The plagerism machine says 2-10 inches, 2 inches is consistent with the 1 historical sword I've held.
Can confirm tho about kids being bad with unbalanced blades, gave my nephew a 3 ft machete to help cut down some banana plants, he couldn't swing it levelly so it got stuck in the plant every time, and he was a danger to anyone within 10 feet.
Maybe try balancing a sword right infront of the guard, maybe it'll feel more nimble.
I have several swords. Some are light and nimble, at least for an adult, like my Messers are all around 800g, 90cm-ish in length, with point of balance at around 11-13cm. I think a child should have no problem wielding them if they do it with care. Then there is a 170cm Zweihänder, weighted about 3kg, PoB at 11cm. I have no doubt a child would be able to lift it, but to use it, it would be very hard. If she can use that adult-size-looking-sword in the picture then she definitely earned it. ;)
I do worry that the thing people take away from this is "Death is a role model for not coddling children" rather than "Death, due to his odd perspective on mortality, would make a terrible parent".
Fun fact: this comic introduced me to Pratchett! His following quote on Elves is why I tend to find them lacking in most TTRPGs
"Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
I'm a little confused what this means, is it saying the fact that the positive attributes associated with elves is a twisting of the actual terrible qualities and that's why no one's ever called elves nice?
Discworld elves are basically fae, not Tolkien style elves.
This quote makes much more sense if you apply it to the glamoured up bastards who steal babies and enslave you if you give them your name.
They're also interdimensional parasites, which would also be an appropriate description for fae.
(For context, they appear in the book Lords and Ladies — third or fourth in the Witches series, depending on whether you include Equal Rites —, which is heavily inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.)
Honestly Terry Pratchett just went back to the roots with his elves, elves and fae are basically a collection of minor spirits to gods in their own right on a mythological level they also run the mortality spectrum from the being downright nice like the green knight/green man to actively hostile to all humans. Similarly dwarves were seen as mountain gods/spirits, frankly pre-christian Europe and even post Christian Europe was so steeped in animism which is why you get so many things under such weirdly broad umbrellas.
All these supernatural things had varying beliefs attached to them in different times and places... So there's really a lot of choice as to what to attribute them in fiction.
Norse dwarves weren't necessarily small, elves sometimes were, both were often magical in some way - the words used were interchangeable in some ways.
Elves are constantly twisting the narrative about themselves, despite all the stories of how awful they are, people struggle to remember them that way.
Grandma always said elves were… terrific.
I remember jungle gyms. They taught a lot of lessons on how to discover personal limits and how to safely exceed them.
The loss of jungle gyms from our playgrounds are - I feel, as just one attribute of many, - directly contributing to our emerging young adults lacking the self-confidence and risk-evaluation skills they require to succeed.
Our 70s playground was fabricated by medieval iron mongers. But we had nice, chunky rocks to break our fall!
We've removed all risk from our children's lives, and then we're dumbfounded that they're scared about stupid shit. Got called "a fucking idiot" on reddit for saying I often skinny dipped in the local creek, and the crowd agreed. Dangerous behavior indeed!
And now that many of these young adults are parents themselves, they are bubble-wrapping the next generation.
Meanwhile, those of us who still remember what it was like to be “free-range” as a child are absolutely confused AF when other parents are arrested and charged with child endangerment for letting their kid walk two kilometres by themselves to the store.
Like, in what brain-dead reality is this a crime??
I learned to use and how to safely handle knives in the boy scouts at, like... 9? Maybe earlier? Less likely to hurt themselves with training and supervision.
I remember somewhere that nomadic people (hunter-gatherers) would let their kids play with machetes. They would keep a close watch but not stop them. Kids would grow up with many scars but also would learn how to handle machetes safely.
Pratchett nails it: tools aren’t ‘safe’—using them well is. Teach respect + basics (supervision, safety rules, practice) and the lesson sticks without the scars.
65 Comments
KokusnussRitter@discuss.tchncs.de · 100 pts · 226d
If she can lift a whole ass sword at that age, fuck it, she earned it.
