The ōdachi (
Ōdachi ( | |
---|---|
![]() An ōdachi forged by Sadaie, 14th century, Nanboku-chō period, Important Sword | |
Type | Sword |
Place of origin | Japan |
Service history | |
Used by | Samurai, Kenjutsu, Iaido practitioners |
Production history | |
Produced | Kamakura period (1185-1333) to present[1][2] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2.2–14.5 kg (4.9–32.0 lb)[3] |
Blade length | approx. 90.9 cm (35.8 in) (3 shaku)–226.7 cm (89.3 in) (7 shaku 5 sun)[3] |
Blade type | Curved, single-edged[3] |
Hilt type | Two-handed swept, with circular or squared guard. Material: wood, metal, ivory, fish skin, silk |
Scabbard/sheath | Lacquered wood |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Odachi-Masayoshi-at-Yahiko-Shrine.png/330px-Odachi-Masayoshi-at-Yahiko-Shrine.png)
To qualify as an ōdachi, the sword in question would have a blade length of around 3 shaku (90.9 cm (35.8 in)). However, as with most terms in Japanese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an ōdachi.
Etymology
editThe character for ō (
The word tachi itself is derived as the stem or noun form of verb tatsu (
History
editŌdachi became popular in Kamakura period (1185-1333). Until the middle of the Kamakura period, high-ranking samurai mainly fought on horseback with yumi (bows), but as group battles by foot soldiers increased from the late Kamakura period, the importance of weapons possessed by those who did not have horses and did not have sufficient training in bows increased. Until then, they mainly used naginata with a long handle, but they also started to use ōdachi. The Kamakura period was the first time that samurai ruled Japan, and powerful men were valued, and those who wanted to show off the honor of being a warrior preferred to use ōdachi.[1][2]
In the Nanboku-chō period in the 14th century, huge Japanese swords such as ōdachi were at their peak. The reason for this is thought to be that the conditions for making a practical large-sized sword were established due to the nationwide spread of strong and sharp swords of the Sōshū school. In the case of ōdachi whose blade was 150 cm (59 in) long, it was impossible to draw a sword from the scabbard on the waist, so people carried it on their back or had their servants carry it. Large naginata and kanabō were also popular in this period.[9] However, infantry units gradually came to be equipped with yari (spears) in addition to naginata, and because ōdachi was disadvantageous for mountain battles and surprise attacks, and only a few powerful men could use it effectively, this trend ended for a short time.[2] Furthermore, from the Sengoku period in the latter part of the Muromachi period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, as tactics shifted to fighting with yari and tanegashima (guns) by a large group of infantry, ōdachi became even more obsolete. As ōdachi became useless, it was often replaced with a tachi and katana.[10]
Even so, sengoku-daimyo in the Sengoku period dared to equip their own troops with ōdachi in order to show off their strength and bravery. Uesugi Kenshin had men more than six shaku (approx. 182 cm (72 in)) tall equipped with an ōdachi guard around his horse. The Asakura clan made a troop called Rikishizei (
The ōdachi was used as a weapon, but because of its magnificent appearance, it was often used as an offering to kami, a Shinto shrine. For example, Ōyamazumi Shrine, which is said to be a treasure house of Japanese swords and armor, is dedicated to the national treasure Ōdachi, which was dedicated by Emperor Go-Murakami, and ōdachi, which was dedicated by Ōmori Naoharu and killed Kusunoki Masashige.[12]
In the peaceful Edo period, ōdachi was no longer regarded as a practical weapon and came to be recognized only as an offering to the kami of Shinto shrines.
According to the historical book Wakan Shuyo (
Production
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2022) |
Ōdachi are difficult to produce because their length makes traditional heat treatment more complicated: The longer a blade is, the more difficult (and expensive) it is to heat the whole blade to a homogeneous temperature, both for annealing and to reach the hardening temperature. The quenching process then needs a bigger quenching medium because uneven quenching might lead to warping the blade.
The method of polishing is also different. Because of their size, ōdachi are usually hung from the ceiling or placed in a stationary position to be polished, unlike normal swords which are moved over polishing stones.
Method of use
editAs battlefield weapons, ōdachi were too long for samurai to carry on their waists like normal swords. There were two main methods in which they could be carried. One was to carry it on one's back and unsheathe before battle starts. The other method was simply to carry the sheathed ōdachi by hand. The trend during the Muromachi era was for the samurai carrying the ōdachi to have a follower to help draw it.[9]
An exception does exist, though. The Kōden Enshin-ryū taught by Fumon Tanaka use a special drawing technique for "short" ōdachi allowing it to be carried on the waist. The technique is to pull out the sheath rather than drawing the blade. While this move is also used in other schools, for example, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Shin musō Hayashizaki-ryū and Iaidō, only Enshin-ryū seems to have used it to improve the drawing speed of an ōdachi, the other schools having used it with classical katana. The Kage-ryū style is also used to draw from the belt, using blades of approximately 2.8 shaku (84.9 cm (33.4 in).
