East and the Islamic world, an association that has since gained connotations of "Muslim barbarity" with a possible root in Crusades-era religious propaganda: though the Muslims of the Crusades used straight-edge swords for the first two centuries, European Christians may have tied the cross-like shape of those swords more closely to their own cause. |
==Encyclopedia entry== | ==Encyclopedia entry== | ||
Revision as of 13:39, 4 August 2023
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | scimitar |
| Appearance | curved sword |
| Damage vs. small | 1d8 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d8 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | scimitar |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 15 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 40 |
| Material | iron |
A scimitar is a type of melee weapon that appears in NetHack. It appears as a curved sword when unidentified.
Generation
Scimitars make up about 1.5% of randomly generated weapons (on the floor, as death drops, or in shops).
Many orcs are generated with scimitars: hobgoblins, orcs and hill orcs have a 1⁄4 chance of generating with a scimitar.[1] Mordor orcs have a 1⁄3 chance of being generated with a scimitar;[2] orc-captains have a 1⁄2 chance to be generated with Mordor orc weapons, giving them an effective 1⁄6 chance of generating with scimitars.[3]
The statue of Perseus on Medusa's Island has a 1⁄2 chance of containing a blessed +2 scimitar.[4][5][6][7]
Scimitar skill
| Scimitar | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Skilled | |
The scimitar is the only weapon to use the scimitar skill. There are no artifact scimitars.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
As of commit 296a3ac2, the scimitar skill is merged into the saber skill. Barbarians can reach Skilled in saber to maintain consistency with the former scimitar skill.Strategy
Scimitars deal respectable damage, but are not often used since most roles with the skill prefer the upgrade paths afforded by the long sword or silver saber, the versatility of daggers, or the sheer power of the unicorn horn or dwarvish mattock.
Roles with poor starting weapons, such as the Tourist, might consider using a scimitar early on; illiterate and wishless conduct players might consider making use of a scimitar until they gain access to an altar or other means of obtaining artifact weapons. Especially unlucky players might find Perseus' scimitar to be the best non-artifact one-handed weapon available.
Origin
A scimitar (/ˈsɪmɪtər/ or /ˈsɪmɪtɑːr/) is a type of single-edged sword with a convex curved blade that is often used for mounted combat, and commonly associated with West Asian, South Asian, and North African cultures. Despite this association, various types of curved saber have seen use in various other cultures, including several "Western" ones; more modern sabers are often distinguished from 'scimitar'-type curved swords by the cross-guard connecting to the pommel (end of the hilt).
The term is European in origin, and covers an assortment of different "Eastern" curved swords inspired by types that Central introduced to the Middle East by Central Asian ghilman (early Islamic slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries). These swords include the Persian shamshir (the origin of the word scimitar), the Arab saif, the Indian talwar, the North African nimcha, and the Turkish kilij - all of these swords are originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia (Turkestan), and the earliest evidence of their use dates back to the 9th century CE.
The scimitar serves a symbolic role in many cultures, both "Eastern" and otherwise - Akkadians and other Old Babylonian peoples viewed the the scimitar as a symbol of royalty or godhood; the scimitar also appears as a symbol of the Russians in the coat of arms of Finland, which depicts a lion brandishing a sword and trampling a scimitar. In the works of Shakespeare and other classic literature (such as The Count of Monte Cristo, which provides the encyclopedia entry), the scimitar was a symbol for the East and the Islamic world, an association that has since gained connotations of "Muslim barbarity" with a possible root in Crusades-era religious propaganda: though the Muslims of the Crusades used straight-edge swords for the first two centuries, European Christians may have tied the cross-like shape of those swords more closely to their own cause.
Encyclopedia entry
Oh, how handsome, how noble was the Vizier Ali Tebelin,
my father, as he stood there in the midst of the shot, his
scimitar in his hand, his face black with powder! How his
enemies fled before him!
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 426: default orcish weapons
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 402: armor and weapons for Mordor orcs
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 400: switch for orc-captains
- ↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 56
- ↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 155
- ↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 273
- ↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 373
