Game of Thrones takes home six Emmy awards on September 18. (Source: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)

After its absence from TV this year with the end of season 7, the 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards last Tuesday revealed six major winning of the mega-hit fantasy series, Game of Thrones. It stole the show with major winnings including Outstanding Support Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage as Tyrian Lannister) and the biggest award adorning the event, Outstanding Drama Series among the 22 Emmy nominations earned.

Its worldwide fandom that burgeoned from the original fantasy novel, “A Song of Ice and Fire” has dominated beyond the TV screen and into the commercial market where the zeal over exact replicas of the TV props ranging from steel swords, armors, and costumes have grown into more than just a hobby. Many of its props and some replicas contain traces of steel that carry the narrative further, enriching the details in the show’s fictional world of Seven Kingdoms in Westeros.

A Character on its Own: A Sword Forged from Valyrian Steel

Weaponry, especially the steel sword is a major theme that resembles  its owner. Its imbued magic spells pit them against the actual human characters, enabling them to form their own compelling stories. According to the world of Westeros, Valyrian blades, the relics from the vanished civilization of Valyria forged with magic spells and special techniques, remain sharp forever without the need to be honed. These are valuable status symbols recognized for their strength and lightweight in comparison to ordinary steel.

There are 15 major Valyrian Steel swords that are wielded by the characters ultimately leading to the pursuit of the “Throne”. “Ice” is the name of the first great Valyrian sword featured on the series, an heirloom of House Stark. Its long robust shape resembles the honorable and devoted Ned Stark and the bearings of the north. “Longclaw”, with the bear’s head pommel in the hands of Jon Snow, the King in the North, was used against countless enemies, even turning the supernatural White Walker into fragments of ice. It is disputed to become the heirloom of House Stark that might replace Ice. The youngest of the Starks, Arya carries the thin and sharp “Needle” as her weapon of choice, suited for her slim build and quick agile movements for speedy attacks.

According to the legends, these swords are rare and superior in strength, as well as durable and resilient, placing important symbolic meaning to the houses of Westeros. Even these props and replicas in actuality contain steel to appear as authentic as possible.

Envisioning POSCO’s “Giga Steel Sword” in Westeros

The Valyrian Steel that kept the magic and craftsmanship alive had eventually vanished with its civilization. And so had the variant of actual steel technology namely, “Damascus Steel” that the original writer, George R. R. Martin based upon to create the concept of Valyrian Steel. This real-life swordsmithing originates from the Middle East and Asia that is exceptional as weapons for its sharpness, toughness, and resilience. Alas, its production technique now remains in history.

There is indeed a highly advanced form of high-strength alloyed steel in the real world. Suppose that POSCO’s ultra-high-strength steel, “Giga Steel” technology had existed in Westeros. It may have started a new civilization, that would surpass the glory of Valyrian Steel.

Giga Steel is an ultra-high-strength steel that withstands 1,500 compact cars (each weighing a ton) with a mere size of a human palm—yielding the same amount of resistance with less amount of steel. These marked qualities of Giga Steel can design a much stronger sword than even the invincible Valyrian Sword.

A regular steel cannot be shaped into diverse forms whereas Giga Steel has outstanding formability and high strength, thus the title, “Dream Steel”. Increasing the thickness while keeping its lightweighting in check, Giga Steel may have the upper hand even in the fictional Seven Kingdoms.

Identifying Compelling Characters through Steel Props

Almost all of the armors and costumes of the show are known to be made by craftsmen such as weavers, embroiderers and more. Most of the props use metals and steel that reveals the character’s true nature and status.

Often known as “The Mountain”, Gregor Clegane, a character who stands guard over Cersei from House Lannister, reveals his terrifying presence with a huge steel armor and helmet striking terror to those who meet his eye.

The popular HBO-licensed market-sold replicas of The Unsullied Helm of the elite warriors, The Unsullied is also made of steel. These former slaves freed by Daenerys Targaryen show their dutiful role with its combat-ready iconic spiked helmet. The Stark infantry shield that served the Kings in the North also uses steel material with a direwolf symbol showing dignity of having served the North in numerous battles.

With the anticipated eighth and the final season next year, hardcore fans are curious to see which swords will make the ultimate entrance in “The Great War”. Discussions on which Valyrian Sword will be used for Jon Snow’s epic action yet to be confirmed ranges among Longclaw, Heartsbane (from Samwell Tarly), Oathkeeper (from Brienne of Tarth), Widow’s Wail, Dark Sister, and Dawn. Which sword will aid the true heir to the iron throne remains a highly entertaining discussion.

With the first episode airing of a Japanese-production inspiration, “The New Legends of Monkey” on three networks earlier this year, along with previous hit series such as Marco Polo and Outlander, the entertainment industry’s demand for steel props is an amusing exploration to follow through. Steel’s instrumental role as a symbol of the invincible yet decorative material in fiction, inspired by actual history of human civilization is a remarkable accomplishment.

Over the years, Game of Thrones has become more than just a show, but also a cultural movement, as fans have fallen in love with everything Game of Thrones related. As a result, HBO has partnered with numerous breweries to create special-edition beers, and the show’s jewelry designers even opened up their own online store. Another surprising consequence of the show’s popularity is the increasing number of people taking up an interest in blacksmithing to make replicas of their favorite swords and weapons from the show.

The Blacksmiths of Today

Although blacksmiths are rare to come by today, in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were a vital pillar of society. Blacksmiths hand-produced everything made of iron and steel, from pots and farming tools to swords and shields. They forged life’s necessities out of the hot metals, right up to the industrial revolution.

