Muramasa

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The Muramasa school of sword-making at Ise province was famous for the extraordinary sharpness of their blades. The earliest known work of the school is dated at 1501; the Muramasa school continued into the late 1500's.^[1] It's believed that Sengo Muramasa was a student of Heianjo Nagayoshi, a prominent Kyoto swordsmith known for spears and engravings.

Muramasa's swords fell out of favor with the Japanese government when Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun, establishing the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1603. It is said that Ieyasu had lost many friends and relatives to Muramasa blades and had cut himself badly with one, so he forbade his samurai to wear blades made by Muramasa. This contributed even more to the Muramasa legend and led to many plays and dramas in Japanese literature featuring the blades. Due to the stigma attached to them, many Muramasa blades had their signature changed or removed. Since opponents of the Tokugawa shoguns would often wish to acquire Muramasa blades, forgeries of Muramasa blades were also often made.

Legends say that the swordsmith Muramasa, although brilliant, was also insane. According to legend, a Muramasa sword could cut a leaf flowing down a stream when held in the stream in the leaf's path. The halves of the leaves were then said to float around the blade as if with a demonic aura. It has also been told that once drawn, a Muramasa blade has to draw blood before it can be returned to its scabbard, even to the point of forcing its wielder to commit suicide.^[2] Thus, it is thought of as a demonic cursed blade that creates bloodlust in those who wield it.

The swords of Muramasa are often contrasted with those of Masamune, another Japanese swordsmith.

[edit] References to the Muramasa

• The Japanese electronics maker Sharp uses the name Muramasa for a line of their notebook computers, which is an obvious allusion to their company name and probably also to the sharpness of their displays.
• Muramasa is a character in the Japanese manga series Samurai Deeper Kyo, by Akimine Kamijyo. He is the teacher of Demon Eyes Kyo, and the respected swordsmith that forged Kyo's demon blade, Tenro.
• In numerous video games the Muramasa is featured as a weapon. It is generally a powerful sword, but often will have a curse or drawback to its use, such as draining the player's health away, or causing the player to go berserk when used.
• Several video games also feature characters who are references to the swordsmith.
• The popular Marvel Comics fictional characters Wolverine and the Silver Samurai have also wielded a sword known as the Muramasa blade. In the Marvel Universe, Muramasa is an immortal demon swordsmith.
• DC Comics superhero Katana wields a blade called Soultaker, supposedly forged by Muramasa.
• According to legend, Tachibana Ryukisai is the only known Samurai to have wielded a Muramasa without being Cursed.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Sengo Muramasa school lineage
2. ^ Stone, George Cameron (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times. Dover Publications, Inc., 460. ISBN 0-486-40726-8.