The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-07-23
SWORDS or JAPAN
Old Samurai BlaCss Are Looked
Upon as Sacred.
HANDLED WITH REVERENCE.
4 Curious Formula Of Etiquette Fol-
lows When The Steel Bible Of
Bushido" 10 Drawn From Its Sheath
by a Hand Which Grasps II In Peace.

II one were in a friends house in
Japan AID should ask to examine one
OF the old samurai swords that rest In
the iacquered sword rack in place
OF honor there a curious formula OF
etiquette would be followed by the
host
| He would go to a closet and return
with little square Of silk in his hand
| This be would wrap about the shark
skin handle OF the sheathed sword be-
| fore touching his bare hand to the
sheath. Then. with bis right ha nd
grasping the silk covered handle and
the fingers Of his left gingerIy raising
| the IacQuered 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 its 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 is 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 APPLY called by foreigners
''the steel Bible OF Bushido."
But this is only the beginning OF the
formality. When the Japanese host
unsheaths the blade he does it with
the edge toward bis own body and the
point directed away from his guest
! When the guest receives the sword in
| his OWE hands he must be careful to
keep the outer edge always away from
the direction Of his friend the host
! II be 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 it with an
other bow and places it 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 deli
cately curved and curiously welded
sword Of the samurai has a 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, SO 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 u constant guardian Of per
sonai safety aud honor. but as a sacred
diSciplinarian TO punish whenever its
possessor stepped from the narrow
path OF the Iainato spirit Of chivalry.
Again, the sword was emblenatical
Of true gentility. which is never over
bearing or vulgar in department. but
sternly self repressive.
No man knows when first the forge
for fighting weapons was set up in the
dawn Of Japanese history nor who
was the man who first replaced the
rude bronze blades Of primitive folk
by the tempered steel Of the IamatO
blade. There is in the imperial cOllec
ton Of swords at the castle of Nara
the weapon worn by the Crown Prince
Shotoku. who coupled the constitu-
ton Of seventeen articles III \. ID. Gy3,
the oldest sword known in Japan. From
that weapon. which was straight and
not curved as all other swords Of Nip
pom are down 10 the fall Of the Toku-
gawa sho-uuate in the middle of the
last century there is an unbrolien his
tory Of the art of the sworuSmith.
Twelve centuries OF recorded art in
swordmaking and the names Of over
10000 makes constitute the history Of
the sword III Japan.
The japanese blade. placed almost
on j par with the Damascus product
In art and utility. differs from the
Arabian weapon in one material detail
of manufacture. Instead OF having a
uniform high temper. which gives the
remarkable flexibility possessed by the
Damascus blade. the japanese sword
has two tempers. hard and mild
steel.
The edge of the blade is hard with
the finest temper. the body and back
OF milder temper. sufficient to give
some elasticity. A Japanese sword
cannot be bent half double with the
Z pressure Of a hand: 1t Is nearly rigid.
T 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
h priced relics Of the past art. and these
a are relics which the japanese viii NOT
sell. A possessor Of one Of the old
= swords. keen and blue white In lustel
It a. the day 1t was forged. would sci
his house. even himself maybe. oefor'
- be would part with his iron Bible o.
q Bushido for money.-Japan Magazine
"a Starting the Trouble.