![]() You probably don’t have the time to put in 100 hours sharpening the edge of each of your own katana blades. The Togishi needed to work ten hours per day, and if sharpening the katana in the traditional way would spend 100 hours on a single edge. The process of polishing and sharpening a katana blade takes on deeply spiritual undertones. ![]() The Togishi has historically needed even more training than the actual swordsmith. Even today, specialists known as Togishi exist and are heavily regulated and licensed. Japanese sword sharpening began as a formal art in 1192 and continued until 1333. In fact, the Japanese had a special position for this person he was called the Togishi. The individual who would sharpen the sword wasn’t the swordmaker, however. Most referred to the process of Japanese sword sharpening as “ polishing” the katana. The actual methods involved with Japanese sword sharpening varied from one swordmaker to the next. The Togishi, Master Japanese Sword Sharpener There are many Japanese sword legends, and these make clear the vital importance of Japanese sword sharpening skills. There’s an alternative to this legend wherein Masamune’s blade cut things, but they were reformed further downstream. It would attack innocent butterflies as well as the heads of enemies. Meanwhile, Masamune’s blade offered a finer choice because it didn’t cut down those who didn’t deserve it. However, that made it bloodthirsty, an evil and destructive blade that killed indiscriminately. “Yours only cuts leaves!” he laughed mockingly.Ī monk who had witnessed the entire competition came up and declared, “Masamune’s sword is the better one!” He explained that Muramasa had indeed created a great sword, capable of destroying everything in its path. His student, however, could only scoff and began to laugh at his master’s swordmaking abilities. Masamune looked at his student, impressed with his swordmaking abilities. Meanwhile, the older and wiser Masamune’s only cut leaves. The younger Muramasa’s sword cut everything, from fish to leaves nothing could escape. In the challenge, their swords were suspended in water and would cut through items that passed by. ![]() The pupil challenged his master to a Japanese sword sharpening contest. For example, consider the infamous tale of Masamune and his student Muramasa. Masamune lived as one of the greatest swordsmiths in Japanese history, and while his existence is verified, some of his story has been clouded by legend. Given the importance of swordsmithing and Japanese sword sharpening, you have several stories where divine beings helped to construct a sharp and fierce sword. This is the same reason that swordsmiths weren’t allowed to have any contact, of any type, with women during this time. ![]() Purification rights were performed throughout the process, and women weren’t allowed in the swordsmith’s areas because they were believed to be impure during menstruation. In some cases, the swordsmith might even undertake a pilgrimage before he began to fashion the blade. This included sexual abstinence and fasting. To give an example, there are even stories of Japanese emperors who made swords, despite the manual labor associated with the craft.īefore making a sword, the swordsmith might purify himself using Shinto rites. None were held in higher regard than the swordsmiths of ancient Japan. In ancient Japan, making a sword became a form of almost religious ceremony. Many others were used, and Japanese sword sharpening is surrounded by a surprising level of mystique. In fact, katanas weren’t the only swords used during this time period by the samurai warriors. Long ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu called the katana the “soul of the samurai warrior.” But the world has learned surprisingly little about what these swords actually are. Japan, the “Land of the Rising Sun,” holds many golden legends around the sharpness of its blades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |