A look at steel: Japanese swords of legend

Sometimes, it’s great to take a step back from woodworking and look at some of the other items from which legends and fantasy are based on. This blog focuses on actual historical objects that are both mysterious and fascinating – Japanese swords of legend. Steve Sorensen Select Staffing.

There’s a certain mystique about Japanese blades, even when compared to Western swords. Japanese weapons have a spirituality in and about them that transcends this world. And the belief of many Japanese that these weapons were either made by or wielded by gods and demons adds to the blinding or terrifying aura. Steve Sorensen Select Staffing.

Take for instance the Kusanagi. This blade, which is widely believed to be hidden in the Atsuta shrine in Nagano, has quite a jaw-dropping tale behind it. According to legend, the Kusanagi comes from the body of a gigantic eight-headed snake after the Japanese god of storms slew it. It is an iconic piece of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, gifted by the sun goddess as proof of royalty and divine-handed leadership. Steve Sorensen Select Staffing.

Then there are the rival blades – the infamous Muramasa cursed swords and the benevolent Masamunes – both named after two of the most revered swordsmiths in Japan. The Muramasa swords were believed to have the ability to cut anything they touched. The Masamunes had the same power, but only to objects that deserved to be cut. The Masamunes would be repelled by people and objects undeserving of being cleaved. Steve Sorensen Select Staffing.