PDA

View Full Version : Kusanagi Sword



Mark A. Gerardi
11th April 2004, 03:50
I understand that the Kusanagi sword (or possibly a relica) one of the three pieces of imperial regalia is housed at the Atsuta shrine. Is it ever dispalyed to the public? Are the caretakers or priests at the shrine allowed to see it? Does anyone know what it looks like? I saw a picture on the internet that was supposed to be the Kusanagi but I have my doubts. Anything that anyone can tell me about who has seen it or what it may look like would be helpful.

Thank you,

Mark A. Gerardi

Trevor Stephens
14th April 2004, 02:25
while I'm not 100 percent sure, I was under the idea that no one was allowed to see it. I remember reading about it fairly extensivley in a book that I have(cant remember the name) So I assume, if it is the real one(Im not so sure) that no one can lay eyes on it. Like I said... I am not positive, but thats what I can offer

Mark A. Gerardi
14th April 2004, 06:26
Thanks for the input Trevor,
If you remember the name of that book you read I'd be curious to find it for my own research purposes.

Mark Gerardi

Trevor Stephens
15th April 2004, 03:04
I believe the name of the book is Samurai: The world of the warrior by Stephen Turnbull. The only reason im not positive is because the book is at my home, and I am at college. Im pretty sure thats the one though.

meat
15th April 2004, 15:32
From my studies of premodern Japan at university, I recently learned that the original Imperial sword was lost during the final battle between the Minamoto and the Taira houses. When the Taira jumped from their boats to drown themselves, and the child Emperor was taken overboard by his aunty(it could have been his mother, it's been a few weeks since I read it), the sword and the jewels were also taken overboard. The jewels were recovered, the sword wasn't. So the one housed in Atsuta Shrine must be a replica.

kabutoki
15th April 2004, 19:27
Hi,
as this was a double post, people are doing the same work more than twice...

here (http://www.e-budo.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25719)

Karsten

workshop
5th September 2008, 21:22
I have been looking for a still of this sword in a case on display for about a week now. No stock footage libraries I know of have it. There is a website or two that has a shot of what is most likely a replica and the picture isn't too great anyway. Has anyone seen pictures of the elusive Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi? (I heard that is the full name)


Thanks!

Aaron

kabutoki
5th September 2008, 23:53
As for the replica problem, please refer to the post three posts above this one.

Karsten

PS: I am ashamed to say that I took this link from wikipedia, but the author Nelly Naumann was one of THE experts on japanese mythology.
http://www.freidok.uni-freiburg.de/volltexte/4635/pdf/Naumann_The_kusanagi_sword.pdf

Josh Reyer
6th September 2008, 00:14
I have been looking for a still of this sword in a case on display for about a week now. No stock footage libraries I know of have it. There is a website or two that has a shot of what is most likely a replica and the picture isn't too great anyway. Has anyone seen pictures of the elusive Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi? (I heard that is the full name)
Aaron

The sword (if it really does exist) is never put on display.

don
6th September 2008, 20:59
Don't recall precisely where, perhaps below, but I read about the value of secrecy and the three treasures somewhere, i.e., it's been addressed. This might be a place to start:

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Secrecy-Japanese-Religion/dp/0415387132
The Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion (Hardcover)
by Scheid/Teeuwen (Author)