this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2024
146 points (98.7% liked)

Forgotten Weapons

1634 readers
56 users here now

This is a community dedicated to discussion around historical arms, mechanically unique arms, and Ian McCollum's Forgotten Weapons content. Posts requesting an identification of a particular gun (or other arm) are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/@ForgottenWeapons

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/

Rules:

1) Treat Others in a Civil Manner. This is not the place to deride others for their race, sexuality, or etc. Personal insults of other members are not welcome here. Neither are calls for violence.

2) No Contemporary Politics Historical politics that influenced designs or adoption of designs are excluded from this rule. Acknowledgement of existing laws to explain designs is also permissable, so long as comments aren't in made to advocate or oppose a policy. Let's not make this a place where we battle over which color ties our politicians should have, or the issues of today.

3) No Advertising This rule doesn't apply to posting historical advertisements or showing more contemporary ads as a means of displaying information on an appropriate topic. The aim of this rule is to combat spam/irrelevant advertising campaigns.

4) Keep Post on Topic This rule will be enforced with leeway. Just keep it related to arms or Forgotten Weapons or closely adjacent content. If you feel you have something that's worth posting here that isn't about either of those (and doesn't violate other rules) feel free to reach out to a mod.

5) No NSFW Content Please refrain from posting uncensored extreme gore or sexualized content. If censored these posts may be fine.

Post Guide Lines

These are suggestions not rules.

-Provide a duration for videos. eg. [12:34]

-Provide a year to either indicate when a specific design was produced, patented, or released. If you have an older design being used in a recent conflict provide the year the picture was taken. Dates should be included to help contextualize, not necessarily give exact periods.

-Post a full URL, on mobile devices it can be hard to tell what you're clicking on if you only see "(Link)".

-Posts do not have to be just firearms. Blades, bows, etc. are also welcome.

Adjacent Communities

If you run a community that you feel might fit in dm a mod and we might add your's.

Want to Find a Museum Near You? Check out the mega thread: https://lemmy.world/post/9699481

founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS
146
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

An urumi (Malayalam: uṟumi; Sinhalese: ethunu kaduwa; Hindi: āra) is a sword with a flexible, whip-like blade, originating in modern-day Kerala in the Indian subcontinent. It is thought to have existed from as early as the Sangam period. [~600BC-300AD]

The urumi is handled like a flail but requires less strength since the blade combined with centrifugal force is sufficient to inflict injury. As with other "soft" weapons, urumi wielders learn to follow and control the momentum of the blade with each swing, thus techniques include spins and agile manoeuvres.

These long-reaching spins make the weapon particularly well suited to fighting against multiple opponents. When not in use, the urumi is worn coiled around the waist like a belt, with the handle at the wearer's side like a conventional sword.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I mean, if a military were to have the financial means to offer a cannon to every soldier, they would. Economics are the backend of every war. In 600 BC, a flexible sword would be both far more expensive and less effective than a spear, which is the crux of my question. I only read the wiki after my comment so I take back halberds. 7355608 proposed an interesting use case in a casual carry belt that feels reasonable.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

But if they did that, a light infantry squad would grab their rifles, run around to the side of the cannon squad, and completely destroy them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

“Thaddiffer, I do say, what are those Frenchmen doing across the hill?”

“My dear Billiam, I believe they’re attempting to flank us. Shall we preemptively prepare a ceaseless 500 grape shot barrage to render them, the landscape, and everything else within a quarter mile into an unidentifiable vapor?”

“No, no, we shan’t be rude, we simply must offer them first volley. Anyone for tea in the meantime?”

*raucous agreement*

(Yes, I know what you’re referencing but this is magic “everyone gets a cannon” canon)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

It was basically a weapon so that when you got in a bar fight, you could grab the band saw off your waist lol