Ōdachi swordplay styles differed from that of other Japanese swords, focusing on downward cuts.
One possible use of ōdachi is as large anti-cavalry weapons, to strike down the horse as it approaches. Alternatively, it could be used as a cavalry-on-cavalry weapon comparable to the Chinese zhanmadao, with the long reach, increased weight and slashing area of the blade offering some advantages over spears, lances, and smaller swords.
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Edo period ukiyo-e shows an ōdachi worn on the back of a samurai.
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A wood block print of a samurai carrying a nodachi/ōdachi on his back
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A sheathed ōdachi
Notable ōdachi
editŌdachi Norimitsu
editOne of the longest ōdachi is the Odachi Norimitsu with a total length of 377 cm (148 in).[3] It was forged by the Japanese master bladesmith Norimitsu Osafune in the former Bishū province in August 1446.[3] It is kept in the Yahiko jinja (
Specifications
editThese are the specifications of the Ōdachi Norimitsu.[3]
- Total length: 377 cm (148 in)
- Nagasa (cutting edge): 226.7 cm (89.3 in)
- Sori (curvature): 5 cm (2.0 in)
- Nakago (tang): 151 cm (59 in)
- Blade thickness (maximum): 2.34 cm (0.92 in)
- Habaki (collar to hold blade in scabbard): 5.85 cm (2.30 in)
- Weight: 14.5 kg (32 lb)
- Mei (blade signature,
銘 ): Bishu Osafune Norimitsu (備州) - Location: Kibitsu Shrine, Okayama.
- Production date: August 1446 (Muromachi period)
- Sugata (blade shape): Shinogi-zukuri, maru-mune, bo-hi with maru-dome
- Hada (grain pattern,
肌 ): Itame - Hamon (temper pattern): Ko-gunome, choji with tobiyaki and kinsuji.
Haja-no-Ontachi
editThe longest known ōdachi is the Haja-no-Ontachi (Great Evil-Crushing Blade).[13] Its length is 465 cm (183 in) with an overall weight of 75 kg (165 lb).[13] In 1859, this ōdachi was donated to the Hanaoka Hachiman Shrine in Yamaguchi during an imperial memorial ceremony by parishioners who sympathized with imperial patriots.[13] It is kept in the Treasure House which is not open to the public.[13]
See also
editSources
edit- Nick Evangelista: The Encyclopedia of the Sword. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995, p. 419, ISBN 978-0-313-27896-9.
- Stephen Turnbull: The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8053-0956-8.
Footnotes
edit- ^ a b c d Kazuhiko Inada (2020), Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords. p39. ISBN 978-4651200408
- ^ a b c
歴史 人 September 2020. p.39. ASIN B08DGRWN98 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Ôdachi Gallery - Norimitsu Ôdachi". Japan Trip. July 6, 2003. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021.
- ^ Mol, Serge (2003). Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts. Kodansha International. p. 17. ISBN 9784770029416.
- ^ Fumon Tanaka (2003). Samurai Fighting Arts: the Spirit and the Practice. Kodansha International. p. 12. ISBN 9784770028983.
- ^ Conlan, Thomas (2003). State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth-century Japan. Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. p. 260. ISBN 9781929280230.
- ^ Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani (2008). The Development of Controversies: From the Early Modern Period to Online Discussion Forums. Linguistic Insights. Vol. 91. Peter Lang. p. 150. ISBN 9783039117116.
- ^ Smith, Evans Lansing; Brown, Nathan Robert (2008). The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology. Complete Idiot's Guides. Penguin. p. 144. ISBN 9781592577644.
- ^ a b
日本 刀 の歴史 南北 朝 時代 Touken world - ^ [Kazuo Tokunou
日本刀 図鑑 保存 版 ] ISBN 978-4769401285 - ^ 【
戦国 こぼれ話 】君 は朝倉 氏 の家臣 で、名刀 「太郎 太刀 」で名 を馳 せた真柄 直隆 を知 っているか. Daimon Watanabe. Yahoo News. 6 October 2021. - ^
大 山祇 神社 (愛媛 県 今治 市 ) Touken world - ^ a b c d "Great Evil-Crushing Blade (Haja-no-Ontachi)". Visit Kudamatsu. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022.