Essay on legendary Chinese swordsmen and swordfights

[Thomas Chen]

Hi Guys
I just posted an article on legendary Chinese swordsmen at the Chinese swordsmanship forum of www.swordforum.com , thought I may as well post it here as well for you guys to enjoy.

Essay:

According to one Chinese military source, China has engaged in a total of 3790 recorded internal and external historical wars from 1100 BC (Western Zhou period) to 1911 (the end of the Qing Dynasty), ie. 3790 recorded wars in a timespan of 3011 years, an average of 1.26 wars per year from 1100 BC to 1911.

Such is China's long history of warfare and unending dynastic renewal , that it is not surprising that expert warriors such as strategists, tacticians, field generals, commandos, assassins, marksmen archers, elite calvary and anti-calvary infantry and of course swordsmen would emerge. But let us confine our discussion here to the swordsmen.

Based on 2000 year old historical records of the Han Dynasty, the earliest legendary swordsman was not a man but a woman. :)

Goujian, the King of the State of Yue (496-465 BC, late Spring and Autumn period) was supposedly to have been introduced by his loyal and able minister Fan Li to a young lady who was famous as a sword fighter. The story goes........

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The King (Goujian) asked her, " Of all the methods of fighting with the sword, which is the best ?"

She answered, " I was born in the depth of the forests and I grew up in the wilds where no other people have ventured. So there was no "method" for me and I followed no course of instruction, for I never ventured into the feudal fiefs. Secretly, I yearned for a true method of fighting and I practiced endlessly. I never learned it from anyone: I just realized one day that I could do it."

"And what method do you practice now?" asked the King.

"The method involves great subtlety and constant change [of movement]; its principles involve great mystery and depth. The method involves both "front doors and "back doors" as well as hard and soft aspects. Opening the "front door" and closing the "back door" closes off the soft aspect and bring the hard aspect to the fore.

"Whenever you have hand-to-hand combat, you need to have nerves of steel on the inside, but be totally calm on the outside. I must look like a demure young lady but fight like a startled tiger. My profile changes with the action of my body, and both follow my subconscious. Overshadow your adversary like the sun; but scuttle like a flushed hare. Become a whirl of silhouettes and shadows; shimmer like a mirage. Inhaling, exhaling, moving in, moving back out, keeping yourself out of reach, using your strategy to block out the adversary, vertical, horizontal, resisting, following, straight, devious, and all without a sound. With a method like this, one can match a hundred; a hundred men can match ten thousand. If Your Majesty wants to try me out, you can have a demonstration right away."

The King of Yue was overjoyed and immediately gave her the title "Daughter of Yue". Then he ordered the divisional commanders and crack troops to practice the new method so that they could pass on to the troops. From then on, the method was known as "The Daughter of Yue's Swordsmanship".


This excerpt is from the Han Dynasty work, "The Sping and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue", and is found on pages 156-157 of the book "Chinese Archery", author and translator: Stephen Selby (HongKong University Press, 2000)
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As you can see from the passage, this lady's swordsmanship principles embody very much the essence of Sun Tzu's Art of War...to be devious, unpredictable and the constant use of the indirect approach ...... emphasizing mobility.(Incidentally, Sun Tzu was a fellow contemporary of hers if she was indeed a real historical figure.) Could anyone who are trained in the Chinese sword arts enlighten us on the similarities & differences between the archaic original swordplay above and the contemporary swordplay of today ???

Around the same time that this legend was recorded in the Han Dynasty, there was a swordsmanship manual in circulation known as the "Way of the Sword" or "Jian Dao"(Japanese kanji pronunciation is "Kendo") in 38 chapters. Sadly, this book was lost, but one could get a rough idea of Han Dynasty swordsmanship through the passages recorded above.

The late Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of China(500BC - 221BC) were incredible times for the study of swordsmanship. The King of the State of Chao was recorded as having loved swordsmanship and having 3000 swordsmen at his palace, where they competed against each other in bare-blade swordfights before the King day and night. After a year, the death rate was about 10 percent of the total number.

Another famous swordsman/assassin who lived slightly after was the immortalized Jingke, whom everyone knows tried to assassinate the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang Ti with a top quality dagger that was poison-coated. He failed, of course, and the rest is history. He was recorded in the history books as having loved book-learning and swordsmanship and had even engaged a fellow swordsman in a debate on the tactics and principles of swordsmanship.

