So we've finally gotten around to discussing it! The sword, that is. I think we all zeroed in on Jason's weapon when we read the sample chapters, but we haven't really discussed it. We all know that it has to be important, but where in the Hades did it come from? Did he get it from an immortal parent? Did it come from a God or Goddess who favors him? Was it forged for him via a talented child of Hephaestus or a cyclops?

Well, you know I've done some research, so here we go.

So, I'm sure everybody has performed a basic search for a Golden Sword in greek mythology, and the first answer everyone finds is Khrysaor (Chrysaor.) Khrysaor was the twin brother of Pegasus. Not identical, mind you, Pegasus was a winged horse, as we all know, but Khrysaor was a boy. Some people say he was a winged boar, but I'm leaning more towards the boy idea because it fits the name. Now, when I say fits the name, I mean, Khrysaor translates out to something like "Of the Golden Blade(s)" or "Keeper of the Golden Blade." It would be a pretty funny sight to see a wild pig running around with a sword, wouldn't it? So, that means he had a golden sword....or alternitavely it could mean that he is somehow related to summer, because, if memory serves me correctly, Khrysaoros is an epithet of Demeter because of the golden shoots of grain during the summer.

Now, let me get a little more in-depth, here. There is a connection to Khrysaor in the PJO series. Khrysaor's son was Geryon! You remember him don't you? If you don't, go back and reread The Battle of the Labyrinth. You are probably wondering if I've run out of information on Khrysaor, but I haven't. Well, sort of...anyway, eventually Khrysaor disappeared. Why? Well, as time went on for the ancient Greeks, they started to attribute Khrysaor to Orion. Instead of being a man with a sword or a boar with wings, he was now the sword of Orion. How's that for honoring your mythological beings?! Well his story wasn't the only thing that reached near extinction, he used to be the constellation called the Great Boar (Ursa Major), but after the whole Orion event, he became part of the constellation Orion. Ursa Major was then renamed for Artemis' companion, Kallisto.

Don't worry, guys, that's not the only thing in Greek Mythology that involves a golden sword. Oh, and this one is good! Your eye-balls might just pop out when you read this. I have one word for you, Hermes. Yeah, that's right, I went through everything and Hermes is at the top of every search list.

So, Hermes has a sword....who'd expect to see our favourite jogger slashing and hacking through some BBG booty? Well, he just so happened to use it during the war against the Gigantes! Oh, and guess what else that sword has done? It killed Medusa! Yeah you know what I'm talking about. In some versions of the myth about Perseus, the wimpy, story-stealing rat used Hermes' sword to slay the Gorgon. Hermes also gave the sword to Heracles. Now, here is the kicker about the sword. Sometimes it is called Adamantine instead of Golden, and then on some occasions it is considered both. Adamantine pertains to a metal that has the hardness and the lustre of diamonds. It is supposedly impenetrable and unbreakable!

So, now that we know about the two most prominent golden swords in ancient myth, next we need to discuss the coin. The coin was golden like the sword, of course. It was inscribed with "IVLIVS" which is how the Romans spelled Julius because "J"s and "U"s were absent from their alphabet. There was a picture on the coin of a man, and also one of a battle axe, right?

Well the guy was Julius Caesar, but you probably know that already. So, the Aureus was a pretty valuble coin to the Romans, and during its circulation it was used all over the Roman empire, Greece included. Now, I want you to know something important about the axe on the back. Yeah, I know you are going to say that it is on the actual Julius Caesar coins, and that's all there is to it. No, my friends, there really is something you must know! In folklore and stories that I've heard, the Axe was believed by some ancient peoples to be thunderbolts and they, at one point in time, set them up as something to protect buildings from lightning strikes! Funny, huh? Well that's not all, the double sided axe was also used in Minoan Crete. Ya' know, the place with the Minotaur?

Well, in Minoan history it was used for the sacrifice of bulls to the gods. Eventually someone got their hands on one of these double-bladed axes via the defeat of an Amazon. The guy's family kept it as an heirloom, passing it down from father to son until it became the property of a king. The ungrateful King didn't like it so he gave it to one of his close friends who incidently happened to be a soldier and body gaurd. A little time after the axe switched hands the man who had recieved it, for some reason, rebelled against the king, and with the help of a friend, slayed the king with the very weapon he had been given! The axe was then put in a temple to Zeus. Wow!

Now, there is one more matter to discuss before I bid you farewell. Where and who did the sword come from? I have a few theories. First off, and this is the least likely choice out of the bunch, maybe the sword/coin was a gift or commision made by a child of Hephaestus. It would make sense because we will be learning more about Hephaestus kids, but at the same time it just doesn't feel right to me because of all the Roman junk. A child of Hephaestus probably wouldn't use Roman anything!

The next choice is a gift from his immortal parent. We all know that some demigods, usually the favourites, tend to recieve magical items such as charmed armour and weapons from their mommy or daddy. He may have been given it for a job well done or maybe just a simple "I love you!"

Next up, he may have recieved it from another god or goddess (or maybe even another demigod) who likes him. If Perseus could get all sorts of wonderful gifts from other deities, who's to say a modern day already-better-than-that-freeloader-Perseus couldn't get something from an immortal other than his dear old Dad (or mom, we don't know for sure, yet.)

The last idea is just a little far-fetched. Maybe he got it as a trophy during a quest. Maybe he defeated a beastie that weilded the thing and ended up with it after the mysterious baddie turned into a glittery gold cloud. It's possible! Don't look at the screen that way!

Whether he was given it or found it, the fact remains that Jason has one heck of a weapon. It is sure to play a powerful part in the new series, and slash up some serious baddies. You've probably guessed by now that I'm hopiing for it being Hermes' sword....what? I'm a Hermes fan! So here's to hoping!

We will know for sure if any of my theories are right when The Heroes of Olympus Book One: The Lost Hero hits bookshelves in the U.S., Canada, The UK, Australia, and New Zealand on October 12. If you want a refresher about the sword head over to the link. Feel free, if you haven't already to become a fan of this spot and browse through all the wonderful articles that everyone has contributed. I'll catch you next week when the new H of O article will be up. Don't forget to head over to the link thread and post your choice for the next article's topic! Vote, vote, vote! I need your help to mae these articles great!