What does vorpal mean?

TarionzCousin · Sep 18, 2012

Scott DeWar said:
that is just wrong. I wish I had a ban hammer!

Only Mods, Admins, and the Admiral get hammers. The rest of us must make do with the chair.

Dannyalcatraz · Sep 18, 2012

Don't threaten me, or I'll post lyrics!

Janx · Sep 18, 2012

Dannyalcatraz said:
That reminds me...a buddy of mine in college used to sing a song called "Kitty Kitty Fan Belt Blues."

that sounds like the horror story my friend tells of his kitten killing truck on the farm. Don't let your cats hide their kittens in your truck. No good can come of a fur lined block heater.

Dannyalcatraz · Sep 18, 2012

I believe that was the gist of his tune...

Stormonu · Sep 18, 2012

Hmmm...my high school memory is apparently failing me. I thought for sure I remember reading that Beowulf grabbed a VORPAL sword in the sea cave where he slew Grendel's mother, but a quick internet search seems to be letting me down.

Hand of Evil · Sep 18, 2012

Just think what it would be IF Dr. Seuss wrote the poem!

airwalkrr · Sep 18, 2012

mmadsen said:
...
It took four sword strokes -- One, two! One, two! -- which might even have been thrusts to the body -- And through and through / The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! -- before he took off its head as a trophy -- He left it dead, and with its head / He went galumphing back.

Well clearly probability is a factor here. I mean a vorpal strike only beheads on a roll of natural 20. So there is a 5% chance. The boy got lucky he rolled a natural 20 on his fourth swing. The probability of getting a vorpal strike in just four swings is pretty low.

Umbran · Sep 18, 2012

Stormonu said:
Hmmm...my high school memory is apparently failing me. I thought for sure I remember reading that Beowulf grabbed a VORPAL sword in the sea cave where he slew Grendel's mother, but a quick internet search seems to be letting me down.

No, not "vorpal". 'Vorpal" is a made-up word. Beowulf grabs a really big sword, made by giants, when Hrunting fails him:

Then he saw mid the war-gems a weapon of victory,
An ancient giant-sword, of edges a-doughty,
Glory of warriors: of weapons ’twas choicest,
Only ’twas larger than any man else was

Able to bear to the battle-encounter,
The good and splendid work of the giants.
He grasped then the sword-hilt, knight of the Scyldings,
Bold and battle-grim, brandished his ring-sword,
Hopeless of living, hotly he smote her,

That the fiend-woman’s neck firmly it grappled,
and fells the female monster.
Broke through her bone-joints, the bill fully pierced her
Fate-cursèd body, she fell to the ground then:
The hand-sword was bloody, the hero exulted.

Dioltach · Sep 18, 2012

The Old English sounds better, though:

Geseah ða on searwum sigeeadig bil,
eald sweord eotenisc ecgum þyhtig,
wigena weorðmynd; þæt wæs wæpna cyst, ---
buton hit wæs mare ðonne ænig mon oðer
to beadulace ætberan meahte,
God ond geatolic, giganta geweorc.
He gefeng þa fetelhilt, freca Scyldinga
hreoh ond heorogrim, hringmæl gebrægd
aldres orwena, yrringa sloh,
þæt hire wið halse heard grapode,
banhringas bræc; bil eal ðurhwod
fægne flæschoman; heo on flet gecrong,
sweord wæs swatig, secg weorce gefeh.

The translation gives a sense of the meaning, but not the sound. This is a poem to be proclaimed in a loud voice to a hall full of warriors, with lots of boozing and cheering for the hero and booing at the scoundrels and monsters.