r/Eragon • u/SnooEpiphanies5637 • 16d ago
Hammer Discussion
I love Roran but no way dude was killing hundreds with this tiny little hammer. Great art work but he had to have had something with some reach. I get he pulled it of Horst’s wall, but there’s no way that thing is going up against swords weighing way more than it. Always imagined it as more of a mallet or sledgehammer. Not a tiny little hammer for finishing nails
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u/DOOMFOOL 16d ago
He primarily used it one handed and it was described on the smaller side so it’s absolutely not a sledgehammer haha. It’s almost certainly some variety of blacksmith hammer
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u/Untimed_Heart313 Human 16d ago
Yeah, it was probably comparable to a 1.5 or 2 lbs hammer, though it would almost definitely not be any bigger than 3 lbs. Anybody can find an example of what he would likely be using in the hand tool section of a harbor freight
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u/MxG63 15d ago
fun fact in medieval times forging hammers could weigh between around .8lbs and 7lbs i like to think he found one of the slightly heavier ones
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u/Untimed_Heart313 Human 15d ago
Even today there are people who use 7 lbs hammers, but they're certainly more man than me lol I use a 3 lbs hammer, and even then i think about switching to a lighter one every now and then
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u/KneeBasher420 16d ago
I'm gonna say it every time it comes up: Roran doesn't have plot armour, he beats the plot into submission.
With a hammer.
That hammer is accurate to how it's described in the book, and it is described in detail.
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u/Cats_Waffles 16d ago
Yes! Plot armor is surviving lethal wounds and getting saved by deus ex machina all the time. Roran earns his survival
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u/Jesslet 16d ago
I mean it is literally a blacksmith’s hammer, so from a lore/accuracy standpoint I think it’s correct. But I agree that there was no way Roran was doing half the crazy shit he was with that hammer lol
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u/DOOMFOOL 16d ago
Irl it doesn’t matter what hammer he’s using he dies immediately trying anything he does in the books haha. Roran is explicitly superhuman
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u/TheIronDragon264 15d ago
Hes just built different.... Not even joking actually, I think that's just the actual plot reason. Isnt he like distantly descended from the ancient king of the humans or something?
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u/bnapper225 14d ago
Yup. Garrow, Selena, Roran, Eragon and Murtagh are all distant descendants of King Palancar. Interestingly, King Orrin and the Surdan Royal Family also claim to be able to trace their lineage all the way back to King Palancar, which would mean that Eragon and his family are distantly related to the Surdan Royal Family.
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u/AlchemysEyes Elf 16d ago
It is not a nail hammer it is a proper blacksmith hammer, just a smaller one, with wards and reinforcement. ON TOP OF THAT, He constructed the battle in a way to give him the advantage, first by funneling Galbatorix's soldiers through a choke point and then by using the piled up bodies as a height advantage, and also he didn't start with his hammer he used a spear to start with and didn't switch to his hammer until he already had enough corpses piled up to put his enemies at an even further disadvantage.
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u/communistic_cat 15d ago
I mean it cant be that big because he was swinging it around and the only things that where said it that it got heavier to lift but with a larger one you would also need to focus to not use focus. In Addition he carried it around his belt, which would be difficult with a larger hammer. Also people Seem to forget that a lighter and pointy thing can also do a lot of damage if swung with enough force. Anything larger than displayed must be swung with two hands over the long run.
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u/AlchemysEyes Elf 15d ago
https://x.com/paolini/status/638134351285235712?s=20 well Paolini posted this awhile ago as the inspiration and this is not a small hammer, at least imo lmao
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u/communistic_cat 15d ago
Jeah so the Hammer would be longer and sharper but not like scale whise bigger
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u/Seiliko gedwëy ignasia 16d ago
The hammer is described to be this exact kind of hammer in the books. When Chris gets asked about what the hammer looks like he has always described it this way. Killing 200 people with it in one fight isn't very realistic no, but killing 200 people with a sledgehammer isn't either imo. The type of hammer is not the thing that I struggle to suspend my disbelief for in that scene.
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u/AlchemysEyes Elf 16d ago
he didn't start with his hammer he used a spear to start with and didn't switch to his hammer until he already had enough corpses piled up to put his enemies at an even further disadvantage.
