Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

unique ancestral weapon wielded only by the hero

unique_ancestral_weapon_wielded_only_by_the_hero

A motif of the Sacred Treasures and Power Objects family, within the sub-family Divine and Named Weapons. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • The Iliad THE GRIEF OF ACHILLES, AND NEW ARMOUR MADE HIM BY VULCAN. / BOOK XIX. / ARGUMENT. / THE RECONCILIATION OF ACHILLES AND AGAMEMNON.; lines 18608-18748 confidence: high

    Achilles shakes his huge paternal spear, made from an ash on Pelion cut and shaped by Chiron; the passage says only Achilles can wield it.

    The spear is described as a paternal weapon from Pelion ash, shaped by Chiron, and too great for any other Greek to wield.

    read in the book
  • The Iliad THE GRIEF OF ACHILLES, AND NEW ARMOUR MADE HIM BY VULCAN. / BOOK XIX. / ARGUMENT. / THE RECONCILIATION OF ACHILLES AND AGAMEMNON.; lines 18608-18748 confidence: high

    Achilles shakes a huge paternal spear: Chiron felled an entire ash from Pelion's cloudy top and shaped it for Achilles' sire; only Achilles can wield it.

    The spear is traced to Chiron and Pelion, shaped for Achilles' sire, and described as impossible for other Greeks to lift.

    read in the book