Legendary Japanese swords: Kusanagi sword

Probably one of the most popular Japanese swords known in history is Kusanagi sword, which has its own story to tell. The name of kusanagi is closely connected with the old legend.
Kusanagi was believed to have magical properties as the very appearance of this Japanese sword was connected with the legend. The mythological story tells that this mystical sword was first given to the grandson of Japanese mythological sun goddess who was about to become a Japan Imperor. And thus a ruler of the country had a weapon, which together with other symbols of imperial power: the mirror and the necklace, connected the earth and divine world.

Murakakumo-No-Tsurugi legend

Kusanagi has a meaning of "grasscutter". It is told that once a Japanese god Susano-O-No-Mikoto met a man, whose family was devastated by grief on the terrible death of eight daughters, eaten up by an eight-headed serpent. The only daughter left was Kushi-Nada-Hime. The God Susano wanted to rescue the family from danger and decided to marry the last daughter of the man and to turn her into a comb and taking it along to defeat the creature. His plan was as follows: he made up his mind to make a bait, placing eight tubs of rice-beer hidden behind the fence with eight entrances for each head of the serpent. The Koshi monster pushed all of his head through the openings and was readily cut off the heads and later his tails. While cutting off the tails he found out in one of them a sword, later given a name of Murakakumo-No-Tsurugi (which means a sword of the village of the clustering clouds).

"A Grasscutter" legend

The further appearance of the legendary Japanese sword was linked to a brave warrior Yamato-Dake, a cute hero, well-known for a great number of victories in the times of the reign Japanese Emperor Keiko. The sword was given to Yamato in order to safeguard him in danger. During a chase journey, when the warrior was caught up in the open by a daimyo, feudal lord. A cunning daimyo conceived a plan, throwing blazing arrows on the grass in order to ensnare him. Being trapped with fire around him, Yamato-Dake tried to escape the fire, taking out his sword and cutting the grass. Fortunately he discovered that the sword had magical power to move the fire in the desired direction. With the magic of the Murakakumo-No-Tsurugi he succeeded to make the fire burn in the direction of the daimyo and thus finally defeating a lord in the battle. Since that the sword was renamed as Kusanagi (i.e. grasscutter).

A lost sword

The last appearance of the sword occurred during the naval battle of Dannoura happened between Taira and Minamoto clans, in which the latter came off victorious, defeating the child of the Emperor Antoku. Sorrowful news resulted in decision of the Emperor and his surroundings to commit suicide along with his items and Kusanagi sword and other items of the Emperor, where the magic Japanese sword was finally lost.

Contemporary state of Kusanagi

Today one can find mentioning of the sword in the oldest chronicles of Japan-Nihon Shoki. The fact that the sword actually existed is still a matter of doubt to many people. As it was believed that Kusanagi became the cause of the Emperor's illness it was decided to place it in Atsuta Shrine, which is now the second oldest Shinto shrine in Japan. Although, no one can say it for sure that the one of the famous Emperor's regalia does exists, as the sacred Japanese sword was never displayed to public. It was rumored that one of the Shinto priests did saw Kusanagi and he eventually died right after that as believed from the magic power of the sword. With all the stories, which in one way or another were connected with the legendary sword, it still symbolizes undeniable power and bravery.