It is death.

[Arskanator]

I don't usually look up the stats of major artifacts or legendary weapons or stuff like that, because the chance that I get to use any of them in a game isn't that high and it would just make me

But the other day, while browsing trough Tome of Battle, I gave the Nine Swords a look. What especially caught my eye was the Iron Heart weapon, Kamate, which name translates from Goblin in to "It is death". It reminded me of something else death related.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOa7qtH4ZBs

For those of you not in the know, that's a Haka, an ancient Maori war dance, and this specific Haka is called "Ka Mate". I don't speak the language so I'm not 100% sure what the name translates in to, but it think it's along the lines "this is death" or "I may die".

What do you guys and gals think, is this just a cool coincidence?

[Gabe the Bard]

D&D writers get inspiration from all sorts of places. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the writers for Tome of Battle saw a documentary about that Maori war dance and thought the name sounded pretty cool.

[Slipperychicken]

Goblins do often receive the stereotypical "jungle-tribe full of savages" fluff, so I think the link between the name and the Maori language is most likely intentional.

Remember, a lot of the stuff you find in dnd is simply real-world culture and legend given stats. Some of the best fluff you can get is from real world fantasy lore, especially from foreign or unfamiliar cultures. The entire world has had millennia to generate, refine, and redefine the most awesome stories and monsters, so why reinvent the wheel?

[Noedig]

Slightly unrelated, but I remember watching the Uruk-hai in the second LoTR movie do this kind of dance in the commentary.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I didn't really care about most of the weapons, but I always really liked Kamate. The name, the story, the fact that a "monster race" was the originators of one of the nine disciplines....

Interesting to know the origin of the name. I had planned to have a "samurai" -- Warblade w/ Iron Heart and Diamond Mind stuff -- try and aquire the blade in one game. The name sounded vaguely close enough to be Japanese, and the "It is Death" fit well with the ethos of the Samurai and having no fear of falling in battle.

[PersonofJid]

I don't usually look up the stats of major artifacts or legendary weapons or stuff like that, because the chance that I get to use any of them in a game isn't that high and it would just make me

But the other day, while browsing trough Tome of Battle, I gave the Nine Swords a look. What especially caught my eye was the Iron Heart weapon, Kamate, which name translates from Goblin in to "It is death". It reminded me of something else death related.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOa7qtH4ZBs

For those of you not in the know, that's a Haka, an ancient Maori war dance, and this specific Haka is called "Ka Mate". I don't speak the language so I'm not 100% sure what the name translates in to, but it think it's along the lines "this is death" or "I may die".

What do you guys and gals think, is this just a cool coincidence?

Personally, I think there's no coincidence whatsoever. Especially since the translation is the same. Ka Mate does translate into "It is death."

Lyrics:

Spoiler

Show

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru
This is the hairy man

Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
Who caused the sun to shine again for me

Upane Upane
Up the ladder Up the ladder

Upane Kaupane
Up to the top

Whiti te ra
The sun shines!

[Slipperychicken]

Lyrics:

Spoiler

Show

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru
This is the hairy man

Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
Who caused the sun to shine again for me

Upane Upane
Up the ladder Up the ladder

Upane Kaupane
Up to the top

Whiti te ra
The sun shines!

...That lost something in translation, didn't it?

[PersonofJid]

...That lost something in translation, didn't it?

Possibly, but then again it wouldn't surprise me if it were correct.

[tbok1992]

So maybe then there should be a Grell town known as Kaihoro...

I'll be surprised if anybody gets the double reference.

[Excession]

...That lost something in translation, didn't it?

Yeah, a bit. Wikipedia has what might be a better translation, and a brief description of the story that the lines are lifted from. The references and external links have more.