Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-07-22
SWORDS OF JAPAN
Old Samurai Blades Are Looked
Upon as Sacred.
HANDLED WITH REVERENCE.

A Curious Formula Of Etiquette Fol.
lows When "the Steel Bible Of
Bushido" Is Drawn From Its Sheath
by Hand Which Grasps Il In Peace.
IL one were In friends house In
.iapnn and should nsk to examine one
of the old snmIraI swords that rest In
the lacqurred sword rack In place
of honor there a curious formula of
etiquette would be followed by the
host.
He would 20 10 a closet and return
with n little square of silk I'm his hand.
This he would wrap about the shark
skin handle of the slieHtlied sword be-
fore touching his bnre hand to the
sheath. Then. with his right hand
grasping the silk covered handle and
The fingers of bis left gingerly raising
the lacquered hilt from the rack, the
japanese host would lift the sword to
the level Of his forehead and bow TO It.
All this In reverential spirit and with
utmost gravity. The square Of silk.
preserved for no purpose but this and
having It's own name In the Japanese
vocabulary, is to prevent the defile-
ment of the handle by a hand which
grasps It In peace. The bow IL meant
for the spirit of the swOrdsmith who
forged this weapon. The reverence Is
for the sword itself. soul Of the sa-
mural" In the Japanese poetical con-
ceptiOn and aptly called by foreigners
"the steel Bible of Bushido."
Hut this Is only the beginning of the
formality. When the .Japunese host
unshcaths the blade he does 1t with
the edge toward his own body and the
point directed away from his guest.
When the guest receives the sword In
his own hands he must be careful to
keep the outer edge always away from
the direction of his friend the host.
IL he wishes to examine both sides OF
the blade he must even turn his back
so that never will the menace OF the
sharpened edge be directed toward his
friend.
After the examination Is completed
the sword Is returned to its scabbard.
and the owner receives 1t with an
other bow and places 1t once more on
Its rack.
The etiquette of the sword Is no
empty thing. With the high spirited
japanese. who have not forgotten the
many centuries of chivalry and OF
hand fighting behind them. the dell
cately curved and cnriously welded
sword of the samurai has u signifi-
canoe almost sacred. There Is phi
lOsophy of the sworn no less stern
than the use of the weapon.
In the old days when the Japanese
fighters wore the war masks and the
steel armor seen nowadays In the
curiosity shops the boy was taught
that as the shining blade must be kept
free from spot and corruption. 80 must
his soul be ever clean. Neglect OF the
blade brings rust: neglect OF the soul
an impure character.
Then the sharp edge was held not
only as a constant guardian OF per-
sonal safety and honor. but as sacred
disciplinarian to punish whenever Its
possessor stepped from the narrow
path of the Yamato spirit OF chivalry.
Again, the sword was embenatical
of true gentility. which Is never over
bearing or vulgar In department, bur
sternly self represslve.
No man knows when first the Forge
for lighting weapons was sci up In the
dawn of Japanese history nor who
was the man who first repaced the
rude bronze blades of primitive folk
by the tempered steel OF the inmato
blade. There Is I'm the imperial collec-
ton of swords ut the castle OF Nara
the weapon worn by the Crown Prince
Shotoku. who compiled the constitu'
ton of seventeen articles III A. ID. G03
the oldest sword known In japan. From
that weapon, which was straight ana
not curved rs all other swords OF Nip
pom are, down to the fall OF the Toku'
gawa shoguiate In the middle or the
last century there Is IN unbroken his
tory of the art Of the swOrdsmith
Twelve centuries Of recorded art In
swOrdmaking and the names OF over
10000 makes constitute the history OF
the sword In Japan
The Japanese blade. placed almost
on a par with the Damascus product
IN art and utility. differs from the
Arabian weapon In one material detail
of manufacture. Instead of having u
uniform high temper. which gives the
remarkable hexibIlity possessed by the
Damascus blade. the Japanese sword
has two tenipers. u hard and mild
steel.
The edge of The blade Is hard with
the finest temper. the body and back
of a mildcr temper. sufficient to give
some elasticity. A Japanese sword
cannot be bent half double with the
pressure Of II hand: 1t Is nearly rigid.
Though sword manufacture has ceas
ed TO be In japan today outside OF the
government arsenals. which turn out
only the accepted military blade Of the
modern army. the country IS filled with
prIzed relics of the past art. and these
are relics which the Japanese will not
sell. A possessor Of one OF the old
swords. keen and blue white In ulster
az the day 1t was forged. would sell
his house. even himself maybe. before
be would part with his Iron Bible OF
Busbido for mOney.-.Japan Magazine
Starting tho Trouble.
Mebel-Did he stutter when he pro
r,.t,.i 40 1nt,'f think On