Redguards , History and Heroes , V . 2 Content . Frandar do Hunding Hel Ansei No Shira or , as he is commonly known , Frandar Hunding , was born in the far desert marches in the province of High Desert . " Hunding " is the name of the High Desert region near where he was born . " No Shira " means " noble person " or " person of noble birth " and " Hel Ansei " is his title of Sword Sainthood . Hunding ' s ancestors reach back to the beginning of recorded time in the high desert , living as artisans and mystics . His grandfather was a retainer of the Elden Yokeda , Mansel Sesnit , and led many of the battles of unification prior to Sesnit ' s assassination . When he was 14 , Hunding ' s father died in the one of the many insurrections , and he was left to support his mother and four brothers . His prowess with the sword , however , made his life both difficult and easy . It was easy in that his services came in great demand as a guardian and escort . It was hard in that his reputation preceded him , and many awaited their turn to face him in battle , hoping to gain instant fame through his defeat . By the time Hunding was thirty , he had fought and won more than ninety duels , killing all his opponents . He became virtually invincible with the sword , gaining such skill and mastery that he finally stopped using the real swords created through the artistry of his people and began using the Shehai or " way of the spirit sword . " All sword - singers learn through their intense training and devotion to the gods of war and way of the sword , the forms of discipline that allow the creation of the spirit sword . This is a simple form of magic or mind mastery whereby an image of a sword is formed from pure thought . The sword singer forms the sword by concentrating , and it takes shape in his hand . It is usually a pale thing of light , misty and insubstantial , a thing of beauty perhaps , or a symbol of devotion to the Way and the gods , but no weapon . However , those Ansei of the highest level and sensitivity and those with talent in magic can in times of stress form a spirit sword : a Shehai that is far more than light and air . It is an unstoppable weapon of great might , a weapon that can never be taken from the owner without also taking his mind . The Shehai became Hunding ' s weapon , and with this , he killed bands of brigands and wandering monsters infesting the land . Finally upon finishing his ninetieth duel , defeating the evil Lord Janic and his seven lich followers , he was satisfied that he was indeed invincible . Hunding then turned to formulating his philosophy of " the Way of the Sword . " He wrote his learnings down in the Book of Circles while living as a hermit in a cave in the mountains of the high desert in his sixtieth year . In that year Hunding , having enlisted in the many battles of the empire , and having defeated all opponents , had thought himself ready for death . He retired to his cave to capture his strategy and mystical visions to share with other sword - singers . It was after his completion of the scroll of the Circle that the singers found him composing his death poem and preparing to join the gods of war in final rest . At sixty , he was a vigorous man who thought himself through with life , but his people , the sword - singers , needed him . They needed him as never before .