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Is It Possible To Craft a Viable Silver Sword?
A look at one of the most enduring fantasy tropes
Silver swords are a staple of nearly all modern fantasy. The prevalence of silver weapons can be found throughout fantasy novels and video games, with some famous examples including The Elder Scrolls and the Witcher series. In many tales, silver is the only thing that can injure undead creatures who would otherwise be invincible or immortal. Silver weapons are depicted as the necessary tools needed to counteract various monsters such as vampires, werewolves, and zombies.
Silver has many well-documented antimicrobial properties, and even in the Medieval Era, people knew that silver could be used to purify and keep things clean. These properties have made silver the metal of choice when dealing with evil creatures. (Other origins of the silver myth can trace their roots back to the thirty pieces of silver used to betray Jesus.)
While most people know the association between silver and the slaying of evil, it leaves a lingering question about the efficaciousness of the material as a weapon. Can silver be used to make a sword? Given enough time and money, could someone forge a silver sword today capable of meeting the requirements of the modern fantasy genre?
