"Snickersnee?"

M ELEY · 19th September 2010, 06:53 AM

"No one knows what 'vorpal' really means..."

Gary Gygax did! It was a sword that could behead with a certain roll of the dice. -

Sorry, my inner nerd came out. But a vorpal sword in that esteemed gaming system was simply a beheading sword. Interesting topic!

fearn · 19th September 2010, 06:10 PM

Weeellll...that's where I came from too. Ahh, misspent youth!

But notice what the vorpal sword "actually" does:

"One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back."

Without Gary Gygax to interpret for us, it sure looks like the our hero is using the vorpal blade like a rapier or cut-and-thrust sword: he could easily have dealt the jabberwock four stabs. THEN he cuts off the jabberwock's head, but it doesn't even say what he did it with. For all we know, the dude used his pigsticker to decapitate the jabberwock.

But ever since Gygax (and probably before), the vorpal sword has been a beheading sword. Gotta read the original source.

Anyway, that's when I got curious about what a snickersnee was, if it ever existed.

Best,

F

Berkley · 19th September 2010, 10:42 PM

From Life Magazine, May 2 & 28, 1960, yet another take on the G&S snickersnee:

fearn · 20th September 2010, 06:01 AM

Excellent! We finally have a picture!

F

kronckew · 20th September 2010, 08:34 AM

recently read a scifi novel named 'the Vorpal Blade', by john ringo & travis taylor. it was about a US nuclear sub turned into a FTL interstellar warship by inclusion of an alien artifact that turned out to be a ftl engine. i'd forgot they named it based on jabberwocky. it had a swordlike protrusion from it's bow...

just thought it was amusing how these weapons terms get introduced into everyday usage and how their original meanings get mangled..

celtan · 20th September 2010, 03:42 PM

Any good? I'm having problems finding decent SF novels a la Bradbury, Asimov, Drake, Bova, MacCaffrey, Bear...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

recently read a scifi novel named 'the Vorpal Blade', by john ringo & travis taylor. it was about a US nuclear sub turned into a FTL interstellar warship by inclusion of an alien artifact that turned out to be a ftl engine. i'd forgot they named it based on jabberwocky. it had a swordlike protrusion from it's bow...

just thought it was amusing how these weapons terms get introduced into everyday usage and how their original meanings get mangled..

kronckew · 21st September 2010, 07:18 AM

celtan, see PM.

19th September 2010, 06:53 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	"No one knows what 'vorpal' really means..." Gary Gygax did! It was a sword that could behead with a certain roll of the dice. - Sorry, my inner nerd came out. But a vorpal sword in that esteemed gaming system was simply a beheading sword. Interesting topic!

19th September 2010, 06:10 PM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Weeellll...that's where I came from too. Ahh, misspent youth! But notice what the vorpal sword "actually" does: "One, two! One, two! and through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back." Without Gary Gygax to interpret for us, it sure looks like the our hero is using the vorpal blade like a rapier or cut-and-thrust sword: he could easily have dealt the jabberwock four stabs. THEN he cuts off the jabberwock's head, but it doesn't even say what he did it with. For all we know, the dude used his pigsticker to decapitate the jabberwock. But ever since Gygax (and probably before), the vorpal sword has been a beheading sword. Gotta read the original source. Anyway, that's when I got curious about what a snickersnee was, if it ever existed. Best, F

19th September 2010, 10:42 PM	#3
Berkley Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Austin, Texas USA Posts: 257	From Life Magazine, May 2 & 28, 1960, yet another take on the G&S snickersnee:

20th September 2010, 06:01 AM	#4
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Excellent! We finally have a picture! F

20th September 2010, 08:34 AM	#5
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	recently read a scifi novel named 'the Vorpal Blade', by john ringo & travis taylor. it was about a US nuclear sub turned into a FTL interstellar warship by inclusion of an alien artifact that turned out to be a ftl engine. i'd forgot they named it based on jabberwocky. it had a swordlike protrusion from it's bow... just thought it was amusing how these weapons terms get introduced into everyday usage and how their original meanings get mangled..

21st September 2010, 07:18 AM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	celtan, see PM.