Xiangyu, the famous warrior and contender (his then title was known as "the Hegemon of Chu") who fought against Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, studied swordsmanship under a relative and complained that swordsmanship teaches one to fight one foe at a time, but he wanted to learn to fight ten thousand foes. His relative proceeded to teach him military strategy instead.

In the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD), numerous Chinese swordsmanship styles/schools flourished and swordsmanship was all the rage. Below is the translation of the friendly match between Cao Pei (who proceeded to become Emperor of the Wei Dynasty and ruled 220-226AD, just around the end of the Three Kingdoms period) and fellow general Dengzhan. Cao Pei's father was the famous general Cao Cao, one of the main protagonists in the Ming classical military novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This is the firsthand account written by Cao Pei:


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".......I had also learned swordsmanship, and had many teachers. Different places have differing styles of swordsmanship, but it is at the Capital (Luoyang City) where it really excels. At the Capital, during the time of (Han Dynasty) Emperors Huan and Ling, there was an official by the name of Wangyue who was correspondingly famous. A Mr Shi-ah from Henan province once said that he had studied under Wangyue, and had learned all his techniques. Hence, I proceeded to study under Shi-ah, and became thoroughly familiar with his swordsmanship style and skills.

In the past, I have had drinking sessions with Generals Liuxun, Fenwei and Dengzhan. All this while, I had long heard of Dengzhan’s skills in empty hand techniques and in the five types of weapons, plus an ability to use his bare hands to engage opponents with bladed weapons. I also had long discussions with him on swordsmanship, and had criticized his swordsmanship skills as deficient. As I had loved swordsmanship and was skilful at it, Dengzhan requested for a (friendly) match.

As we were all in the midst of heavy drinking and chewing sugarcane stalks, we decided then to use sugarcane stalks as our swords. After walking down from the elevated platform to ground level, we started fighting…...…. it resulted in me hitting him on the shoulder 3 times. Everyone around laughed……. Dengzhan was not satisfied, and asked for a rematch. I told him that my movement was too hectic, not accurate enough to strike his middle chest area, which was why I decided to strike his shoulder instead. Dengzhan thereupon repeated his request for a rematch.

........As I had anticipated that he would aim for a rapid forward advance and strike me in the middle chest area, I pretended to move forward towards him, thereupon he rushed upon me. Retreating my steps suddenly, I then (simultaneously) proceeded to strike him on his head. Everyone on the elevated platform was stunned ………. I proceeded to go back to my seat, and while laughing, said, “In the past, just as Yangqin made Chun Yuyi give up his past methods of medicine, and taught him anew his own methods, I hope General Deng would let go of his old ways….and learn the correct Way.�


(The above is translated from the "Chapter of the Wei Dynasty", from the "Records of the Three Kingdoms")
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There are many other warriors who studied swordsmanship and were skilled in the Jian and Dao throughout the later dynasties. Many of them are recorded in the official Chinese dynastic histories.

In parting, I wish to highlight a prominent Chinese swordsman who lived in the early part of the 20th century, who went by the name Sun Yu Feng, and who was a famous martial artist of the equally famous Jing Wu Association. Sun Yu Feng was so reknown that he even had the nickname " the Saber King of Five (Chinese) Provinces". He was the master of the Shaolin Luohan Swordsmanship (using a two-handed dao) and was known to have dispatched bandits and robbers with it. Another famous disciple of his, Huang Xiao Xia, had taught this form to Chinese soldiers and civilians in the anti-Japanese resistance movement in 1920s-30s to counter the invading Japanese soldiers' swordplay. This form is still practiced and taught in HongKong. How I wish I could fly down to HongKong and learn from the instructors there. If only I can find the time........


Thomas Chen

[This message was edited by Thomas Chen on 11-30-01 at 10:00 PM.]

[Leonidas]

That's one of the reasons i signed up for Tai Chi, to learn how to use the sword since thats the weapon its known for(the other stuff wouldn't hurt either of course). I'm also gonna eventually sign up for Fencing and Kendo/jutsu. I wanted to start a collection, but authentic swords are too **** expensive. What can I say, I like sharp objects. Anyways that was a cool post, keep 'em comin'. :D


.

[This message was edited by Leonidas on 11-30-01 at 11:32 PM.]

[buddhapalm]

Hi Thomas,
Glad you found your way over here. Many people will love your site.

