Nihonto as offerings to shrines....

[CurtisR]

Greetings all ~

I recently read a discussion (although now I can't find it on MNB) regarding whether 'good' swords were made & offered to Temples or shrines. I found this video of a sword being made specifically for a Shinto Shrine re-building / dedication. All in Japanese, but still interesting.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOqdxgp2crA&feature=related

 

Sorry if this is in the wrong section but hopefully not .

 

Regards,

 

Curtis R.

[kusunokimasahige]

Very interesting to see a sword made of ancient nails

 

And nice to hear his wife is his number one fan

 

Is it regular for swords presented to shrines not to have mekugi-ana ?

 

KM

[Eric H]

A very well worth seeing 6-part video on Sugita Yoshiaki as he makes a sword as an offering for Suo Kokubunji temple. The Temple was renovated and the old nails of the original building were mixed with tamahagane to make the sword.

 

The sword displays a beautiful juka-choji hamon. Fujishiro Okisato san is seen inside his workshop together with his pupils performing final steps of polishing.

 

 

Eric

[sanjuro]

Is it regular for swords presented to shrines not to have mekugi-ana ?

 

As I understand it, having once asked the same question elsewhere of a buddhist monk, a sword made specifically for dedication at a shrine usually has no mekugi ana. The symbolism is one of purity since the sword cannot be used and has therefore taken no life. it is uncorrupted. Such swords are rare, and mark some special event. They often have a full koshirae, the tsuka of which is also not pierced for a mekugi. In conjuction with this, the dedication on the nakago when present, is deliberately placed so that should the sword be drilled for a mekugi, the dedication itself will be partially defaced. Thus if the blade is modified for use by the drilling of a mekugi ana, its purity and innocence are lost and the dedication is null and void.

Old battle swords which were often dedicated to shrines of course had mekugiana, and these were as an offering to purify them after the taking of life and also after the user himself had died. There is a distinct difference in the intention and purpose behind the dedication of these two differing types of offering to the gods and kami.

[kusunokimasahige]

Thank you Keith for your thorough explanation !

 

KM

[sanjuro]

No problem.... The only reason I know this, having asked that same question, was as a result of investigating a sword I am fortunate enough to own with no mekugi ana and a full koshirae also unpierced. The dedication is as I have described and there is a punch mark where the mekugi ana would normally appear.

[Eric H]

Thus if the blade is modified for use by the drilling of a mekugi ana, its purity and innocence are lost and the dedication is null and void.

This kind of Ken was used at shrine and temple for ceremony tool: http://yakiba.com/Ken_MichiYuki.htm

 

Generally speaking the blade made as a Ken was not for practical use, it was used as an object of worship to be enshrined, as a belonging of images of Buddhist deities, or for regional ceremonials.

 

All Ken I have seen in literature had always a mekugi ana.

 

However, Ken have been sometimes outfitted with Koshirae and thus serving as a Tanto.

 

Eric

[Drago]

Very very interesting! I've seen that film too...

 

@Keith

If you have the time, could you please post some pictures of that ana-less blade and koshirae? Also perhaps a translation of the inscription and a short description of how you got your hand on it?

 

Thanks.