Seppuku as a Deadly Ritual
Nihonto or commonly known Japanese sword is a traditionally bladed weapon. What generally differentiates the different swords is their length. All shorter swords are considered a tanto or Japanese knife or dagger. The Tanto dagger is just one of the wide ranges of Japanese swords upon looking at a samurai weapon collection. Do you know that Tanto played a big part in a deadly ritual in samurai history? The Tanto is a short Japanese sword with a traditional length of 11.93 inches or approximately 30 centimeters. Its blade is normally 5 inches to 12 inches long. This samurai weapon was a curved blade with singe edged sharpness. The Tanto was the suitable samurai weapon used in a deadly ritual called Seppuku or Hara-Kiri. Read on to find out the ritual use of Tanto.
The most popular form of Seppuku is also called hara-kiri. Samurai would use seppuku while ordinary Japanese, during feudal time in Japan, would use hara-kiri. Seppuku is a ritual form of committing suicide in the past Japanese society. The concept and reasoning of this fatal and barbaric act is supported by Japanese belief that an honorable death is more desirable than to lead a life in shame and defeat.
The Ritual of Seppuku
Seppuku was considered as a privilege for a samurai and his nobility. In feudal Japan, history is full of defeated samurais whose who were ordered by their conquerors to commit suicide. Seppuku in this situation is considered as a grace where the samurai obtains a regain of his honor. Seppuku is carried out by disembowelment or stomach cutting and removal of some or all of the vital organs found in the abdomen of a samurai. Seppuku is usually performed as a public ritual if circumstance allow. A samurai was bathed and dressed in white robes, ate his favorite meal and after he’s done eating, the Tanto was placed on the same plate. The samurai dressed ceremonially sometimes seated on special cloths, prepares for his death by writing a death poem. Standing beside him is his selected attendant (kaishakunin), the samurai would open his kimono, take up his Tantō or Japanese knife and plunge it into his abdomen and make a left to right cut. The kaishakunin then performs dakukubi or a cut in which the warrior was all but intentionally decapitated or having his head cut off. Such task should be carried out with precision requiring the kaishakunin often to be a skilled swordsman. It is usually agreed in advance that the kaishakunin swiftly do the decapitation as soon as the dagger was plunged deep into the abdomen.
Seppuku as capital punishmentThe voluntary seppuku as described above is the best known type. The most common form, however, was obligatory seppuku used as a form of capital punishment for disgraced samurai. The disgraced samurai are those who committed a serious offense such as robbery, corruption, unprovoked murder or treason. The samurai were generally informed of their offense in full and were given a set deadline or time to commit seppuku, usually before sunset on a given day. Unlike voluntary seppuku, seppuku s capital punishment doesn’t mean the victim’s family is cleared from the gravity of the crime. Based on the severity of such crime, half or all of the deceased property could be confiscated and the family stripped of rank.
In the eyes and judgment of a samurai, Seppuku was an acknowledged display of their courage, loyalty, moral character and honor. It doesn’t matter regardless whether ordered as punishment or chosen in preference to a dishonorable death at the hands of the enemy, Despite the official abolishment of Seppuku in 1873, there are isolated suicide cases committed by some Japanese for failed businesses, involvement in love triangles or even failing school examinations. Death is still regarded by many as a better end than dishonor and disgrace.
November 20 2008 | antique swords | No Comments »