The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05
WHERE SWORD IS
A SACRED THING

If one were in a friends house in Japan
and should ask to examine one of the old
Samurai swords that rest in the lacquered
sword rack in a place of honor there a
curious formula of etiquette would be fol-
lowed by the host.
He would go to closet and return with
little square of silk in his hand. This
he would wrap about the sharkskin han
die of the sheathed sword before touching
his bare hand to the sheath. Then with
his right hand grasping the silk-covered
handle and the fingers of his left ginger
ly raising the lacquered hilt from the
rack, the Japanese host would lift the
sword to the level OF his forehead and
bow to 1t.
All this In reverential spirit and with
utmost gravity. The square of silk, pre-
served for no purpose but this and hav-
ing it's own name in the japanese vocab-
ulary is to prevent the def1lement of the
handle by a hand which grasps it in
peace The bow is meant for the spirit
of the swordsmith who forged this weap-
on The reverence is for the sword itself.
soul of the Samurai," In the Japanese
poetical conception and aptly called by
foreigners the steel Bible of Bushido.'
But this is only the beginning of the
formality When the japanese host un-
sheaths 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 II 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 it's scabbard and the
owner receives 1t with another bow and
places 1t once more on Its rack.
AS writer in the Japanese Magazine
says the etiquette of the sword is no
empty thing. With the high-spirited Jap
anese who have not forgotten the many
centuries of chivalry and of hand fighting
behind them. the deicately curved and
curiously welded sword of the Samurai
has significance almost sacred. There
is philosophy of the sword 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, SO must his soul be
ever clean. Neglect of the blade brings
rust; neglect OF the soul an impure char
acter.
Then the sharp edge was held not only
as constant guardian Of personal safety
and honor, but as a sacred disciplinaran
to puruSh whenever its possessor stepped
from the narrow path of the Yamato
spirit of chivary. Again. the sword was
emblematical of true gentility, which is
never overwhelming or vulgar in deport-
ment, but sterny self-repressve.
All this poetical side OF right living and
all this ceremonial of sword department
arise from the love and reverence for one
of the few original Japanese arts. The
| potters took their art from the Coreans,
so experts have decided: photographers
drew upon the Chinese as their models;
the silk weavers and hrocade makers.
poets and artists all borrowed from an