Weapon
Shuang Tieji 雙鐵戟
About this item
The Shuang Tieji (Paired Iron Halberds) was the pair of iron halberds wielded by Dian Wei. Chen Shou's text records that Dian Wei liked to carry a large pair of halberds, a long sword and the like, so that in the army it was said that "he carries a pair of halberds of eighty jin," and the Romance too, in Chapter 10, gives the weight of the two as eighty jin. In the Romance Dian Wei saves Cao Cao at Puyang with these halberds, but at Wancheng, with his halberds stolen by Hu Cher, a subordinate general of Zhang Xiu, he fights on and dies. Records, Wei 18 §63Romance, Ch. 10 §25Romance, Ch. 11 §54–56Romance, Ch. 16 §48–52
Chen Shou's text mentions the pair of halberds once, in Dian Wei's biography in Records of Wei 18. The Romance mentions these halberds in Chapters 10, 11, 12 and 16. Records, Wei 18 §63Romance, Ch. 10 §25Romance, Ch. 11 §54–55Romance, Ch. 12 §28Romance, Ch. 16 §48 · 50
In the Records
According to Dian Wei's biography in Records of Wei 18 of Chen Shou's text, when Cao Cao called for men to break the enemy line while fighting Lü Bu at Puyang, Dian Wei was the first to come forward, and the dozens who answered the call all wore two suits of armor, discarded their shields and carried only long spears and halberds. Though arrows poured down like rain, when the enemy came within five paces Dian Wei rose with a great shout, holding a dozen or more halberds in his hands, and felled everyone he struck. Chen Shou's text does not call the halberds used here a pair of halberds. Records, Wei 18 §60–62
Dian Wei became a Commandant, led several hundred personal guards and constantly kept watch around the great tent, and after being promoted to Colonel he stood in attendance all day long by day and slept beside the tent at night. The biography records that because Dian Wei liked to carry a large pair of halberds, a long sword and the like, the army had a saying: "Below the tent is a strong man, Lord Dian; he carries a pair of halberds of eighty jin." Records, Wei 18 §62–63
In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), when Zhang Xiu, who had surrendered at Wan, rebelled and attacked Cao Cao's camp, Dian Wei fought at the camp gate and kept the enemy from getting in. As the enemy grew more numerous, Dian Wei struck left and right with his long halberd, breaking a dozen or more of the enemy's spears with each thrust, and after taking dozens of wounds he fought on at close quarters with short weapons, clamping two enemies under his arms and beating them to death. He pressed forward again and killed several men, but his wounds broke open, and he died glaring and cursing loudly. The biography does not say that he lost his pair of halberds in this fight. Records, Wei 1 §43Records, Wei 18 §64–66
In the Romance
In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Xiahou Dun recommends Dian Wei to Cao Cao, saying that the two iron halberds he now uses weigh eighty jin, yet he tucks them under his arm, mounts his horse and wields them as if they were flying. When Cao Cao has him show his skill, Dian Wei gallops with the halberds under his arm and with one hand holds upright a great banner about to be blown over by the wind, and Cao Cao, calling him the Elai of old, makes him Headquarters Commandant. Romance, Ch. 10 §24–26
In Chapter 11, when Cao Cao, who has taken Lü Bu's western camp at Puyang and then been surrounded many times over, cries out, "Who will save me?", Dian Wei bursts out brandishing the Shuang Tieji. Dian Wei dismounts, plants the paired halberds in the ground and advances with a dozen or more short halberds under his arm; when the enemy comes within five paces he hurls them and kills more than ten men. Remounting, he charges in brandishing the pair of great iron halberds, the four men blocking the way flee each his own way, and Dian Wei rescues Cao Cao. Romance, Ch. 11 §52–56
In Chapter 12 Dian Wei, pursuing the remnants of the Yellow Turbans, encounters a strong man holding a great sword at the stockade of Gepi and meets him with his pair of halberds; they fight from the hour of chen to the hour of wu and again until dusk without a decision. This man is Xu Chu, who is later captured by Cao Cao and submits to him. Romance, Ch. 12 §27–29 · 31
In the Battle of Wancheng in Chapter 16, Zhang Xiu, who had surrendered to Cao Cao, wants to attack Cao Cao but fears Dian Wei's valor. His subordinate general Hu Cher says that what makes Dian Wei fearsome is his Shuang Tieji and proposes getting him drunk and stealing the halberds, and on the night that Jia Xu invites Dian Wei and entertains him with wine, Hu Cher mingles with the crowd and gets into the main camp. When fire breaks out in the camp, Dian Wei, who has been lying drunk, cannot find his pair of halberds and fights with a foot soldier's waist sword drawn, and when its edge is notched he takes up two soldiers in his hands to meet the enemy, until he is struck in the back by a spear and dies. Romance, Ch. 16 §47–52
Where the Romance differs
The halberds at Puyang: In Chapter 11 of the Romance, Dian Wei plants the Shuang Tieji in the ground and kills the enemy by hurling a dozen or more short halberds, then takes up the Shuang Tieji again and charges in. In Dian Wei's biography in the Records, Dian Wei rose holding a dozen or more halberds in his hands and felled everyone he struck, and the pair of halberds does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 11 §54–55Records, Wei 18 §62
The last fight at Wan: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Hu Cher steals the Shuang Tieji, and Dian Wei fights without his halberds, using a foot soldier's waist sword. In Dian Wei's biography in the Records, Dian Wei held the camp gate and struck left and right with his long halberd, and after being wounded fought at close quarters with short weapons; there is no mention of his halberds being stolen. Romance, Ch. 16 §48–50Records, Wei 18 §65
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Ownership history
| Owner | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dian Wei | ~197 | Novel & History 「韋好持大雙戟與長刀等」 · 「乃典韋也，手挺雙鐵戟」 |
Ownership is checked against the source texts (3KDEX) — each entry rests on the passage where the item changes hands. Owners not in the People index are not shown.