Talk to you later.

David
Buddhapalm

[wufupaul]

Good article, I enjoyed it.

"I want to share something with you -- the three sentences that will get you through life. Number one, "Cover for me." Number two, "Oh, good idea, boss!" Number three, "It was like that when I got here." -Homer Simpson, THE SIMPSONS

[Ky-Fi]

Hey, thanks for posting that, TC--very interesting.

[diego]

:cool: .

[Radhnoti]

Thumbs up. Very interesting.

[zen_celt]

Great post. Where did you get all that information?
-ZC

"The thorn *****s only those who would harm the rose."

[DelicateSound]

That's a great post Thomas, keep em' coming. Nice to see something a little different than the usual. :)

"Tomorrow's life is too late. Live today."
Marcus Valerius Martialis

[Xebsball]

ttt (to the top)

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You brake my elbow i put your face in s.hit! HA HA HA, how about that, HA HA!

[Xebsball]

To the top again...

[Thomas Chen]

Hi guys

Thank you all for the appreciative remarks.....I am glad that you guys find this post interesting and a good read.......

____________________________________________

Reply to zen_celt:

My info and post on Chinese swordsmanship are culled from the ancient Chinese historical records as indicated in the post, as well as from the "Records of the Grand Historian" of the Han Dynasty, China's first imperial official compilation of historical records from the legendary remote past to the Han Dynasty.

____________________________________________


Next, I would like to tell you guys a joke.......a stupid joke about the difference between Chinese swordsmen & Chinese swordsmanship and their Japanese counterparts:

"........ A long time ago, there was this great Chinese swordsman who travelled to Japan to visit a fellow Japanese swordsman buddy. When they were both talking, an enemy of the Japanese swordsman, a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk appeared. He challenged the Japanese swordsman to a duel and the Japanese swordsman agreed, telling his Chinese friend not to intervene but to sit back, relax and enjoy the fight.

The Buddhist monk starting praying to his Japanese gods and chanting some weird Zen Buddhist verses, inducing his body to develop the invincible Chinese-style "Iron Shirt" protective ability. Using his bare body to block the Japanese swordsman' s blade, he had suffered no injury at all but instead fought and defeated his opponent.

The Chinese swordsman then laughed and commented: " Seems like your sword and swordplay are no good, let me take this fellow on !!! "

The monk cynically said: "I have the greatest "Iron Shirt" skill where no naked blade can harm my bare body. What makes you think that with your Chinese sword and swordplay you could harm me ??"

So they fought. To the surprise of both parties, one sweep of the Chinese sword had resulted in the monk's right leg being chopped completely off. The monk was shocked and stunned. He lied down on the ground, clutching what's left of his leg saying: "In the spirit of Bushido, please tell me what special technique you had used to defeat me so that I can then die in peace."

The Chinese swordsman continued to scratch his head in amazement while the Japanese swordsman in a moment of enlightenment uttered: " Your Iron Shirt ability is derived from praying to Japanese gods.....hence it works only on Japanese swordsmen and swordplay.....Most unlucky as my friend here is Chinese, not Japanese...so it doesn't work on him......"




Cheers
Thomas Chen

[GeneChing]

This is from last summer, but it just came to my attention.

22 JUNE, 2015 - 14:39 BRYAN HILL
Goujian: The Ancient Chinese Sword that Defied Time

Fifty year ago, a rare and unusual sword was found in a tomb in China. Despite being well over 2,000 years old, the sword, known as the Goujian, did not have a single trace of rust. The blade drew blood when an archeologist tested his finger on its edge, seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. Besides this strange quality, the craftsmanship was highly detailed for a sword made such a long time ago. Regarded as a state treasure in China today, the sword is as legendary to the Chinese people as King Arthur's Excalibur in the West.
In 1965, archaeologists were carrying out a survey in Hubei province, just 7 km (4 miles) from the ruins of Jinan, capital of the ancient Chu state, when they discovered fifty ancient tombs. During the excavations of the tombs, researchers unearthed the sword of Goujian alongside 2,000 other artifacts.

Discovery of the Goujian
According to the leader of the archeological team responsible for the excavation, it was discovered in a tomb, in a near air-tight wooden box next to a skeleton. The team was stunned when the perfectly preserved bronze sword with scabbard was removed from the box. When it was unsheathed, the blade was revealed to be untarnished despite being buried in damp conditions for two millennia. A test conducted by the archaeologists showed that the blade could easily cut a stack of twenty pieces of paper.


