Zanbatō

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A zanbatō (斬馬刀, literally "horse-slaying sword" or "horse-chopping saber"), also spelled zambatō, is an especially large type of Japanese sword, the historical use of which is disputed. The sword closely resembles the nodachi or ōdachi, however it differs from the nodachi by having additional wrapping down an unsharpened portion of the handle approximately 12" to 18" inches. This lends more to the theory of the sword having a practical use in feudal Japan. The increased length of the blade, along with the extra grip, would give it dual use both as a sword and as a spear-type weapon used for attacking advancing cavalry. This style of zanbatō sword can be found for sale in rural shops and stands in Kyoto and Nara prefectures of Japan. This sword may have been inspired by the Chinese zhǎn mǎ dāo (see below), as both were said to have been used for killing the horse and rider in one swing. It is likely that the zanbatō is actually a mis-construction of the zhǎn mǎ dāo, poorly drawn or translated by Japanese travellers who witnessed the weapon being used during battle.

[edit] Historical usage

The historical use of the zanbatō is highly disputed for several reasons. First and foremost is the weapon's dubious efficiency on the battlefield. The use of overly large, unwieldy swords by foot soldiers is unlikely, especially when a similar role was much better served by a variety of pole arms, such as the yari and naginata.

Second is the scarcity of iron in ancient japan, which is in part responsible to the highly refined metalworking techniques developed during the period (see main article on katana). The construction of such oversized blades would be very wasteful of materials, and even more so considering the better performing and readily available pole arms that could fill the same role.

Third on the list is the inherent mechanical weakness in an overly long sword blade. Katana of regular length are solid weapons but are relatively weak because of their specific construction and heat-treatment, which leaves the blade with very little flexibility, therefore reducing their shock-absorbing ability. Lengthening a blade to extremes would render the blade very fragile against the stresses of combat. Attempting to make such blades strong enough for warfare would invariably mean creating wider/thicker cross-sections, creating very heavy, unwieldy weapons with, ironically, less cutting ability than thinner, sharper swords.

Such extremely long swords did exist, however, and are well documented. They were, however, never intended to be used on the battlefield. Given the skill necessary to forge and heat-treat katanas, experienced smiths often took upon themselves to prove their talent by creating these so-called "zanbatō" as a way to challenge themselves. This led to the extremely long blades often seen in ancient photographs and depictions, some of which were so long (over a dozen feet long) that they could hardly be mistaken for something other than display pieces.

[edit] Chinese zhǎn mǎ dāo

A Chinese anti-cavalry weapon of the Song Dynasty written also as 斬馬刀 (zhǎn mǎ dāo, literally "horse-cutting blade") is of similar proportion to a zanbatō, although it differs in form. Surviving examples include a sword that might resemble a nagamaki in construction; it had a wrapped handle 37 cm (15 in) long, like the zanbatō. However, the blade differed, having only a slight curve in the last half, whereas the zanbatō's curve stretched the length of the blade and handle, similar to a katana.

[edit] Anime zanbatō

The anime interpretation of the weapon consists of a large, wide blade attached to an extended, pole-like hilt. The sword is used by many characters in anime and video games, most notably Sagara Sanosuke from the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin. Other interpretations simply depict the weapon as an oversized sword, such as that used by Momochi Zabuza and later Suigetsu from the anime and manga series Naruto.

There is no definitive historical evidence that the feudal Japanese ever produced a weapon like the anime-style zanbatō. Firstly, it would be impractical for any person to use a blade as large as the fictional zanbatō appearing in said genres. Additionally, the blade itself would be far too large for the type of handle with which it is depicted to support it, causing a structural weak point near the top of the handle. If a historical zanbatō did actually exist, its form would almost certainly have been different from its fictional counterparts represented in popular culture.

The closest (in look) weapon to the anime zanbatō is the eku, or "wooden oar."