Soggy@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 226d
They only weigh a couple pounds.
Dhs92@piefed.social · 47 pts · 226d
Do you know how weak little kids are? Most can barely lift a gallon of milk or juice
EffortlessEffluvium@lemmy.zip · 57 pts · 226d
They can lift it long enough and high enough to create maximum spillage
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 226d
Depending on the sword, a gallon of milk is between three and six times the weight of the sword.
SARGE@startrek.website · 29 pts · 225d
Dupelet@piefed.social · 12 pts · 225d
Either way, that will be an important lesson
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 225d
The plagerism machine says 2-10 inches, 2 inches is consistent with the 1 historical sword I've held.
Can confirm tho about kids being bad with unbalanced blades, gave my nephew a 3 ft machete to help cut down some banana plants, he couldn't swing it levelly so it got stuck in the plant every time, and he was a danger to anyone within 10 feet.
Maybe try balancing a sword right infront of the guard, maybe it'll feel more nimble.
LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org · 11 pts · 225d
Little kids are built different in Ankh-Morpork
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 225d
A gallon of milk is over 7lb
Jankatarch@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 225d
Unless they are ceremonial.
NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org · 4 pts · 225d
Huge
hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 225d
Really, REALLY depends on the sword. Lots of them are heavy even for an adult to carry with both hands, let alone one.
W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 9 pts · 225d
https://xkcd.com/37/
Pazintach@piefed.social · 3 pts · 224d
I have several swords. Some are light and nimble, at least for an adult, like my Messers are all around 800g, 90cm-ish in length, with point of balance at around 11-13cm. I think a child should have no problem wielding them if they do it with care. Then there is a 170cm Zweihänder, weighted about 3kg, PoB at 11cm. I have no doubt a child would be able to lift it, but to use it, it would be very hard. If she can use that adult-size-looking-sword in the picture then she definitely earned it. ;)
FishFace@piefed.social · 72 pts · 226d
I do worry that the thing people take away from this is "Death is a role model for not coddling children" rather than "Death, due to his odd perspective on mortality, would make a terrible parent".
Dupelet@piefed.social · 28 pts · 226d
That will be an important lesson
lobut@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 225d
"Death is a friend who will welcome me home"
Godric@lemmy.world · 58 pts · 225d
Fun fact: this comic introduced me to Pratchett! His following quote on Elves is why I tend to find them lacking in most TTRPGs
"Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad."
shalafi@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 225d
Me too! At 52 I had heard about Discworld forever and this comic finally got me to read Hogfather. Read the whole series twice, thrice soon.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 225d
I'm a little confused what this means, is it saying the fact that the positive attributes associated with elves is a twisting of the actual terrible qualities and that's why no one's ever called elves nice?
leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 40 pts · 225d
Discworld elves are basically fae, not Tolkien style elves.
This quote makes much more sense if you apply it to the glamoured up bastards who steal babies and enslave you if you give them your name.
They're also interdimensional parasites, which would also be an appropriate description for fae.
(For context, they appear in the book Lords and Ladies — third or fourth in the Witches series, depending on whether you include Equal Rites —, which is heavily inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.)
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 225d
Honestly Terry Pratchett just went back to the roots with his elves, elves and fae are basically a collection of minor spirits to gods in their own right on a mythological level they also run the mortality spectrum from the being downright nice like the green knight/green man to actively hostile to all humans. Similarly dwarves were seen as mountain gods/spirits, frankly pre-christian Europe and even post Christian Europe was so steeped in animism which is why you get so many things under such weirdly broad umbrellas.
FishFace@piefed.social · 8 pts · 225d
All these supernatural things had varying beliefs attached to them in different times and places... So there's really a lot of choice as to what to attribute them in fiction.
Norse dwarves weren't necessarily small, elves sometimes were, both were often magical in some way - the words used were interchangeable in some ways.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 225d
*morality
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 225d
Well the green knight/ green man is famous for having his head chopped off. But also I hate autocorrect.
scratchee@feddit.uk · 18 pts · 225d
Elves are constantly twisting the narrative about themselves, despite all the stories of how awful they are, people struggle to remember them that way. Grandma always said elves were… terrific.
rekabis@lemmy.ca · 37 pts · 225d
I remember jungle gyms. They taught a lot of lessons on how to discover personal limits and how to safely exceed them.
