Do you remember the classic Saturday Night Live Jeopardy skit where Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond), much to the chagrin of Alex Trebek (Will Ferrell), mistakes the category “S-words” for “Swords”? Well the Albertsons Library has an encyclopedia of “s-words”…. err, I mean “swords” that is worth checking out.
If you ever wanted to know how Ralph Faulkner received the real life scar on his face from a fencing duel in the movie Sword of the Avenger (see Accidents, Movie-Related Fencing) or the difference between a Curtana and a Katana, then The Encyclopedia of the Sword (Call#: ref GV 1143.2 E93 1995) is the place to look.
Oh by the way, A Curtana is commonly known as “the Sword of Mercy” and is one of three swords brought before the sovereigns of England during coronation, while a Katana is a traditional Japanese samurai sword.
So this is just a little reminder that there are a lot of interesting books and materials in the Albertsons Library that can pique most any interest or satisfy most any curiosity. Give the library and it’s collection a look around. Take it for a test drive, you never know what you may find out.
For example, did you know that Helene Mayer is considered the greatest female fencer of all time? Some additional books on “S-words” located in the main collection are:
- The Book of the Sword by Richard F. Burton call#: U850 .B8 1987
- Samurai Sword: A Handbook by John M. Yumoto call#: NK6784 .Y8
- Sword in the Age of Chivalry by R. Ewart Oakeshott call#: U854 .O2
Rick Stoddart
Reference Librarian