Traditionally, only young men were eligible to become blacksmiths once they completed a 7-year paid apprenticeship. Apprentices worked for established blacksmiths who would in turn house, feed and train them. Today, women can also become blacksmiths and there are various training and education programs available for aspiring blacksmiths.

Today, women are also eligible to become blacksmiths. (Source: Vietbao)

Modern blacksmiths do not hammer away to produce tools and weapons out of necessity, as machines are far more capable and efficient. Instead, they turn out beautiful pieces of art such as sculptures and unique knobs and bolts. And, the growing popularity of Game of Thrones has more young people pursuing the art as a hobby and a profession.

The Artist Blacksmiths Association of South Australia has reported a growing number of young adults who want to take up the art as a result of the show’s growing popularity. Most of the props in movies for war scenes and superheroes are crafted by hand, and fans want to replicate their favorite characters’ swords, shield and armor.

Blacksmithing for Dummies

So, for all you Game of Thrones lovers, or just plain ol’ steel junkies, here are the basics to get started in the craft. Get a piece of iron or steel, heat it, pound it into shape and cool it down. It sounds simple, but it takes a whole lot of sweat, patience and know-how to do it right.

Heating

Having a good source of heat is vital for blacksmiths, and most opt for a coke or propane forge (or oven). Steel is heated repeatedly to make a single object, so blacksmiths have a forge that is always hot and ready. Blacksmiths also commonly use an acetylene torch to apply heat to isolated areas to achieve specific designs.

A traditional coke forge. (Source: The Rookies)

Holding

An anvil looks like a big block of steel, and its the bedrock on which blacksmiths create their masterpieces. The quality of the anvil will affect not only the quality of the final product, but also the amount of physical labor required by the blacksmith. Tool steel is one of the best kinds of anvils available as it is extremely hard. Instead of absorbing energy from the blow of a hammer, it forces the energy back up the piece of metal being worked.

An anvil serves many different functions. (Source: The Consumer Dabbler)

Besides providing a flat surface, or face, for blacksmiths to pound away on, an anvil has many different features and functions. Blacksmiths also use the anvil to cut, shape and hold the piece of steel being worked along with tongs and clamps.

Hitting

The actual “work” entails a lot of hitting, but in a very calculated and practiced way. Blacksmiths use different types of hammers to pound the metal into various shapes. The 3 most basic techniques are drawing out, upsetting and peining. Drawing out a piece of hot steel means to make it longer by hammering the sides. Upsetting refers to adding force to one end of a hot piece of metal to add volume. Piening means to hammer the piece of steel to move it in a particular direction or to spread it out thin. Blacksmiths use tongs or other specialized tools to hold down the hot steel on the anvil while hammering and working the steel into shape.

Blacksmith hammers come in all different shapes, sizes and weights. (Source: Etsy Studio)

Quenching

After countless cycles of heating and hitting, the blacksmith will end up with the desired shape. The final step is to dip the work into a bucket of cold water to cool and harden the steel.   

Dipping the hot steel in cold water to cool and harden the steel is the final step. (Source: Horse Journals)

With the above basics, and all the accompanying safety gear, anyone can pick up the craft as a hobby to create unique pieces of steel art, or replicas of the greatest swords of Westeros.

Cover photo courtesy of Time Magazine.

The blades wielded by the Game of Thrones characters have become synonymous with the show itself, and hardcore fans across the world pay a lot of money to get their hands on replicas of the iconic swords, which each have their own special characteristics and names, like Blackfyre, Dark Sister and Longclaw. But, what makes these weapons so extraordinary?

A Mythical, Magical Metal  

The secret behind the swords’ superiority is the material of which they were forged: Valyrian steel. This mythical alloy, manufactured in the ancient empire of the Valyrians, is noted to be exceptionally sharp and tremendously strong, yet lightweight, making it an ideal metal for a sword. Its rippled patterns make it distinctive from other metals, and because of these properties, the steel is quite scarce and very expensive. Yet what makes Valyrian steel swords most unique and powerful is the fact that they are forged with magic spells and dragonfire in a sword making process that was all but lost over the ages.

While the fictitious alloy was more than likely the result of imaginative thinking than the consultation of chemistry books, George R. R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series on which the show is based, drew inspiration from real-life ancient weaponry, more specifically Damascus steel, to dream up the material.

Real-life Inspiration

Similar to its imaginary predecessor, Damascus steel, which originated in South India before the Common Era, was primarily used to make long-bladed weapons which were reputed to be tough, shatter-resistant and able to be honed to a sharp, resilient edge.

Additionally, the blades possessed the distinctive rippled patterns which resembled flowing water. It is said that Islamic knights would look at these patterns before a battle to be reminded of the flowing waters of the rivers of paradise, and be reassured that should they fall, their place in paradise would be secured.

Of course, there were no fire-breathing dragons or wizardry involved in the forgery of these blades, and the metal’s properties weren’t as ideal as those of Valyrian steel. The material did give rise to a number of legends, however.

It was believed that a blade made of Damascus steel could effortlessly cut through a rifle barrel, or cut in half a silk scarf falling across the blade. Some even say that Damascus steel swords were the strongest blades used in the Crusades. Whether there is any truth to these legends or not, the swords were undoubtedly extraordinary for their time.

Also like Valyrian steel, the original method of production of Damascus steel was eventually lost, and the manufacturing of the patterned swords ceased around 1750.

Although Damascus steel blades may be long gone, these intricate swords have been reincarnated, albeit fictitiously, and can continue to be admired, thanks to the Game of Thrones series, which airs on Sundays at 9PM Eastern Standard Time on HBO.

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