History of the Samurai
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War has been a central piece of history in Japan. Warring
clans would control most of the country. There would be a chief at the head of
the clan; the clan being made of related families. The chiefs were the
ancestors of Japan’s imperial family. Wars were typically fought over the land.
Only 20% of the land was fit for farming. The struggle over land eventually led
to the rise of the samurai. One important date of the warring class is 660 B.C.
That’s when, according to legend, Jimmu Tenno became head of a confederation of
warlike clans. Tenno was known as the “Divine Warrior.” He led his clan to the
Kinki region from Kyushu and conquered the people there. Tenno then settled in
the area of Yamato. This gave rise to the Yamato dynasty and state. The leaders
of this dynasty believed themselves to be from a divine origin. The clans of
Yamato conducted many military campaigns on the Asian mainland. Korea and China
were among the targets. These attacks would bring with them the importation of
Korean and Chinese culture, technology and martial arts. Legend says that the
first person with the title of “Shogun” was Emperor Keiko. The word meant
“Barbarian-subduing General.” Legend states that keiko had a son named “Prince
Yamato.” He was cunning, fearless, strong and a great martial artist. Many
people think that Yamato was a role model for future Samurai. Ancient Yayoi
warriors developed weapons, armor and a code during the ensuing centuries that
became the centerpiece for the Japanese Samurai. Among the early weapons were
bows, arrow and swords. Armor was a helmet that protected the head and neck, a
breastplate that protected the chest, arms and shoulders; there was also a
belly wrap. Later armors would include protection for the legs and thighs.
Armor changed as battles changed. There was a big change in the 5th
century when horses were introduced to Japan. Then in the 15th century
there was another big change in armor because of the constancy of war and
introduction of guns to battle. The code was developed from Chinese concepts of
the virtues of warriors doing battle to the Samurai code of chivalry known as
Kyuba no michi (Meaning: “The Way of The Horse and Bow”) to the Bushido (Meaning:
“Way of The Warrior”) code. Bushido was the heart of beliefs and conduct of the
Samurai. The philosophy of Bushido is “Freedom from Fear.” This meaning that
the Samurai would transcend their fear of death. Giving the Samurai the peace
and power to serve his master faithfully and loyally, and die well if necessary.
Duty is a primary philosophy of the Samurai. The Samurai arose from the
battling of three main clans: The Minamoto, The Fujiwara and The Taira. The
Samurai eventually became a class themselves between the 9th and 12th
centuries A.D. There were two name for them Samurai (Knight-retainers) and
Bushi (Warriors). Some were related to the ruling class. Others were hired. All
samurai gave their loyalty to their Daimyo (Feudal landowners) and would
receive land and position in return. Each Daimyo would his Samurai to protect
his land and also to expand it and his power and rights to more land. The
Samurai became very skilled in horseback fighting and on the ground. They
practiced armed and unarmed. Early Samurai emphasized fighting with a bow and
arrows. The Samurai would use swords for close fighting and beheading their
enemies. Battles with Mongols in the late 13th century led to a
change in the Samurai’s fighting style. The samurai began to use their swords
more and also made more use of spears and naginata. The Samurai slowly moved
from horseback fighting to fighting on foot. |
| Naginata |
The Sword
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The Samurai would
wear two swords (daisho). One being long: the other short. The long sword
(daito-katana) was typically over 24 inches. The short sword (Shoto-Wakizashi)
was typically between 12 and 24 inches. Samurai would often name their swords
and belived it was the “soul of their warriorship. The old swords were straight
and were designed in Korea and China. The desire for stronger, sharper swords
gave rise to the curved design. The sword began as iron combined with carbon
(steel). The swordsmith would use fire, water, an anvil, and a hammer to craft
the swords. After the sword was forged, the sword polisher worked to prepare
the blade for the furniture that would surround it. Next the sword tester took the
new blade and cut through corpses or condemned criminals. They would start with
small bones and move to larger bones. Test results would often be recorded on
nakago (The metal attaching the blade to the handle).
