The Curse of Muramasa’s Swords
Published 8:29 pm Tuesday, July 25, 2023
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Swords are mentioned in many mysterious, heroic, and even tragic legends. Seasoned with colorful details about conquests and treasure hunts, these legends over time become overgrown with more and more speculation, and very often it is impossible to say what is true in them and what is fiction.
So in this article, we will figure out what is still true, and what is just speculation. If you like fantasy, adventure, and a sense of excitement, then cool-themed games with the opportunity to get extra cash can be found at online casino Canada. Well, now let’s get started!
The Sword Is the Soul of a Samurai
In ancient Japan, the sword was called the soul of a samurai, in addition, it was a symbol of his strength and skill. For a samurai, the possession of such a deadly weapon was an indicator of his high status. The sword was an expression of the samurai’s thoughts, loyalty, and honor. As you have already understood, the sword was a very valuable item, so the blacksmiths who created it were highly respected. The blacksmiths of antiquity were as widely known as the samurai who wielded the swords they made. The most famous blacksmith was the legendary Muramasa Sengo.
Muramasa created his blades and engaged in blacksmithing at a time when Japan was at the stage of feudal fragmentation. He lived during the Muromachi period, which lasted from the 14th to the 15th century, in Ise Province in the city of Kawana. Here he founded his sword-making school and began to pass on to his students the art of creating these weapons. His school was known for the incredible workmanship of its weapons and the extraordinary sharpness of the blades. That is why Muramasa swords were very highly valued among samurai.
Muramasa was a genius blacksmith in every sense, which is why he was widely recognized as the most talented blacksmith who ever lived. However, it wasn’t perfect. Muramasa, who made incredibly high-quality and sharp swords, was known for his unbalanced nature and love of curses and black magic. It was believed that all the swords he made carried a particle of his character.
The Curse of Muramasa’s Swords
That’s how we came to the curse of Muramasa’s swords. The rumors that circulate about the supposed curse of the swords of this blacksmith originated primarily because Muramasa was a very harsh and vicious person. And, despite all his genius, people could not close their eyes to his insane and sudden outbursts of anger, during which he could lash out at anyone unlucky enough to be next to him at that moment. The unbalanced actions of the blacksmith, sometimes bordering on madness, together with his irrepressible desire for perfection and love of creating deadly blades, helped Muramasa get swords that were the result of his genius, perseverance, madness, and bloodlust. People believed that all these qualities were magically transferred to all his swords.
There are legends that Muramasa made a deal with the Devil to help him forge the deadliest swords in the world. And they also say that the blacksmith in his prayers often asked the gods to endow his blades with unprecedented destructive power. In addition, people believed that Muramasa’s swords could take power over their masters and drive them into a frenzy and that the owners of these weapons became unsurpassed swordsmen and received superhuman strength and insensitivity to pain. Not without the help of swords, of course. But that’s not all. It was believed that Muramasa’s swords were always thirsty for blood, and if the blood of enemies was not enough for them, then they forced their masters to commit hara-kiri. While the swords were in the scabbard, they were no different from ordinary blades, but once they were removed, these swords were unstoppable. And if there was not a single enemy around who could quench the thirst for the blood of the cursed sword, then his master was doomed. But even if the owner of the sword did not use it as a precaution, it did not save him. After some time, the sword itself left its scabbard and forced its owners to commit murders.
Because of all this, Muramasa’s swords, which have repeatedly proved their effectiveness in battle, began to pose a great danger both to their owners and to those who were next to them. That’s because for the swords, their owners were nothing more than tools for killing, and it didn’t matter who it was – the owners themselves, their close friends, family members, or allies. If the owners of the cursed swords did not die from their swords, then very often they went mad after their minds were destroyed by the demonic will of their weapons. That is why people killed themselves out of fear of becoming insane or falling under the curse of the sword.
Is It True?
However, there is a possibility that Muramasa’s swords were ordinary swords of good quality. It’s just that at one time the school he founded produced a lot of first-class swords that samurai liked to use. And many of these blades were used when attacking the Shogun and his allies. Then it turns out that there was no curse, it’s just an ordinary coincidence.