Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1911-04-27
SWORDS OF JAPAN
Old Samurai Blades Are Looked
Upon as Sacred.
HANDLED WITH REVERENCE

lows Whom "ths Steei Bible Of
E.stlde' 10 Drawn From It's Sheath
by q Hsad Which Grasps It In Peace.
If one were In q friends house in
Japan ana should ask to examine one
OF the old samurai swords that rest In
the iacSuered sword rack In a place
OF honor there q curious formula OF
etiquette would be followed by the
host
he would 60 to a closet and return
With q 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 his right hand
graspins the silk covered handle and
the fingers of his left gingerly raising
the iacQuered hilt from the rack, the
japanese host would lift the sword to
the level Of bis forehead and bow to 1t.
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 de6ie-
meat Of the handle by 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 "a
mural" in the Japanese poetical con-
ceptiol and aptly called BY foreigners
1.-THE steel Bible Of Bushido."
Rut this is only the beginning of the
fcrnaiity. When the japanese host
ansheaths the blade be does 1t 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 bis friend the host.
If he wishes to examine both sides OF
the blade he must even turn his back
so that never will the menace Of the
sharpesed 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 1t once more on
tU fack.
The etiquette Of the sword II no
empty thing. With the high spirited
japanese. who have not forgotten the
many centuries Of chivalry and Of
ha2d lighting behind them. the dell.
cately curved and curiously welded
sword of the samurai has q signi1-
canoe almost sacred. There Is q phi
losophy of the sworn no less stern
than the use Of the weapon.
Ii 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 q constant guardian of per
sobal safety and honor, but as sacred
discipIinarian to punish whenever its
possessor stepped from the narrow
path of the Yamato spirit of chivalry.
Again, the sword was emblematical
OF true gentlity. which Is never over
bearing OF vulgar in department. but
sternly self repreSSive.
No mru knows when f;~sf ~" fn"""
fri .i...i.,:.. Nra!,.I'> 49, ..'. D.. 81 ...'
dawn III aapAnr%,. history u.r wAo
was the EGln VII" nr>l r'g,"'," The
rude uruiIHr blades of p.!falliN" folk
by the Ieulprred steel Of the lanatu
blade. There is in the imperial c"iiec-
ton nt swords at tEe castle ni nara
the weapnn worn by 'Ec Crown Prince
ShOtOku. who complied the conSiitu
tioD OF seventeen ARTICLES in y. ID. G.3
the oldest sword known IN Japan. FroE
that weapon. which waS straight an(
not curved as all other swords Of Nip
pon are. down 10 the fall OF the TohU
gawa ShO-unafe in the middle OF ths
last century there is IN unhroken lis
tory of the art of the SWOrdSmIth
Twelve centuries of recorded art il
swordmaking aud the names OF ovet
10000 makes constitute the history OF
the sword III Japan.
The Japanese blade. placed alrnos
on Il par with the Damascus produc
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 neyibiity possessed by the
DnmnScnS hlnln the LannnCSe sword