Exploring the Swords of ‘The Forgotten Guardian’

-

Swords are cool.

Since swords appear in Book 2 of my Geomancer’s Apprentice series, I thought it might be useful to provide readers with a historical or real-world context for them.

Not to worry—there are no spoilers here. 

To recap, my urban fantasy series revolves around two geomancers based in Chinatown, Washington, D.C. They use feng shui to tackle ghosts and monsters in the D.C. metropolitan area.

There are five kinds of swords in The Forgotten Guardian, the second book in the series. One of them is Junie Soong’s weapon, which was introduced in the first book, The Geomancer's Apprentice.

The other swords are the wushu jian, the katana, the wakizashi, and the tanto. Curious as to why there are Japanese swords in a fantasy steeped in Chinese myths and magic? 

Well, I guess you'll have to read the book.

Energy Devourer

Junie’s sword is known as the Energy Devourer. It’s made from the wood of a peach tree cut from the Shen Ting Mountains’ sacred groves.

The Energy Devourer is roughly based on the peach wood swords used by Taoist priests in exorcism rituals. Taoism, or Daoism, is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion that emphasizes living in harmony with “the path,” that is, the natural order. 

Peach wood has a special place in Chinese mythology. According to one legend, there was a giant peach tree on Dushuo Mountain whose branches formed an arch through which evil spirits could enter the human realm. The Emperor of Heaven assigned two brothers to guard the portal. If the spirits did harm, the brothers captured them and fed them to the tigers that roamed the base of the mountain.

The ancient Chinese venerated the brothers as Door Gods. Their images were carved on peach wood and hung at entrances and doorways to keep evil out.

The Chinese word for peach also sounds like “flee,” or “run away.” Peach wood was used to make charms in the shape of swords, arrows and other objects, in the belief the wood could drive away evil.

Today, modern Taoist priests still use peach wood swords to expel evil spirits and influences.

Wushu Jian

“Wushu” is the term for Chinese martial arts. The swords—or “jians”—used in wushu training and competitions are long, narrow and straight. The metal blades are flexible and double-edged. They are designed to make a sound when shaken. A tassel is attached to their pommels for visual appeal.

Katana

Katana photo from Pixabay.com
The katana is a single-edged, curved Japanese long sword. It is about 2 to 2.5 feet long with a hilt that can be held in both hands. Historians believe the katana was invented during Japan’s Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333) when a better sword was needed to fight off invading Mongol forces.

Samurai warriors carried the sword with the cutting edge facing upward. Today, the katana is one of the most iconic swords in the world.

Wakizashi

Tanto photo from Pixabay.com
The wakizashi is another traditional Japanese sword. Like the katana, it has a curved, single-edged blade. However, it is shorter than a katana, with a blade that is about 1 to 2 feet long. 

The sword has been around since the 15th or 16th century. It was a backup sword that also was used for close-quarters fighting or to behead the enemy.

During Japan’s Edo Period (1603 to 1867), the Tokugawa shogunate required samurai, or the warrior class, to carry both the katana and the wakizashi. When worn together, the swords are called “daisho” (literally meaning “big” and “small”). Samurai were the only ones allowed to wear the daisho.

Tanto

The tanto is yet another traditional Japanese sword that was mostly carried by samurai. The sword dates back to Japan’s Heian Period (794 to 1185). Its blade is about six to 12 inches long and can be single- or double-edged. It is primarily used as a knife for stabbing or slashing. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spend a Haunting Halloween With These Ghost Movies

-
Image
As many of you know, Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (it’s Gaelic and pronounced SAH-win). The Celts believed that between October 31 and November 1, the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds were weak and could be breached. That meant that the dead, fairy folk and even monsters could cross into the human world at this time. The Celts left offerings for the Sidhs, or fairies, outside their villages and in fields. They also dressed up as animals and monsters to fool the fairies into not kidnapping them. For this Halloween, I thought it might be fun to breach the walls between the world of the living and the world of the dead. How about watching a few movies about ghosts while waiting for the trick-or-treaters to arrive? If you’re interested, I have a few recommendations for you. My list is in no particular order. Some of these are older movies and/or classics. They are among my favorite horror movies, and they all br
Read more

The 'Geomancer's Apprentice' Series: Dragon Lines and Ley Lines

-
Image
The phrase “dragon lines” appears often in T he Geomancer’s Apprentice series . So what are they? You may know them as ley lines. Ley lines are pathways of supernatural or spiritual energy that connect primitive sacred sites. Almost every ancient culture has its version of such routes. They are known as “fairy paths” in Irish folklore. The aborigines of Australia call them “dreaming tracks” or “songlines.” The people of ancient Peru referred to them as “spirit lines.” Such pathways have been recognized in China for thousands of years. Dragon lines are roadways of qi , or vital energy, that cut across the world. The lines correspond to the concept in Chinese medicine of the human body’s meridians—energy passageways associated with the various organs. According to the ancient Chinese, dragon lines originate from certain geographical locations, typically a low hill set in a valley. The energies are the most potent and active at these “dragon hearts.” The best and most auspicious sit
Read more

'Jiangshi': the Hopping Vampire in Chinese Folklore

-
Image
My latest book  The Corpse Ritual features a vampire-like Chinese folklore monster that some of you may recognize. It’s a “jiangshi,” which means “stiff corpse” in Mandarin. Those of you who’ve watched the Mr. Vampire Hong Kong comedy movies from the 1980s will be familiar with this creature. It’s basically a reanimated corpse. Its appearance depends on how long it’s been dead. It hops because its limbs are stiff from rigor mortis.  In Chinese popular culture, the jiangshi usually is shown wearing clothes from the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911). Although it’s called a “vampire” in the movies, there are major differences between a jiangshi and a vampire.  A jiangshi— doesn’t drink blood. It sucks a person’s life essence, or qi. isn’t good-looking or suave. behaves more like a zombie. doesn’t turn into a bat. doesn’t command other creatures of the night. doesn’t sparkle in daylight and won’t ever get the girl (or guy). The hopping corpse folklore supposedly dates back to olden t
Read more