Sword of Goujian, Hubei Provincial Museum ( Wikimedia Commons )

Jian swords
The Sword of Goujian is one of the earliest known Jian swords, a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. Jian swords are among the earliest sword types in China and are closely associated with Chinese mythology. In Chinese folklore, it is known as "The Gentleman of Weapons" and is considered one of the four major weapons, along with the staff, spear, and the sabre.


One iron and two bronze Jian swords from the Chinese Warring states period ( Wikimedia Commons )

Relatively short compared to similar historical pieces, the Gouijan sword is a bronze sword with a high concentration of copper, making it more pliant and less likely to shatter. The edges are made of tin, making them harder and capable of retaining a sharper edge. There are also small amounts of iron, lead and sulfur in the sword, and research has revealed a high proportion of sulfur and sulfide cuprum, which gives the sword its rustproof quality. Black rhombic etchings cover both sides of the blade and blue glaze and turquoise is imbedded on the sword handle. The grip of the sword is bound by silk while the pommel is composed of 11 concentric circles. The sword measures 55.7 cm long (21.9 in), including an 8.4 cm (3.3 in) handle hilt, and has a 4.6 cm (1.8 in) wide blade. It weighs 875 grams (30.9) oz.


The turquoise can be seen embedded in the sword ’s handle ( Wikimedia Commons )

Deciphering the inscription
On one side of the blade, two columns of text are visible with eight characters, near the hilt, that are in ancient Chinese script. The script, known as "鸟虫文" (literally "'birds and worms' characters") is characterized by intricate decorations to the defining strokes, and is a variant of zhuan that is very difficult to read. Initial analyses deciphered six of these eight characters. They read, "越王" (King of Yue) and "自作用剑" ("made this sword for (his) personal use"). The remaining two characters are likely the name of the king.


Deciphering the scripts on the Sword of Goujian ( Wikipedia)

From its birth in 510 BC to its demise at the hands of Chu in 334 BC, nine kings ruled Yue, including Goujian, Lu Cheng, Bu Shou, and Zhu Gou, among others. The identity of the king that owned the sword sparked debate among archaeologists and Chinese language scholar. After more than two months, the experts formed a consensus that the original owner of the sword was Goujian (496 – 465 BC), making the sword around 2,500 years old.


King Goujian of Yue ( Wikimedia Commons )

Goujian was a famous emperor in Chinese history who reigned over the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period (771 - 476 BC). This was a time marked by chaos within the Zhou Dynasty and takes its name from the Spring and Autumn Annals, which chronicled this period. The Spring and Autumn Period was renowned for military expeditions; these conflicts led to the perfecting of weapons to the point that they were incredibly resistant and deadly, taking years to forge and lasting for centuries. The story of Goujian and Fuchai, King of the Wu state, contending for hegemony is famous throughout China. Although Goujian’s kingdom was initially defeated by the State of Wu, Goujian would lead his army to victory 10 years later.

Unique properties
Besides its historic value, many scholars have wondered how this sword could have remained rust-free in a humid environment, for more than 2,000 years, and how the delicate decorations were carved into the sword. The sword of Goujian is still as sharp today as when it was originally crafted, and not a single spot of rust can be found on the body today.


The Goujian sword is as sharp today as it was over two millennia ago ( Wikimedia Commons )

Researchers analyzed ancient bronze shards in the hope of finding a way to replicate the technology used to create the sword. They found that the sword is resistant to oxidation as a result of sulphation on the surface of the sword. This, combined with an air-tight scabbard, allowed the legendary sword to be found in such pristine condition.
Tests also show that the sword-smiths of the Wu and Yue regions in Southern China during the Spring and Autumn Period reached such a high level of metallurgy that they were able to incorporate rust-proof alloys into their blades, helping them survive the ages relatively unblemished. The sword was lent to the National Palace Museum in Taipei where it was on display until 2011, along with various other bronze pieces from the excavation. It is currently in the possession of the Hubei Provincial Museum.
Featured image: The Sword of Goujian. ( Llu Tao / Flickr )
By Bryan Hilliard

References
"Sword of Goujian." HistoriaRex.com. http://historiarex.com/e/en/89-sword-of-goujian

