Valir steel - what is it? Sword of Valerian Steel

For several years the whole planet has watched the events of the television series "The Game of Thrones" with a sinking heart. There is everything: beautiful ladies, valiant knights, dragons and even ice zombies. And the most reliable weapon, capable of killing even immortal monsters, is a sword of Valerian steel.

The Magic World of "The Game of Thrones"

All the heroes of the "Game of Thrones" (as well as a series of books based on which the script is written) live in a fictional fantasy world in an era similar to our Middle Ages. In total there are four well-known continents in this world. The most important events take place on one of them - Vasteras. Here there are seven kingdoms, and in the north from them centuries ago a giant ice wall was built, which, according to popular beliefs, should protect the inhabitants of kingdoms from mythical immortal creatures - the White Walkers. However, for many years no one has seen these monsters, so the Wall now serves as a defense against the savage northern tribes who do not want to live according to the laws of the kingdoms and prefer to raid peaceful civilians and small towns.

Summer and winter in Västerås last for many years. At the beginning of the saga, a ten-year summer ends and soon a severe winter of many years will come. In addition, on the continent begins another war for power and rumors that White Walkers have appeared again . They collect army of ice zombies and are preparing to attack the world of the living. Only careless noble families engaged in fights for the Iron throne of seven kingdoms do not pay attention to all these rumors, but in vain. After all, none of the living do not know how you can overcome the immortal evil spirits, which is about to attack the inhabitants of Västerås. And although in ancient times people defeated the White Walkers, no one remembers how. There are rumors that this is somehow related to the dragons, but they were considered extinct at the time the TV series began.

Valir steel - what is it?

Also with the dragons is connected and the legendary kind of metal, swords from which since ancient times were highly valued. The secret of making this special steel was owned only by the ancient masters of Valeria. Hence the name of the metal - Valirian steel.

In ancient times, swords and other items made of this metal cost a lot of money and were available only to wealthy people. At the time of the beginning of the "Game of Thrones" the secret of manufacture had long since been lost. The last copies of swords from this metal were kept from noble families of noble families and were inherited. Possess such a sword at all times was very prestigious.

In addition to swords, other articles were made of this metal, for example daggers (it was at Petir Baileish), battle axes, usual knives for freshness (belonged to the Bolton family), crowns and other.

The origin of Valerian steel

Valir steel is an artificial material made by the hands of a man. In the nature of Västerås and other continents of the magical world, it does not occur. The ore, from which steel was subsequently melted, was mined, according to the beliefs, in the mines of the Fourteen Fires. Then it was hardened and refined a huge number of times. Often this process took years.

Legends of Vesteras claimed that the Valerian steel melted in the fire of the dragons, and after that it was tempered with the help of ancient spells. With the disappearance of dragons, the magic metal also soon ceased to do. Although in remote places (Quohor) they could forge Valerian steel products, but the secret of its manufacture disappeared.

Distinctive features of this metal

Products made of Valerian steel are incredibly strong, while they are light and sharp. There is no need to sharpen such swords.

The color of this metal is dark, gray-black, on the surface there are patterns from numerous forging, as in damask steel.

In addition, Valerian steel is always matte, no matter how polished it is.

In rare cases, it is possible to achieve such a reddish tint from the steel (the distorted generic sword of Starkov acquired a scarlet shade).

Swords from Valerian Steel

Most often, swords were made from this "dragon metal", since the properties of Valerian steel made it very effective in combat. Possession of such weapons for the knight was a symbol of success and wealth. After the secret of manufacture was lost, in Västerås there were about two hundred with superfluous such swords. At the time the series began, many of them were lost.

To obtain such a sword, the knights either bought them from impoverished nobles, or went to search for the ruins of Valiria. Sometimes swords went to the master after the battle. For example, after the death of Eddard Stark and his son Robb, their generic sword of Valerian steel was turned into two others, one of which went to the owner of the Iron Throne and the other to Jamie Lannister, and then to the female knight Brienne.

The peculiarity of the production of swords from Valerian steel

As the secret of making Valerian steel was lost with the disappearance of dragons, new products from this metal neither in Västerås, nor on other continents appeared. Blacksmiths from Quohor learned to forge old swords into new swords, but they did not manage to recreate the magic metal.

Believing that Valerian steel had become so because of the magical properties of the flame of dragons in which she was forged, the Quarkhor blacksmiths tried to recreate the magic fire and even sacrificed human sacrifices for this, but they did not succeed.

The most famous swords of Valerian steel in Västerås

Although according to the list of Archmyster Turgood in Västerås there were about two hundred and twenty-seven swords from the "dragon metal", in reality they were much smaller. Almost all known such blades had their own names.

The most famous swords at the time of the beginning of the saga belong to the noble knights. Among them is Eddard Stark. He had a generic sword called Ice. After the death of the hero, he went to his eldest son Robb, and after that he was turned into two other blades - Widow's Crying and Faithful Oath.

The Mormon family had a sword of Valerian steel named Long Claw. As the Lord Commander in the Black Castle on the Wall, one of the representatives of this family presented the legendary blade to his son, and Starkov's bastard to John Snow.

The Lannisters had their own family sword of magic metal - Bright Roar. He was old for a huge sum, but during a campaign to Valiria, one of the Lannisters disappeared with his master. All attempts to find him were unsuccessful. Therefore, when Led Starkov came to Tywin Lannister, he ordered him to make two new family swords of his kind.

Many other noble families also had at their disposal such blades: Tarley (Destroyer Hearts), Harlow (Twilight), Korbei (Abandoned Lady), Drams (Scarlet Rain), Hightower (Vigilance), Roxtons (The Orphan) and others.

Also there were legendary swords from Valirian steel, which disappeared. The most famous among these lost relics are the family blades of the Targarienes Black Flame family (disappeared somewhere outside Vasteras) and the Dark Sister (belonged to the legendary Vishenye Targarien).

Valir Steel against White Walkers

In the whole magical world there were no swords better than from the "dragon metal". Because of the incredible ease of such blades in combat, the hands got tired much less, which often helped to win the fight. However, there was such a sword of another advantage, which for many centuries the inhabitants of Västerås simply forgot.

A close friend of John Snow, Sam Tarley, once found in old books the story that an ancient hero killed White Walkers with a sword of "dragon metal." Comparing all the facts, Sam and John suggested that the Valir steel kills the Walkers, although in the book of the series they still did not have a chance to test their assumptions.

Meanwhile, in the television series "The Game of Thrones," the writers gave John a chance to test his own assumption: during the battle, only his sword, Long Claw, did not crumble, but was able to kill one of the White Walkers.

The opinion of scientists about the secret of Valerian steel

Legendary and ruthless to its heroes the creator of the world "Games of Thrones" George Martin said that Valirian steel is akin to bulat.

However, according to modern scientists-materials scientists, no metal alloy is able to possess the properties of "dragon metal". But such advantages are for metal-ceramic alloys. In particular, of the materials known to science, Valerian steel is most similar in its properties to titanium silicocarbide.

The series "Game of Thrones" in 2015 celebrated its fifth anniversary. Despite this "solid age," it continues to be popular. Among the fans there are still discussions about various heroes, events or subjects of the television series "The Game of Thrones". Valerian steel and its incredible properties are often discussed in forums, and many believe that closer to the end of the epic, the secret of this metal will be revealed.