In ancient Japanese culture, swords played a special role. In honor of the swords, temples were erected, weapons were sacrificed to the gods, they worshiped him, they admired him. For samurai, the presence of edged weapons was an indicator of their high status. Tradition dictated that Japanese aristocrats wear two swords: a long one and a short one.
Two samurai swords
Samurai carried two swords at once because it was convenient. This tradition can be compared to the European custom of wearing a sword and dagger. The short sword was used for defense in the absence of a shield or for attacking indoors. It is believed that a set of two swords "became fashionable" during the reign of the Ashikaga shoguns. From that time on, and up to the social reform of the 19th century, swords became an accessory not only to military, but also to civilian costumes of the samurai.
The standard samurai set consisted of two swords: large and small. This set was called daish no kosimono. The small sword was initially considered a spare, but soon it began to be perceived as a necessary component of the kit. The big sword - katana, was an accessory of the aristocracy, the small sword - wakizashi, could be worn by representatives of the lower classes. The katana was intended for warfare, wakizashi was used for the seppuku (hara-kiri) ritual, cutting off the heads of slain enemies and other auxiliary purposes.
Weapon cult
The samurai loved and appreciated their weapons. They never parted with their swords. At home, samurai swords were placed on a special tachikake stand placed in a tokonoma niche. Before going to bed, the Japanese aristocrat prudently laid his swords at the head of the bed so that they could be reached with his hand at any time. At the Japanese court, cruel morals reigned and cunning conspiracies were constantly woven, so not a single samurai felt safe even at home.
Wearing rules
In Japan, there was a cult of the sword, so the rules for carrying weapons were very strictly regulated. There were two sets of daisho swords: for casual wear and for armor. On ceremonial occasions, the great sword was called the daito and was sheathed into its left side. Wakizashi complete with daito was worn tucked into the belt. In the event that the samurai wore a casual suit, he called the big sword a katana and also tucked it into his belt. During the conduct of hostilities, samurai added the short tanto dagger, as well as kogai and kozuka knives to their usual arsenal.
Initially, the tradition of carrying two balls came about for safety reasons. Entering the house, the guest was obliged to leave a long sword at the entrance as a guarantor of his good intentions. Only a superior guest could enter the house with a long sword in his belt: bushi or daimyo. In this case, the guest's weapon was placed on a nearby stand. As for the small sword, tradition was allowed to take it with you even to royal receptions.