The loss of jungle gyms from our playgrounds are - I feel, as just one attribute of many, - directly contributing to our emerging young adults lacking the self-confidence and risk-evaluation skills they require to succeed.
shalafi@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 225d
Our 70s playground was fabricated by medieval iron mongers. But we had nice, chunky rocks to break our fall!
We've removed all risk from our children's lives, and then we're dumbfounded that they're scared about stupid shit. Got called "a fucking idiot" on reddit for saying I often skinny dipped in the local creek, and the crowd agreed. Dangerous behavior indeed!
rekabis@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 225d
And now that many of these young adults are parents themselves, they are bubble-wrapping the next generation.
Meanwhile, those of us who still remember what it was like to be “free-range” as a child are absolutely confused AF when other parents are arrested and charged with child endangerment for letting their kid walk two kilometres by themselves to the store.
Like, in what brain-dead reality is this a crime??
drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 225d
kind of depends on the creek. The one from my home town was full of broken bottles.
then_three_more@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 226d
GNU Sir Terry
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 225d
GNU Terry
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 226d
It might be better to start her off with a Lancrastian Army Knife instead.
Xenny@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 225d
I remember my first pocket knife. I cut myself. It was an important lesson. I no longer cut towards myself 😅
someguy3@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 226d
What if she cuts someone else?
14th_cylon@lemmy.zip · 60 pts · 226d
that will also be an important lesson... stay away from child with a sword
someguy3@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 226d
What if the child can outrun you?
iceonfire1@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 226d
Then maybe you should have thought twice before leaving them so much climate change
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 226d
Well, you didn't leave the house without your sword again, did you?
FooBarrington@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 225d
You take away their pumped-up kicks!
14th_cylon@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 226d
negotiate
TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 226d
While holding a heavy sword?
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 16 pts · 225d
I learned to use and how to safely handle knives in the boy scouts at, like... 9? Maybe earlier? Less likely to hurt themselves with training and supervision.
Vupware@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 225d
Just curious, does this line of thinking transfer to guns for you?
It does for me!
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 16 pts · 225d
About 2 or 3 times a year I have a little breakdown over just how unfair Sir Pratchett's death really was. GNU Terry
Tattorack@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 226d
Eeeeyyyy! Someone's making comics from Discworld?
ODGreen@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 225d
I remember somewhere that nomadic people (hunter-gatherers) would let their kids play with machetes. They would keep a close watch but not stop them. Kids would grow up with many scars but also would learn how to handle machetes safely.
kayzeekayzee@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 226d
I see this comic from time to time, and I think it's one of my all-time favorites
NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org · 8 pts · 226d
Pratchett...
SaneMartigan@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 225d
The movie is great too. It's on Amazon.
hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 225d
Don't give a single penny to amazon.
thesystemisdown@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 225d
The movie is great too. It's on Peacock.
HeurtisticAlgorithm9@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 224d
The movie is great too. It's pirateable.
hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 223d
That's better.
JuliaSuraez@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 225d
Pratchett nails it: tools aren’t ‘safe’—using them well is. Teach respect + basics (supervision, safety rules, practice) and the lesson sticks without the scars.
LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 225d
I love Death. I want my next horse to be a white gelding and I wanna name him Binky.
Gonzako@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 225d
What's your current horse collection?
LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 225d
I have a single horse lol. An old mare named Sandy.
webp@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 225d
Knew it was Terry
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 225d
Well yeah. Lession learned: don‘t let child play with sword.
Zorg@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 225d
But if you let them play with swords, the children left standing will be much better at handling swords.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 225d
It's not cost-effective.
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 225d
Do you have a better way to create the furor?
NichEherVielleicht@feddit.org · 2 pts · 225d
The child learned that lesson.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 225d
The parent too.