What is the first known work of fantasy to feature a sentient weapon?

Question

Similar to this question asking for magic sword examples, I was curious as to the first depiction of a sentient (independent feelings/thoughts) weapon? It doesn't need to necessarily be able to speak, but at the least exhibit independent feelings/impulses and make that known to the user/wielder.

Some known examples (of many)

• Anglachel from The Silmarillion (1977)
• Khazid'hea - The Legend of Drizzt (1988)
• Stormbringer - Multiple works featuring Elric of Melnibone by Moorcock (1961)

(Note: These are all swords, as I feel that the earliest example would be a primitive weapon. If there are other examples, that would be excellent).

I am uncertain as to whether or not classify Excalibur as a sentient weapon, as I am not aware of any passages in the works attributing anything other than regular magical powers to the blade itself. You could make the argument that it had to determine the worthiness of the attempted drawer, but even that is in question if you accept the Post-Vulgate cycle of the Arthurian legends (In which the sword is given directly by the Lady of the Lake). If you want to tender Excalibur, please present supporting prose indicating sentience.

Answer 1

The Ruyi Jingu Bang

the Ruyi Jingu Bang is featured in the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West. It is a staff wielded by one of the main characters, Sun Wukong, who protects and supports the protagonist on his journey.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea gifted the staff to Sun Wukong on his wife's advice, to get rid of their intimidating and chaotic guest who came to the palace in search of a fitting weapon:

"That piece of miraculous iron is one of the nails that Yu the Great used to fix the depths of rivers and seas when he brought the waters under control," said the Dragon King. "What use could it be?" "Never mind whether it's useful or not," his wife replied. "Just give it to him and let him do with it as he pleases. At least you'll get him out of the palace." ~ _{(The Journey to the West, vol.1,Chapter 3, Adapted from the WJF Jenner translation (Beijing, 1955) by Collinson Fair}

The staff is made of iron and is capable of self-adjusting its size according to his owner's wishes:

Sun Wukong hitched up his clothes and went to give it a feel. He found that it was an iron pillar about as thick as a measure for a peck of grain and some twenty feet long. Seizing it with both hands he said, "It's too thick and too long. If it were a bit shorter and thinner it would do." As soon as these words were out of his mouth this precious piece of iron became several feet shorter and a few inches thinner. _~(ibid)

the weapon was even capable to shrink to the size of a needle, to be hidden behind one of the ears of Sun Wukong. It could also multiply itself and fight without the Monkey King wielding it.

Answer 2

In Poul Anderson's "The Broken Sword" (1954), the titular weapon must draw blood before it is sheathed. If the wielder fails to do that, it will strike out of its own, killing somebody nearby (often with tragic results). Elric's Stormbringer is based on this sword, and Moorcock has often stated his love for Anderson's book.

The sword is named for and based on the sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology. "The dwarves made the sword, and it shone and gleamed like fire. However, in revenge they cursed it so that it would kill a man every time it was drawn and that it would be the cause of three great evils. They finally cursed it so that it would also kill Svafrlami himself." (Wikipedia)

Answer 3

A possible contender for the oldest is found in Russian folklore, where there is the Samosek Sword. The Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth and Legend (accessed 9/12/2018) mentions it under three different entry headings: Ivan the Guard (p.126-128), Nemal Chelovek (p.203-204), Samosek Sword (p.248-249).

The Nemal Chelovek entry contains relevant information (somewhat paralleled in both the other entries) as to the sentience of the sword (bold and italics added):

Just then Nemal Chelovek returned to his mansion and stormed into the great hall where Ivan was standing with the princess. When the sorcerer saw Ivan, he cast a spell that made him grow until his head brushed the ceiling, and then he rushed at Ivan. Ivan simply lifted the Samosek Sword, which flew through the air of its own volition and neatly decapitated the oncoming giant. Then the sword went through the mansion and killed all of Nemal Chelovek’s servants before returning neatly to Ivan’s hand. Ivan and the princess then went home, and no one in the world was ever troubled again by Nemal Chelovek.

So the sword has its own volition, and enough sentience to go "through the mansion" itself and slay all the servants.

A variation of the story is found in the Wikipedia article for "Dragon," under the "Eastern Europe" heading as well (accessed 9/12/2018; bold added):

In Russian and Ukrainian folklore, Zmey Gorynych is a dragon with three heads, each one bearing twin goat-like horns. He is said to have breathed fire and smelled of sulfur. It was believed that eclipses were caused by Gorynych temporarily swallowing the sun. According to one legend, Gorynych's uncle was the evil sorcerer Nemal Chelovek, who abducted the daughter of the tsar and imprisoned her in his castle in the Ural Mountains. Many knights tried to free her, but all of them were killed by Gorynych's fire. Then a palace guard in Moscow named Ivan Tsarevich overheard two crows talking about the princess. He went to the tsar, who gave him a magic sword, and snuck into the castle. When Chelovek attacked Ivan in the form of a giant, the sword flew from Ivan's hand unbidden and killed him. Then the sword cut off all three of Gorynych's heads at once. Ivan brought the princess back to the tsar, who declared Ivan a nobleman and allowed him to marry the princess.

For more information, though not as clear on sentience, see: Wikipedia Sword Kladenets (Samosek subentry, the term mech-samosek meaning "the self-swung sword").

But what I have not yet been able to find definitively is a date for the earliest known telling of this sword's story. So at present, I cannot verify it is older than the 16th c. The Ruyi Jingu Bang answer. However, it is noted to be part of Russian mythology, which redirects on Wikipedia to Slavic paganism, which begins:

Slavic paganism or Slavic religion define the religious beliefs, godlores and ritual practices of the Slavs before the formal Christianisation of their ruling elites. The latter occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century.

So if this story is indeed pre-Christian, and the latter occurred in stages from 8th-13th centuries, then it seems possible the story is pre. 8th c. (and at least likely prior to the 12th c. of the other answer). But until I can find verification of earliest known date of the story, I cannot verify.*

*If anyone can find a source for the dating of this story, I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer 4

One example I can think of is "The Mis-Enchanted Sword", by Lawrence Watt-Evans. It has been a very long time since I read this book, so my memory is fuzzy, but as I recall the sword in the book definitely had a mind of its own, and I believe it spoke to its owner on one or two occasions.