"Sword of Swords: The Sword of Goujian." China Culture. http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_cu...tent_47488.htm

Andrei, Mihai. "The Sword of Goujian - Untarnished after 2700 Years." ZME Science. October 21, 2011. http://www.zmescience.com/science/ar...jian-21102011/
Kalamidas, Thanos. "The Blade That Defeated Millennia." Gbtimes.com. April 17, 2013. http://gbtimes.com/life/blade-defeated-millennia

[GeneChing]

MartialArtsMart.com carries a limited number of Goujian replica swords. I think there is only a few left and I'm not confident they will get re-stocked. The collector swords are shipment to shipment. It's a really nice display piece and would make a great gift.

Goujian - The Ancient Chinese Sword that Defied Time
June 01, 2017
Over fifty years ago, a rare and unusual sword was found in an ancient tomb in China. This ancient weapon is known as “The Sword of Goujian,” and though it’s supposed to be over 2,000 years old, its blade is said to not have a single trace of rust. The sword’s blade has managed to retain its sharpness, drawing blood when a person’s finger is tested on its edge, as if it was completely immune by the passage of millennia. But aside from this strange quality, its craftsmanship has been praised for being intricately detailed for a sword that was forged in a supposedly technologically-limited era.

Discovery of the Sword of Goujian



The discovery of the Sword of Goujian dates back in 1965, during which an archeological survey was being performance along the second main aqueduct of the Zhang River Reservoir in Jingzhou of Hubei province. More than fifty ancient tombs of the Chu State – a successful hegemonic and expansionist state during the Spring and Autumn Period in the early 8th century BCE - were found in Juangling County.

And so, an archeological dig was initiated, beginning in the middle of October 1965 and ended in January 1966. In December 1965, 4.3 miles or 7 kilometers from the ruins of Jinan, an ancient capital of Chu, the archeological team responsible for the excavation discovered an ancient tomb. In its casket was a skeleton, and next to it was a near air-tight wooden box. From inside this box, they removed a perfectly preserved bronze sword in its scabbard.

This sword is now identified as the Sword of Goujian, and it was unearthed by these archeological researchers along with 2,000 other artifacts.

To their amazement, upon unsheathing the bronze sword, its blade was revealed to be untarnished. And the fact that the sword appeared to be in perfect condition despite being buried in damp conditions for more than 2,000 years was astonishing. A test conducted by the archaeologists showed that the sword’s blade could easily cut a stack of twenty pieces of paper.

Construction of the Sword of Goujian



The Sword of Goujian is among the earliest known Jian swords. A Jian sword is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. Jian swords are among the earliest known sword types in China, and these bladed weapons are closely associated with Chinese mythology. In Chinese folklore, this type of sword is referred to as "The Gentleman of Weapons," and is considered to be one of the four major weapons, along with the staff, spear, and the sabre.

“The Sword of Goujian” is relatively short compared to other historical pieces of its kind. It is a bronze sword with a very high concentration of copper, which made it more malleable and less likely to break apart. The blade’s edges are made of tin, which not only made the sword harder, but also made it more capable of retaining a sharper edge. The sword also contains small amounts of iron, lead and sulfur. The sword’s high proportion of sulfur and sulfide cuprum is revealed to be what gives the weapon its rustproof quality, as sulfur decreases the chance of tarnish in the blade’s patterns.

Weighing 30.9 ounces or 875 grams, the Sword of Goujian measures 21.9 inches or 55.7 centimeters long, including its 3.3.-inch or 8.4-centimeter handle hilt. The blade, on the other hand, is 1.8 inches or 4.6 centimeters wide at its base.

Repeating black rhombic etchings cover both sides of the blade, while blue crystals and turquoise are imbedded on the sword handle. The grip of the sword is bound by silk while its pommel is composed of 11 concentric circles.

Inscription on the Sword of Goujian And Subsequent Identification



The owner of this ancient sword was determined through the inscription etched on the its blade. On one side of the blade, eight characters arranged in two columns of text are visible. These characters found near the sword’s hilt are written in an ancient Chinese script known as Bird-worm seal script or “Niǎo Chóng Zhuà”, which literally means “birds and worms characters” because of the writing system’s intricate decoration to the defining strokes. It is a variant of “Zhuan” or seal script, which is very difficult to read.

