A question about a Japanese sword, and a Japanese god

[Hamish]

While reading the autobiography of 19th-century settler of the Canadian wilderness, Susannah Moodie, I came across this curious passage.

I’m wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the sword, and name the deity, if indeed it is a deity – Moodie has never been known for her cultural accuracy.

First the sword:

I had in my possession a curious Japanese sword, which had been given to me by an uncle of Tom Wilson’s – a strange gift to a young lady; but it was on account of its curiosity, and had no reference to my warlike propensity. This sword was broad, and three-sided in the blade, and in shape resembled a moving snake.

…

The case of this awful weapon was made of wood, and in spite of its serpentine form, fitted it exactly. No trace of a join could be found in this scabbard, which was of hard wood, and highly polished.

And then the god:

The hilt was formed of a hideous carved image of one of their war-gods; and a more villainous-looking wretch was never conceived by the most distorted imagination. He was represented in a sitting attitude, the eagle’s claws that formed his hands, resting upon his knees; his legs terminated in lion’s paws; and his face was a strange compound of beast and bird – the upper part of his person being covered with feathers, the lower part with long, shaggy hair.

The year of the description is 1834, if that’s relevant.

Thank you all in advance

[pravnik]

The “god” sounds like a shishi, a lionlike/doglike Japanese “Foo dog.”

[Hamish]

Some of those images do look a little like the “god.” Thank you, pravnik.

Looking around the net, the only I can find that match the description are “reverse-handled tachi sword,” developed in the 11th century. Maybe one of those with a shishi on the handle?

[pmwgreen]

OK. I give up. If the blade wiggled like a snake and the scabbard fitted it exactly, how did you draw the thing?

[Hamish]

@pmwgreen

OK. I give up. If the blade wiggled like a snake and the scabbard fitted it exactly, how did you draw the thing?

She said she was surprised it drew easily, but other than that, she didn’t give any details.

If it is a Tachi sword, it cruves in a vaguely “S” shape only if you count the handle. The handle curves one way, the blade the other.

[devilsknew]

The description reminds me of an Indonesian Keris blade. There are wavy bladed Kris (dapor loq) that fit the snaking description. From what I have seen from some depictions on the internet they can often have elaborate carved handles and hilt pieces. According to the website the blade she is describing might specifically be a Balinese Keris:

Keris hilts descend from lifelike representations of a man. Islamisation has caused the evolution of the original hilts into very abstract representations where the barest outline of a man can be discerned. Only in Bali, which remains Hindu, there are lifelike representations of man, gods and beast.

The deity sounds like a representation of Garuda or maybe a stylized Vishnu mounted upon Garuda.

Of course the description of it as “three-sided in the blade” doesn’t match with the dual edge of the Keris. So this may be totally off, take it with a grain of salt.

Hope this helps anyways.

[devilsknew]

From this site:

The Naga, Makara and Garuda are mythical animals often represented in the Malay world of edged weapons…

The Garuda is the king of the birds and the mount of Vishnu. He is the enemy of the serpents and is associated with the all-consuming sun’s rays, he symbolizes protection…

The Garuda has the head, wings, tail and lower body of an eagle, and the upper body and arms of man.

[devilsknew]

Interestingly, the deity described matches the Eight-legged Lion, a Mythic chimera in Tibetan Buddhism - The son of a union between Garuda and a lion. It is one the three symbols of victory in the fight against disharmony according to this website.

More info here about Garuda’s incarnations

Ya know it’s a long shot but maybe she was describing a Tibetan Fire Sword (Kadgha)?

[Hamish]

That is really interesting, devilsknew.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Moodie confused a Tibetan or Indonesian weapon for a Japanese one. She tended to cultivate a contempuous, patronizing ignorance for non-European cultures.