Muramasa, as recorded, was born before 1501, but there is no exact idea of when. Yes, this is a man who was widely known, or rather, is still widely known in Japan. Why?? Well, let’s talk a little about him and we will see.
To begin with, he is commonly known as Sengo Muramasa [千子村正]. The reason for the Sengo [千子] associated with Muramasa’s name is shrouded in myths. A common belief states that Muramasa was born in a place called Sengo, but in reality, there is no such place near Kuwana.
Another popular legend says that Muramasa’s mother adored the Bodhisattva Senju Kannon and thus he was called Sengo, a shortened form of Senju no ko [の子] son of Senju.
He was a famous blacksmith who founded the Muramasa school. Before continuing, it is important to know that blacksmithing is an “art.” And just like painters, blacksmiths can also affiliate and base themselves on “schools” of that style.
In paintings, for example, there is Realism, Cubism, Impressionism… In Japanese blacksmithing, they founded schools when they managed to develop a unique forging style.
And yes, Muramasa had a unique way of making his works and founded his school. But many schools of this type already existed in Japan for a long time. So, the Muramasa school was just another one…
Anyway, he lived during the Muromachi period (14th to 16th centuries) in Kuwana, Ise Province, Japan. (current Kuwana, Mie).
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Muramasa School
Much like his unique reputation, Muramasa is known for some rather unusual characteristics in his work. These attributes are often referred to by terms prefixed with “Muramasa.”
Muramasa-ba – The first particular characteristic of his is the frequent use of a wave-shaped hamon. Muramasa’s hamon is categorized as gunome-midare, meaning it takes on random wave-like shapes.
Muramasa-nakago – The other easily identifiable characteristic that can be seen on Muramasa blades is the fish belly (tanagobara) shape of the nakago.
Although the Muramasa school is extremely famous in popular culture, none of its swords are designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
Myōno Muramasa is the only sword officially designated as an Important Work. The front contains a Muramasa sign and a myōhō renge kyō [妙法蓮華経] mantra sign.
Muramasa’s students also made excellent weapons. For example, Fujiwara Masazane, a disciple of Muramasa, forged Tonbokiri, one of the Three Great Spears of Japan.
Masazane also forged a sword called Inoshishi-giri whose name came from a legend that Sakai Tadatsugu killed a boar with this sword while accompanying Ieyasu on a hunt.
Muramasa and his bad reputation
Because of their sharp perfection, Muramasa swords were favored especially by the samurai of Mikawa (led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate and his ancestors). Thus, it is almost certain that when misfortune strikes the clan, it is related to Muramasa swords…
For example: Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, a grandfather of Ieyasu, was mistakenly killed by his own vassal Abe Masatoyo with a Muramasa sword. Ieyasu’s father, Matsudaira Hirotada, was also stabbed with a Muramasa sword by Iwamatsu Hachiya, who lost his head for drinking too much.
When Ieyasu’s first son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, was forced to commit suicide (seppuku), his decapitator (kaishakunin) Amagata Michitsuna used a Muramasa sword. (The Seppuku ceremony is not just suicide; there is someone who decapitates after the seppuku.)
Despite these unfortunate incidents, Tokugawa Ieyasu and his generation seemed to greatly appreciate Muramasa weapons. Ieyasu himself owned two swords forged by Muramasa and left them to his family. In 2013, the Owari-Tokugawa family still holds one of the two as an heirloom.
And thus begins the legend of the cursed sword…
Anyway, with all that happened, it is inevitable that Muramasa swords began to be discriminated against. And so it happened, later generations in the shogunate gradually came to think of Muramasa as sinister items.
Arai Hakuseki, a bureaucrat-studying official of the shogunate, commented that “Muramasa is associated with not a few sinister events.” Even Tokugawa Jikki, the official history book published by the shogunate, tells Kashiwazaki Monogatari [崎物語] 1787.
This tale is about a legend that Ieyasu considered Muramasa swords as cursed items and banned them from his family. Which is clearly false history. After all, Ieyasu himself left two Muramasa swords as heirlooms. Of which, one is still today an heirloom of the Owari-Tokugawa family.
During the Bakumatsu period (1853-1868), Muramasa swords were considered in some way a bearer of curse against the shogunate, and thus shishi (anti-Tokugawa activists) wished to acquire Muramasa blades.
Although the Muramasa school does not have an exalted or prestigious status to be used by the imperial family in common times, a Muramasa was wielded by Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army against the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Boshin War (1868-1869).
Muramasa’s legend in Japanese culture
In popular culture, Muramasa swords have often been described as cursed swords with demonic powers. Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook stated that Muramasa:
“Was a very skilled blacksmith, but a violent and unbalanced mind, which supposedly would pass on to his swords. It was popularly believed that they had a thirst for blood and compelled their warrior to commit murder or suicide.”
It was also said that once drawn, a Muramasa blade must draw blood before it can be returned to its sheath. And it reaches the point of forcing its bearer to injure themselves or commit suicide if it does not “drink” blood.
Do you believe in the Muramasa legend?
A fact that we all know is that arts such as dance, theater, music, and stories are highly influential. They manage to convey ideas and ideals to their consumer. In a world with little diversity of works to compete in certain ideals, people are easily influenced.
The very idea of thinking that Muramasa swords are cursed is a myth so well disseminated and ingrained that it has become part of Japanese culture. But that does not mean that the swords are indeed cursed.
In my opinion, legends are a great way to develop a culture. But using myths to try to discriminate against something is already bordering on foolishness. After all, myths always start with rumors about a certain subject. And in this case, they were rumors to discriminate and incite fear about Muramasa.
But since I am somewhat of a fan of such myths, I cannot say that the current situation is bad. As they say, there are evils that come for good. And honestly, the myth of the cursed Muramasa swords is one of the best I have ever seen about swords. Of course, it only comes behind legends like Excalibur and Durandal…
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