Initial analyses deciphered six of the eight characters. The characters translate to: “King of Yue” ("越王") "made this sword for (his) personal use" ("自作用剑"). According to experts, the remaining two characters are likely to be the name of the king.

From the sword’s origin in 510 BC to the Yue State’s demise at the hands of Chu in 334 BC, nine kings ruled Yue, including Goujian, Lu Cheng, Bu Shou, and Zhu Gou, among several others. Identifying the correct king that owned the sword sparked debate among archaeologists as well as Chinese language scholars. Eventually, the experts reached a consensus and decided that the original owner of the sword was Goujian, who reigned between 496 and 465 BC, making the sword around 2,500 years old.

Goujian was a well-known emperor in Chinese history who reigned over the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period. King Goujian’s reign coincided with what is arguably the last major conflict of this period, which is the struggle between the Wu State and the Yue.

The story of King Goujian and Fuchai, King of the Wu state, contending for hegemony is famous throughout China. At some point, Yue was defeated by Wu and Goujian had to serve as Fuchai’s servant for three years before he was allowed to return to his native state. However, after ten years of economic and political reforms, Goujian eventually led his army to victory in the last phase of the war, annexing the rival state.

As a ruler, Goujian never relished in kingly riches, and instead, he ate food suited for peasants and even forced himself to taste bile as a reminder of his humiliations serving under the Wu State. Hence, as a monarch, he was made famous by his perseverance in times of hardship and his ruthlessness during battle.

Unique Properties of the Sword of Goujian



Apart from its historic value, many scholars have wondered how the Sword of Goujian managed to remain rust-free in a humid environment for more than 2,000 years, and how it became possible for it to be as sharp today as when it was originally forged. They were also impressed with the delicate decorations carved into the sword, and by the fact that not a single spot of rust can be found on its body today.

In the hopes of replicating the technology used to create the sword, researchers analyzed ancient bronze shards, and they found that the sword is resistant to oxidation due to sulphation on the sword’s surface. Combined with an air-tight scabbard, this allowed the legendary sword to remain in such pristine condition even after more than two millennia.

The swordsmiths of the Wu and Yue regions in Southern China during the Spring and Autumn Period was also determined to have reached a high level of metallurgy to the point that they were able to incorporate rust-proof alloys into their blades. Their skill in sword-making aided ancient weapons of the time like the Sword of Goujian to survive through the ages relatively unblemished.

Since its discovery, the Sword of Goujian is regarded as a state treasure in China, and is deemed as a truly legendary sword that defied the rigors of time. This archeological artifact continues to be revered by the Chinese people, much like the fascination over King Arthur’s mythical Excalibur in the West.

The Sword of Goujian was lent to the National Palace Museum in Taipei where it was on display until 2011, along with various other bronze pieces from the 1965 excavation. Presently this archeological artifact is in the possession and care of the Hubei Provincial Museum.
Sources:

http://www.ancient-origins.net/artif...279?nopaging=1
http://printarchive.epochtimes.com/a..._23_lowres.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Goujian
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Goujian_of_Yue
https://youtu.be/M6wcFzBTa7Q
http://en.hubei.gov.cn/culture/herit...1_450099.shtml
http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaW...istory618.html
http://mymodernmet.com/sword-of-goujian/
http://en.yibada.com/articles/101006...rd-legends.htm
http://historiarex.com/e/en/89-sword-of-goujian

Michael Chen

[GeneChing]

The Sword of Guojian deserves its own indie thread since I sorta hijacked this off a semi-relevant post, so I'm copying the relevant posts off our Essay on legendary Chinese swordsmen and swordfights thread.

This is an old article, but it just popped up on my feed and it's kinda cool.

Some of the most legendary swords of all time
Sep 19, 2016 Ian Harvey



History is filled with stories and legends involving swords. Often, the weapons in these stories do indeed have some grounding in fact, here are 10 of the greatest and most interesting swords to have been discovered.

The Sword In The Stone


The Sword In The Stone. – By Alexmar983 – CC BY-SA 3.0

Even though the Arthurian legend is well known to be a creation of myth and folklore, a sanctuary in Monte Siepi, Italy contains a real-life “sword in the stone”.

It’s thought that the sword belonged to Saint Galgano, a 12th-century Tuscan cavalier whom Archangel Michael ordered to give up his sinful habits.

