The Spirit of the Blade .

K

Kevin the grey

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Aug 26, 2005
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It had been brought up recently that some blades had protective powers beyond the slice and dice routine .It was even required that some of these blades not be sharp as they were not to be used for mundane affairs . .

I was wondering if there was a hierarchy among objects used for protection and power . Would objects worn closer to the foot be accorded less signifigance than headwear ? Would an object carried belt height be realtively in the middle of this range ? Do weapons because of their original intentions step outside these boundaries ?

Lets do an averaging out here . Eliminate those cuktures who keep the Royal turd in high regard . I guess the opposite end of that stick would be cultures who believe no earthly objects are necessary as we are all one with the cosmos and only need to achieve nothingness to reign supreme .
 
I think it's about the blade. Some of the blade are blessed by preist when they are being forged. Like those of the HI blades.
 
*cough* I confess one of my swords was blessed by a priest....you know just in case I ever need to kill something unholy with it. I'm not superstitious, I just believe in being prepared. :p
 
I've said before that my "teddy bear" when I am sick my 12" Uncle Bill Memorial Salyan. I don't get sick often, but when i do it's pretty bad. High fever with nightmares, lots of sweating, and genuine feeling of dark forces around me. I hate getting sick. My father is the exact same way. Something that the viruses do to us that makes us loopy when bedridden. The Salyan helps. I keep it sheathed and tucked under my pillow. i can feel the positive energy pulse from it when i grip its handle. This was one was from the first run after Uncle Bill passed. You can just feel the love and care that Bura put into these blades. I'm sure the others made later are special too. However, there are has to be a bit of passion put into the first blades that can't be matched.
It is so well made and perfect that I know it will pass through many hands. Others will not know the story, nor will the "funny markings" on the blade be understood. However, I know that whenever someone crosses pathes with this blade, they will feel a positive energy and a feeling of good warmth pass over them.

Jake
 
Steelygunz I never thought to include my own blades in there . I also never thought of them going to other than family . The idea that others would hold them that do not have a clue to their history took me back for a moment . I,ll have to think about that . The funny thing is someone just asked me about the signifigance of the marks on them .
 
Someday I'd like to spend some serious time writing about this topic. Keris certainly come to mind, but there are mystical blades in almost every culture.
 
Bill Marsh said:
Someday I'd like to spend some serious time writing about this topic. Keris certainly come to mind, but there are mystical blades in almost every culture.
Click to expand...

I was hoping it would tie in with your mystery objects thread . Ethiopian ear pick notwithstanding it is interesting what we take of the mundane to represent the mystical . From the broom to the mirror we make sweeping changes that reflect our innermost desires . Water too allows our fears to trickle away while we see with crystaline clarity all that went before .
(Yep you are right it sounds like the longest fortune cookie in the world .)

I did not want to focus on the blade except as how it takes its place in the Hierarchy of various representations . Having said that it would be interesting to see various cultures beliefs and why so many chose the blade . Perhaps because so many lived by it they pay homage to it .
 
Kevin, Mongo-man and others,

I can share articles about blades, but it is not considered proper (to me) to post photos of my keris blades to a public forum. If you or anyone on the HIC Forum will email me, I would be happy to do this privately.

I have tried to privately email you but can not find a link.
 
I have two thoughts about the reason why people of the ages believed blades to be possessed of a spirit or magical. I think the first reason might be because of limited metalurgical knowledge. Limited understanding of the science of heat treating. When someone stumbled across the right raw material and got lucky with the heat treating it was the result of a spirit inhabiting the blade in their minds. What do you think? Makes sense? The other reason might be related to the tendency of all primitive people to view things as having a soul. Even today some Japanese people have told me that if they bump into the most mundane household object they apologize to it. That is the historical basis, today I think the affection we feel for something that keeps us safe is projected onto the object, the knife and it comes to have a personality.
 
What's the word for attributing personality and reason to an inantimate object?
People today trust certain cars, tools, rifles etc more than others. I don't think myth making is dead.


I even have a few favorite pens....how sick is that?





munk
 
Personification ? Humanisation ?
She,s a slippery slope . L:O:L

Heck we do it with politicians all the time ! L:M:A:O;
 
You can't tell me a baseball player doesn't have his favorite bat.

We're still as nuts as we ever were.



munk
 
I think so- thank you.
Yes, just looked it up- that's the word. You may have stuck an extra ism in there, though. Sometimes we all need a little extra ism.


munk
 
Almost all my archery bows disagree that I have a favourite . Its a funny thing that with a passion that means so much to me I do not have a personal connection with my bows . Maybe I just haven,t met the right one yet .
 
You know the famous archer Howard Hill? He called one of his bows Grandpa. I am a terrible speller monk, they should make these posting windows with a spell check.
 
And Jeff Cooper calls his African dangerous game riflle, Baby, which it decidedly is not. I think he shoots the 460 Guns n Ammo.




munk
 
The sword and the spear and the club and the bow have all enjoyed symbolism beyond their obvious uses.
Look at any statue of any of the Eastern gods and you'll see these weapons displayed.
God uses a sword, The Devil uses a pitchfork...
 
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