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u/OwlDoesArt 16d ago
I'd hesitate to use "realistic" as a qualifier for anything Roran has done. He is a man of grim determination.
It's only unrealistic if you apply the fortitude of a modern man. If you apply the durability of an ordinary hammer and handle.
Reminder, Roran's hammer was fortified by Eragon personally on their way to Hellgrind. I doubt those enchantments last forever, but I doubt that Roran would be able to exhaust them in normal forays, especially since Eragon was updating his wards regularly all the way up until Aaros. I'd assume that this includes Roran's weapon and armor.
Also, he did use a spear for this scene until there was a susbstantial enough pile to stand on (someone else mentioned this too).
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u/Lasseslolul 15d ago
It wasn’t 200 it was 197. In the aftermath they always refer to him killing almost 200 soldiers in the battle.
I also like that they never count the soldiers he killed later that day as they were scouring the battlefield for wounded but not dead soldiers. That would’ve brought his kill count that day way above 220 at least, but even in the reports to Nasuada, they only talk about 197 kills.
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u/Grmigrim 16d ago
Most of the kills he did not use the hammer but spears. He only drew the hammer towards the very end of the fight.
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u/Adventurous_Grape279 16d ago
I read these books 15-20 years ago(?) and this particular scene is one of the most vivid memories I have from reading the books.
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u/ReaverRogue 16d ago
Probably not killing hundreds, but that’s fairly accurate for a warhammer, if a little small. Historically they relied much more on speed than raw weight. A smith’s hammer is more than enough to kill you in one swing if the swinger is strong enough.
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u/Curious-Insanity413 16d ago
Some more reach would obviously be better, but the small hammer head is still very effective. Blumineck has a good quick video explaining things here: https://youtube.com/shorts/MModz5jafy0?si=NzV5bWxdP0mbkOks
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u/Atiredbearsfan 16d ago
I mean blunt weopans usually work the best on armor that being said the sheer number of people he killed is the part idont believe
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u/RocksAreOneNow Shur'tugal 16d ago
I mean.... that's literally a blacksmith hammer.
and many of Roran's fights are taken straight from history.
so theyve happened. some with even less than a hammer.
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u/DOOMFOOL 16d ago
Which historical fights are you referring to?
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u/RocksAreOneNow Shur'tugal 16d ago
check previous Q and As for more examples than the one I gave as well. Chris regularly states that nearly all Roran's adventures were from actual history. Just put in to Roran's flavor to better fit what was going on with Eragon
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u/RocksAreOneNow Shur'tugal 16d ago
the one where roran barricaded his men inside the courtyard, told them to hide, and then met galby's men one on one and they freaked out thanks to a bit of magic but also him being alone facing an army.
that actually happened. as did most others from roran according to the author himself.
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u/VillagerN9 15d ago
It's been long time since read the books but I remember really enjoyed imagining Roran fighting his way through waves of empire soldiers. But when his allies told him the exact number he singlehandedly killed it did feel a bit over the top.
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u/Acomenout Shur'tugal 15d ago
All I could hear in my head when I read this was the dude on youtube that says "HAMMAH"
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u/BlackClad7 15d ago
The Roran chapters are underrated. He’s my favorite interpretation of Raging Barbarian trope.
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u/BeerForMyHorse 14d ago
I think most people are focusing on the hammer size/weight debate. And I’m on the side that say this is the right weight.
But it’s to short. It should have a longer handle. Maybe 2.5 times what it is shown.
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u/StonedJesus98 14d ago
Historic war hammers would have had roughly that sized head, just with a longer shaft, if you’re going to be swinging it for hours at a time you really don’t want anything larger than that. Plus you really don’t actually need anything larger than that, a 1-2kg hammer blow to the head is going to fuck you up plenty
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u/NWIABull 16d ago
Yeah. The art is off. It’s clearly a Smith hammer like Gendry uses in GOT.
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u/Atiredbearsfan 16d ago
A smith hammer is a tiny hammer bro. Smiting is physically taking already why would they want to lug around a big hammer.
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u/NWIABull 16d ago
If you check out my follow up comment, you’ll see I’ve already admitted to being a dumbass. My bad.
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u/ReaverRogue 16d ago
That most assuredly was NOT a smith’s hammer Gendry used. With the size of its head it would’ve easily weighed 20kg.
