Japanese Samurai Swords - A Brief History (I)

The first proofs of the existence of samuraioccurred the habit of signing on the sword blades,
swords in Japan date from 240 BC, during thetherefore probably, the oldest tachi sword bears
Yayoi period, when the queen Himeko sent athe signature of its manufacturer: Sanjo
tribute to the Chinese dynasty Wei, two swords.Munechika, and the oldest Japanese sword which
In the same time, in 280 BC, they importedwas signed, and which also bears the date of its
numerous iron swords from China. It is supposedmanufacturing, was made by Namihira Yukimasa.
that the art of forging the steel cameThe defeat of the Taira clan by Minamoto no
immediately after that from China, through Korea,Yoritomo was the event which marks the
but the details are still unknown.beginning of the period Kamakura, but in the
In the 5th century the first samurai katana swordsame time, it is the event which marks the taking
appeared on a major scale. They were straightover of the power by the samurai warrior class.
and they were called chokuto. The method ofIt is said that this is the golden period of the
hardening the steel, very specific in Japan, as farJapanese swords, and they became better and
as the manufacturing of the swords is concerned,better from all the points of view, including the
was used for the first time in the 6th century.aesthetic one. A characteristic of the swords
The period of the straight swords lasted until thebelonging to that period is the width of the blade -
beginning of the Heian period (the 8th century),bigger that in the previous period, a small
when the fighting style changed, and the fight ondifference between the width of the blade at its
horseback became predominant. In order to copebase and at its end, and the shape of its end,
the use of swords with horse riding, they becamewhich most of the times belonged to the ikubi
curve, longer, having a single blade, too, beingtype(which means ,,bull nape").
called tachi. Between chokuto and tachi there areTowards the end of the Kamakura period, two
more intermediary styles, the most popular beingMongol invasions took place (1274 and 1281). The
kogarasumaru (short sword, having two sharpdiscovery of new samurai weapons, technologies
edges) and kenukigatatachi. The term Nipponto orand strategies, proved some weak points of the
Nihonto (which means "Japanese sword") referstachi swords, for example the fact that the end
to curve swords.of the blade could be easily broken and it couldn't
Heian period, which is considered the starting pointbe repaired. These experiences accumulated
of the history of Japanese swords, isduring the battles, affected the future design of
characterized by the fact that many ideologiesthe swords.
were imported from China and they wereWhen the power of the Kamakura shogunate
modified so that they become Japanese. Most ofdropped down, the imperial court took the
the things which we consider nowadays specificleadership over again, but for a short time - at
to Japan, appeared during this period. During thisthe beginning of the Muromachi period.
period, too, appeared the idea of manufacturingThis period is characterized by an almost
swords by smithing, so that the outer surfacecontinuous war. The historic conditions determined
was rough and the core was soft.in this case the growing in importance of the foot
The folded steel samurai swords manufacturedsoldier, and in the same time the occurrence of
and used during this period belong to the classlong swords, for both hands, used for powerful,
tachi. In the same time, during this perioddevastating strikes.