Kusanagi no Tsurugi, or as it is more commonly called, Kusanagi. This is a legendary Japanese sword, as well as one of the three sacred treasures of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. This sword is surrounded by tales and various types of mysticism.
But the important thing is that it is revered and worshiped. Whether for its history or its importance in the culture of the country. In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor. Just as we have other articles about the other sacred treasures, today it is the turn of the sacred sword. Yasakani no magatama, Yata no Kagami.
For those who haven’t seen it yet, I recommend taking a look at the articles about The sacred mirror and about the sacred jewel of Japan. In this article, we will talk about some beliefs and some legends that involve the Kusanagi sword. So, let’s get to the point.
Table of Contents
The history of the Kusanagi sword
The history of Kusanagi no Tsurugi arises from a legend, described in the main storybooks of Japan. According to Kojiki, the god Susanoo encountered a family of kunitsukami, “gods of the earth,” in the province of Izumo. This family was in mourning and was led by the earth god Ashinazuchi.
Then Susanoo decided to ask Ashinazuchi the reason for the mourning. Soon, the god told him that his family was being devastated by the fearsome Yamata-no-Orochi. The latter was a serpent with eight heads and eight tails from Koshi, which had already consumed seven of the eight daughters of the family. At that present time, the creature was coming to consume the last daughter, Kushinada-hime.
Susanoo investigated the creature and, after a failed encounter, returned with a plan to defeat it. In exchange, he asked for Kushinada-hime’s hand in marriage, which was accepted by the family. Then, he temporarily transformed her into a comb to have her company during the battle. Shortly after, he detailed his plan in stages.
He instructed that eight tubs of sake (rice wine) be prepared. They should be placed on individual platforms positioned behind a fence with eight gates. Each platform would have a barrel of sake, situated behind each gate.
The monster took the bait and placed one of its heads at each gate. With this distraction, Susanoo attacked and killed the beast with his sword Worochi no Ara-masa. He cut off each head and then proceeded to the tails. On the fourth tail, he discovered a great sword inside the serpent’s body.
For this sword, he named it Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. But he decided not to keep it. He presented the sword to the goddess Amaterasu, his sister, to resolve an old grievance.
The name change of the Kusanagi sword
During the reign of the twelfth Emperor, Keikō, Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi was given to a great warrior. The name of this warrior was Yamato Takeru. The sword was gifted to him as part of a pair of gifts given by his aunt, Yamatohime-no-mikoto.
Once, Yamato Takeru was lured into an open pasture during a hunting expedition by a treacherous warrior. The lord shot fire arrows to ignite the grass and trap Yamato Takeru in the field, hoping he would burn to death. The warrior also killed the warrior’s horse to prevent his escape.
Desperately, Yamato Takeru used the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi to cut the grass and remove the fuel from the fire. However, in doing so, he discovered that the sword allowed him to control the wind. Taking advantage of this magic, Yamato Takeru used his other gift and increased the fire towards the lord and his men.
Furthermore, he used the winds controlled by the sword to sweep the fire towards them. In triumph, Yamato Takeru renamed the sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (“Grass-Cutting Sword”). Eventually, Yamato Takeru married and later died in battle against a monster, as he ignored his wife’s advice to take the sword with him.
Speculations about the Kusanagi sword
Kusanagi is supposedly kept at the Atsuta Shrine, but it is not available for public display. Moreover, its existence cannot be confirmed. During the Edo period, several repairs and maintenance were carried out at the Atsuta Shrine, which included the replacement of the sword’s outer wooden box.
The Shinto priest Matsuoka Masanao claimed to be one of the several priests who had seen the sword. He stated:
“A stone box was inside a wooden box 150 cm long, with red clay stuffed in the opening between them. Inside the stone box was a hollow trunk of a camphor tree, acting as another box, with a lined interior. Above this, a sword was placed, and there was also red clay between the stone box and the camphor box.
The sword was about 82 centimeters long and its blade resembled a calamus leaf. The middle of the sword had a grip thickness of about 18 centimeters with a fishbone appearance. The sword was shaped in a metallic white color and well-preserved.”
After witnessing the sword, the high priest was banished and the other priests, except for Matsuoka, died from strange diseases. The above account comes from the only survivor, Matsuoka.
What is your theory about Kusanagi?
The current state of the Kusanagi sword, or even its existence as a historical artifact, cannot be confirmed. We can blame the refusal of the Shinto priests to show the sword. Or even the unreliable nature of their historical references.
All of this only increases the speculation and curiosity of the people. The last appearance of the sword was when Emperor Akihito ascended to the throne. At the enthronement ceremony, the sword, along with the Yasakani no Magatama jewel and the Emperor’s Seal and the State Seal, were wrapped in packages.
But anyway, what do you think about this subject? Do you have any theories? Leave your comments below, as well as your questions, suggestions, or anything like that. Also, share and like the website’s page on social media, it helps a lot. Lastly, thank you for reading the article up to here, see you next time.
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