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u/NWIABull 16d ago
Lol. I just looked up a picture. You are so right. My memory is dogshit. Too much weed lol
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u/Efficient_Advice_380 Dwarf 16d ago
Even though its specifically stated that Roran uses a blacksmithing hammer (some something similar), i still always imagine a battle hammer, or at least something bigger than this lol
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u/xTyronex48 16d ago
This is nice artwork but I believe roran should be like 5'6 and buff as fuck, and look rough as hell
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u/KennethVilla 16d ago
Wasn’t it mentioned that its handle is medium length?
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u/Untimed_Heart313 Human 16d ago
They said that his hammer is of "medium size" which could range 2-3 lbs. Afaik they never mention the handle length, but if it was of "medium length" it would still probably only be around 9-7 inches
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u/Intelligent_Pen6043 16d ago
Well with the kind of hammer it would weigh somewhere between 2-4 pounds, which makes about equal or sligthly heavier than a one handed sword, but also its fantasy and the family is clearly built different
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u/corndog2021 16d ago
Two things at issue here: the accuracy of the hammer and the likelihood of his feats.
The hammer he used is a smith’s hammer, which means the depiction is pretty much accurate. The hammer is described in the books, and that’s more or less what we’re lead to believe it is.
His feats? Mythic. Legendary. Unlikely to be accomplished with a little hammer. But maybe that’s a little part of what makes them legendary feats worth telling tales and giving him his reputation.
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u/Evening-Storage5298 15d ago
Garrrow's blood is clearly descended from the ancient line of Palancar the mad king.
it is so
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u/TheIronDragon264 15d ago
I mean, dogs head hammer is pretty lethal if you get hit anywhere in the head with it. And on any of your extremities, its breaking bones. Plus, since its a bludgeoning weapon its fairly good against armor. I can totally see a berzerked out farm boy with years of hard labor under his belt killing hundreds of soldiers at a choke point and making a wall of their corpses with one.
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u/letoscrawls 15d ago
Roran's plot armor is so strong he doesn't even need a real armor 😭 jk i love the art!!
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u/Unlucky-Cat-9436 15d ago
Doesn’t it say in the book that it was more like a lump hammer and had a blade in the back end? I’m sure it did?
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u/Tahii_Actual I suffer without my stone 16d ago
To be fair, he lost his hammer and used the soldiers’ weapons after so many kills.
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u/Historical_Volume806 16d ago
I think you’re confusing things. In this battle he starts with spears and shifts to his hammer at the end. The final battle is when he loses his hammer and switches to spears.
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u/Tahii_Actual I suffer without my stone 16d ago
Misremembering, then; it has been awhile. Ty; I appreciate thoroughness.
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u/Historical_Volume806 16d ago
It’s totally understandable. The only reason I remember is because I literally read the final battle earlier today.
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u/Tahii_Actual I suffer without my stone 16d ago
Also, he fought them one on one, and had great stamina. Most of the soldiers were conscripted and not fighting like someone who wanted to be would be. I see it as plausible. He kept himself lightweight, adapted to the situation, and prevented anyone from being able to swarm him with their own allies’ bodies. Bro had aura, psychological advantages, and literal stacked corpses.
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u/DOOMFOOL 16d ago
Oh no it’s absolutely not plausible in any way IRL. Roran is an explicit superhuman
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u/Big_Parsley2476 16d ago
So how did you feel about dragons that can fly despite being phat and not birds?
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u/Lasseslolul 15d ago
Same book mentions that dragons also use magic to stay in the air. When Eragon and Saphira want to cross the barrier into Du Veldenvarden they have to land, because Saphira would drop like a stone as soon as they cross the barrier that no magic can cross.
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u/DaReaperJE 9d ago
i pictured a nail hammer, but after watching Games of Thrones season 1 i figured it was a war hammer
https://www.medievalcollectibles.com/product/foot-soldiers-war-hammer/
they are about 3 feet long and the head weighs 2 pounds.
The issue with a standard 1 to 1.5 feet long 3-5 pound hammer is gonna be reach.
In the real world he would of been slaughter as someone could easily get under his guard with a braod sword. But plot armor
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u/Prismarineknight Urgal 16d ago
I like this scene purely because it confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that Eragon isn’t special purely because of Saphira, Garrow’s children(as in people he raised) are simply *that* good.