Galgan protested, saying that this would be as hard as stabbing a sword through a stone. He thrusted his weapon at a nearby stone to prove his point, but instead of breaking, the sword sliced through the rock as if it wasn’t there, and then stuck fast at the hilt.

This is considered by some to be the inspiration of the legend of Excaliber in the stone.

The Kusanagi


Kusanagi

According to folklore, the “sword in the snake,” Kusanagi, was discovered in the body of an eight-headed serpent slayed by the god of seas and storms.

It’s an important part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, a sign of the ancient imperial family’s ancestry from the sun goddess, the key to their celestial right to the decree.

It is said that the sword was stolen in the sixth century by a monk whose ship then sank, but it was allegedly recovered by a group of Shinto priests. The refusal of the the priests to reveal the weapon, as well as the unreputable nature of historical references to it, leave its current status somewhat hazy. It could well be lying on the bottom of the ocean.

Durandal


Durendal
For hundreds of ages, a legendary sword has remained embedded in the cliffs directly above the Notre Dame chapel in Rocamadour, France. The monks state it is called Durandal, sword of the paladin Roland.

Conferring to legend, Roland heaved the holy blade into the lateral of the cliff to save it from being taken by his opponents.

Ever since the 12th century, the chapel has remained an end point for holy pilgrimages. In 2011, the sword was removed by means of the resident municipality and was taken to the Cluny Museum in Paris for an exhibit.

The Cursed Muramasas


Muramasa. – By Ihimutefu – CC BY-SA 3.0

Muramasa in the tales was an ancient Japanese swordsmith whom, rendering to fable, prayed that his blades would become the “prodigious destroyers.”

For the reason that of the excellent quality of his blades, the deities granted his appeal and instilled the weapons with a ferocious spirit that, if not satisfied with combat, would make the wielder mad and drive him to suicide or murder. There are numerous tales of the Muramasas’ wielders becoming insane and being killed. The swords were thought to be cursed, and were forbidden by imperial decree.

St. Peter’s Sword

Sword in Archdiocesan Museum. – By Radomil – GFDL 1.2

There are numerous legends about the sword used by Saint Peter when he sliced off the ear of the high priest while they were in the garden of Gethsemane. English folklore has it transported to England by Joseph of Arimathea alongside with the Holy Grail.

However, in 968 another sword alleged to be the sword of St. Peter was carried to Poland by the Bishop of Jordan. The Bishop’s sword, considered by some to be an authentic historical object, stayed in Poland and was ultimately relocated to the Archdiocese Museum that is located in Poznan.

The Wallace Sword


The Wallace sword. – By Glenn J. Mason – CC BY 2.0

Myths tell of how William Wallace, the lead character of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, used human flesh to make his sword’s covering, belt, and hilt. The skin was thought to have belonged to Hugh de Cressingham, who Wallace defeated in the combat at Stirling Bridge.

One description of the fable says that Wallace used Cressingham’s skin for his sword’s sash. Additional interpretations state that Wallace and his kinsmen used Cressingham’s flesh for saddle girths.

The Sword of Goujian


Sword of Goujian, – By Siyuwj – CC BY-SA 4.0

In 1965, an extraordinary sword was discovered in a moist tomb located in China, and despite being over 2,000 years old, there was not one touch of rust on it.

The blade was so sharp that an archaeologist cut his finger tried its edge upon his finger. In addition to its resilience, the workmanship of the engravings was also incredibly comprehensive for a sword created so long ago. It was, for the period, it was completely unknown.

This script on the sword reads “King of Yue” (越王) and “made this sword for [his] personal use” (自作用剑).

It seems that the swordsmiths of the ancient kingdom of Yue were so skilled that they were able to incorporate rust-resistant chemicals into their blades.

In addition, and in a stroke of wonderful good fortune, the scabbard of this precise blade was almost airtight, which stopped oxidation and permitted the famous sword to be discovered in such immaculate condition.

The Seven-Branched Sword


Chiljido. – By Chiljido – CC BY 2.0

In 1945, a mysterious sword was located in Japan’s Isonokami shrine. The sword was of exceptionally rare make, with six protrusions sprouting out from its sides. The sword is extremely worn, and the inscriptions are hard to read, but it has been established that sword was a gift from a Korean king to a Japanese monarch.

According to the Nihon Shoki, a legendary seven-branched sword gifted to a fabled shaman empress called Jingu. It is believed that this legendary sword is the same one found in the shrine.