A katana sword is one of the swords wielded by a samurai. Popular images of samurai warriors depict them in their full armour, with their katana securely strapped to their side. The history of the katana is almost as long as the history of the samurai warriors. Some even speculate that the katana might be older than that.
The katana is popularly used in lots of movies in which swords are used. It is equally referred to in a lot of Japanese literary works. So during this article, a few questions will be discussed. These questions include, what exactly is a katana? Who originally wielded the katana? How was the Katana sword originally crafted? And many more. A lot of fun facts would be highlighted as well.
History of the Katana Sword
The katana is a typical Japanese sword. It is an original member of the Japanese swords series or family. For those who might not be aware, Japanese swords are those which were traditionally and originally made in Japan. The katana is a two-handed weapon.
Meaning that one would require both hands to properly wield the sword to its fullest extent. Although, there are stories of master swordsmen who could wield the katana using only a single hand. The katana came into the limelight in the hands of the samurai warrior of ancient and feudal Japan.
Who wielded the Japanese Sword?
Although there is no record of who first wielded it, we can make a safe guess. All facts point to ancient Japan. Who wielded the katana first is not known. But the first record of the sword came from ancient Japan. The sword is a favourite weapon of the Japanese samurai. Who then is a samurai?
The term samurai originally referred to an exclusive class of aristocratic warriors, “bushi“. However, with time, it came to refer to every member of the warrior class. These samurai rose to power at about the 12th century as fierce and extremely loyal soldiers. Their reign of prominence lasted till 1868 (the period of the Meiji Restoration). At their prime, the samurai even dominated the Japanese government.
The samurai believed in the ways of Bushidō. Bushidō cannot be strictly defined. It was a term coined to encompass the practices and ways of life of the samurai warriors. Bushidō teaches honour, bravery and personal loyalty until death. The samurai believed that these virtues were more important than life. By way of summary, a samurai is an elite member of the Japanese warrior class.
Getting the Katana Swords
The katana sword was made by use of a special set of techniques. These techniques were the best for forging swords at the time. In fact, a few literary works describe the swords as being able to cut through steel.
A fun fact, the katana and tachi are quite similar, a major difference being that the katana is sheathed with the cutting edge facing up. So purchase your very own customised katana today. Some experts swords masters could quite literally forge the katana of your dreams. For example www.samuraiswordsmith.com.
