Odachi
Encyclopedia
An , was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi
, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of ōdachi. It is historically known as ōtachi.
The character for ō (大) means "big" or "great". The characters for da (太) and chi (刀) are the same as tachi
(太刀, lit. "great sword"), the older style of sword/mounts that predate the katana
. The chi is also the same character as katana
(刀) and the tō in nihontō (日本刀 "Japanese sword"), originally from the Chinese character
for a knife
, dāo
.
To qualify as a ōdachi, the sword in question must have a blade
length over 3 shaku (a little under a metre). Regardless of size, most ōdachi have religious inscriptions on the tang
. However, as with most terms in Japan
ese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an ōdachi.
Note: Practically speaking, the function/use of most ōdachi fall into the first two categories—as ceremonial objects and cavalry swords.
in a traditional way more complicated: The longer a blade is, the more difficult (or expensive) it is to heat the whole blade to a homogenous temperature, both for annealing
and to reach the hardening
temperature. The quenching process then needs a bigger quenching medium because uneven quenching might lead to warping the blade.
The method of polishing is also different. Because of their size, Ōdachi are usually hung from the ceiling or placed in a stationary position to be polished, unlike normal swords which are moved over polishing stones.
Acquiring a fully sharpened Ōdachi would be hard as they would almost certainly have to be custom-made.
They are still made on occasion. One such sword, made in 1971, (now in a private collection in Texas) was made at the request of a dying man. Its purpose was to please the gods and enlist their protection of his family after his impending death.
to carry on their waists like normal swords. There were two methods in which they could be carried:
One method was to carry it on one's back. However, this was seen as impractical as it was impossible for the wielder to draw it quickly.
The other method was simply to carry the ōdachi by hand. The trend during the Muromachi era was for the samurai carrying the ōdachi to have a follower to help him draw it.
Ōdachi swordplay styles focused on downward cuts and different wields than those of normal swords.
of 1615 (the final battle between Tokugawa Ieyasu
and Toyotomi Hideyori
). Since then it has been used more as a ceremonial piece.
This loss of popularity is due to:
After the law was put into practice, ōdachi were cut down to the shorter legal size. This is one of the reasons why ōdachi are so rare.
Ōdachi were no longer of practical use, but were still made as offerings to Shinto
shrines. This became their main purpose. Due to the amount of skill required to make one it was considered that their exotic appearance was suitable for praying to the gods.
Nodachi
A nodachi is a large two-handed Japanese sword. Some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" is roughly the same as ōdachi meaning "large/great sword". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "ōdachi"...
, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of ōdachi. It is historically known as ōtachi.
The character for ō (大) means "big" or "great". The characters for da (太) and chi (刀) are the same as tachi
Tachi
The is one type of traditional Japanese sword worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan.-History and description:With a few exceptions katana and tachi can be distinguished from each other if signed, by the location of the signature on the tang...
(太刀, lit. "great sword"), the older style of sword/mounts that predate the katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. The chi is also the same character as katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
(刀) and the tō in nihontō (日本刀 "Japanese sword"), originally from the Chinese character
Chinese written language
Written Chinese comprises Chinese characters used to represent the Chinese language, and the rules about how they are arranged and punctuated. Chinese characters do not constitute an alphabet or a compact syllabary...
for a knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
, dāo
Dao (sword)
Daois a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping , often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the gun , qiang , and the jian , and referred...
.
To qualify as a ōdachi, the sword in question must have a blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
length over 3 shaku (a little under a metre). Regardless of size, most ōdachi have religious inscriptions on the tang
Tang (weaponry)
A tang or shank is the back portion of a tool where it extends into stock material or is connected to a handle as on a knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, chisel, screwdriver, etc...
. However, as with most terms in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an ōdachi.
Purpose
The possible functions of the ōdachi can be categorized as follows:- As a votive offeringVotive offeringA votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural...
to a shrineShrineA shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
(or specifically to its patron godsKamiis the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
. Some ōdachi were use in prayer before a war, while others were displayed (sometimes in temples)—reputedly as legendary swords from mythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. - The average length of an ōdachi is 65–70 inches long (approx 165–178 cm), often with a 4–5 foot blade. This made them unsuitable for close-quarters combat. Instead, they are commonly believed to have been used by fighters on horseback, as the blade length would allow them to take down infantry (without risk of being pulled off their mount).
- Like other trends, ōdachi were often in vogue, most notably during the Edo PeriodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, so it was not uncommon to see the swords used in various ceremonies.
Note: Practically speaking, the function/use of most ōdachi fall into the first two categories—as ceremonial objects and cavalry swords.
Production
Ōdachi are difficult to produce because their length makes heat treatmentHeat treatment
Heat treating is a group of industrial and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most common application is metallurgical. Heat treatments are also used in the manufacture of many other materials, such as glass...
in a traditional way more complicated: The longer a blade is, the more difficult (or expensive) it is to heat the whole blade to a homogenous temperature, both for annealing
Annealing (metallurgy)
Annealing, in metallurgy and materials science, is a heat treatment wherein a material is altered, causing changes in its properties such as strength and hardness. It is a process that produces conditions by heating to above the recrystallization temperature, maintaining a suitable temperature, and...
and to reach the hardening
Hardening (metallurgy)
Hardening is a metallurgical and metalworking process used to increase the hardness of a metal. The hardness of a metal is directly proportional to the uniaxial yield stress at the location of the imposed strain...
temperature. The quenching process then needs a bigger quenching medium because uneven quenching might lead to warping the blade.
The method of polishing is also different. Because of their size, Ōdachi are usually hung from the ceiling or placed in a stationary position to be polished, unlike normal swords which are moved over polishing stones.
Acquiring a fully sharpened Ōdachi would be hard as they would almost certainly have to be custom-made.
They are still made on occasion. One such sword, made in 1971, (now in a private collection in Texas) was made at the request of a dying man. Its purpose was to please the gods and enlist their protection of his family after his impending death.
Method of use
Ōdachi that were used as weapons were too long for samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
to carry on their waists like normal swords. There were two methods in which they could be carried:
One method was to carry it on one's back. However, this was seen as impractical as it was impossible for the wielder to draw it quickly.
The other method was simply to carry the ōdachi by hand. The trend during the Muromachi era was for the samurai carrying the ōdachi to have a follower to help him draw it.
Ōdachi swordplay styles focused on downward cuts and different wields than those of normal swords.
Reasons for loss of popularity
The ōdachi's importance died off after the Siege of OsakaSiege of Osaka
The was a series of battles undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages , and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege put an end to the last major armed opposition to the shogunate's establishment...
of 1615 (the final battle between Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori
was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
). Since then it has been used more as a ceremonial piece.
This loss of popularity is due to:
- Battles in fields did not occur after 1615.
- The Bakufu government set a law which prohibited holding swords above a set length (in GennaGennawas a coming after Keichō and before Kan'ei. This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
3 (1617), Kan'ei 3 (1626) and ShōhōShohowas a after Kan'ei and before Keian. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1644 : The era name was changed to Shōhō to mark the enthronement of the new emperor Go-Kōmyō...
2 (1645)).
After the law was put into practice, ōdachi were cut down to the shorter legal size. This is one of the reasons why ōdachi are so rare.
Ōdachi were no longer of practical use, but were still made as offerings to Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrines. This became their main purpose. Due to the amount of skill required to make one it was considered that their exotic appearance was suitable for praying to the gods.