Samurai Swords - A Different Class of Swords
Another unique class of collectible swords today is the Samurai swords. While these swords may only a little difference with the appearance and design of their closely related Japanese and Ninja swords, the Samurai swords’ historical and cultural significance and basis was distinct. Because of this, avid sword collectors will want a piece, if not all of this category in their collection as well. This holds true especially for those who are fond of weapons and novelty items that are of Asian origin.
There was a bit of evolution that went on in history as to the meaning of the word Samurai. In the pre industrial periods, it was the noble class of military officials that were called the Samurai. Later on, it was noticed by many that the Japanese character used to mean Samurai also had similarities to the Chinese character which read “saburau”, which refers to the act of serving or accompanying someone who belongs to the elite class of society. Later on, the two cultures shared the same new interpretation of the written symbol which was “to serve the noble class of society.”
With respect to culture and ways of life, the Samurai followed a special code of conduct known as the “Bushido”. It’s pretty much like chivalry in the western counterpart, so the Samurai also take great importance in values like loyalty, frugality, discipline and honor.
While the Samurai was trained to learn how to effectively use various weapons, the only Samurai sword that was truly associated with them was the katana.
The history and lifestyle of the Samurai is a very rich one, and a great part of it is found in the Samurai swords. No wonder sword collectors and historians take interest in them so much. In either case, these swords will look great in anybody’s collection of swords.
Tagged with: Samurai swords
Filed under: Japanese Swords
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