Swords

Swords are important icons in fantasy literature.  In many cases, a sword is the only thing the hero has to vanquish his enemies - human or inhuman.  Sometimes the value of the sword lies in the strength of its wielder, sometimes in the magic than imbues the blade.  Sometimes a sword is of such importance it actually is named, as anyone familiar with The Lord of the Rings trilogy can tell you.  Glamdring - Gandalf's sword - glows when orcs are near.  Narsil - reforged as Anduril - had symbolic importance in the defeat of Sauron and the rise of Gondor.

Here are some of my favorite named swords:

• Excalibur - the sword of King Arthur
• Stormbringer - the sentient, difficult-to-control soul-eating blade of Elric of Melnibone', the fantasy anti-hero created by Michael Moorcock
• Terminus Est - the sword and badge of office of Severian, professional executioner and torturer appearing in the series titled The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
• Changeling - the blade and technological device used by science fantasy heroine Morgaine in The Morgaine Stories by C. J. Cherryh

None of these swords is simply a strong piece of sharpened metal.  In each case they are virtually a character in their own right.