Editing Japanese sword (section)

==== Religion, honour and mythology ====
The origins of Japanese swords and their effects and influence on society differs depending on the story that is followed.
 
* Swords and warriors are closely associated with Shinto in [[Japanese culture]]. Shinto is "the way of the gods", meaning that all elements of the world are embedded with god like spirits.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yumoto |first1=John |last2=Ford |first2=T |title=Samurai Sword: A Handbook. |publisher=Tuttle Pub |isbn=978-4805311349 |page=47|date=2011-03-10 }}</ref> Shinto endorses self-purification, ancestral worship, nature-worship and imperial divinity. It is said that swords are a source of wisdom and "emanate energy" to inspire the wielder.{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=53}} As Shintoism shaped the progress of Japanese expansionism and international affairs so too did the sword become a mechanism for change.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ogawa |first1=Morihiro |last2=Harada |first2=Kazutoshi |title=Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868 |date=2010 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |location=New York |isbn=978-0300142051 |page=120}}</ref>
* There is a Japanese legend that, along with the mirror and the jewels, the sword makes up one of three Imperial Icons. The Imperial Icons present the three values and personality traits that all good emperors should possess as leaders of celestial authority.{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=53}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singer |first1=Kurt |title= Mirror, Sword and Jewel: The Geometry of Japanese Life |date=1981 |publisher=Kodansha International |location=Tokyo; New York |isbn=0870114603 |pages=25, 51, 117 }}</ref>
* Japanese mythology states that the sword is a "symbol of truth" and a "token of virtue".{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=55}}{{sfn|Singer|1981|p=25}} Legend states originate from the battle between Amaterasu and her brother, Susa-no-wo-o-no Mikotot (Susa-no). To defeat Susa-no, Amaterasu split the ten-span sword until she broke herself into three pieces. Legend states that the sword can "create union by imposing social order" because it hold the ability to cut objects into two or more pieces and dictate the shape and size of the pieces.{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=55}}
* Mythology also suggests that when Emperor [[Emperor Jimmu|Jimmu Tennō]] was moving his army through the land, a deity blocked their path with toxic gas which caused them to drift into an indefinite slumber. Upon seeing this, Amaterasu pleaded with the God of Thunder to punish the deity and allow the emperor to proceed. The God of Thunder, instead of following her orders, sent his sword down to the emperor to subdue the land. Upon receiving the sword, the emperor woke up, along with his troops and they proceeded with their mission. According this legend, swords have the power to save the imperial (divine) bloodline in times of need.{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=57}}
* In martial arts training, it is believed that within a sword: 
** "The blade represents the juncture where the wisdom of leaders and gods intersects with the commoner. The sword represents the implement by which societies are managed. The effectiveness of the sword as a tool and the societal beliefs surrounding it both lift the sword to the pinnacle of warrior symbolism."{{sfn|Roach|2010|p=169}}
* Swords are a symbol of Japanese honour and esteem for hand-to-hand combat. They represent the idea that taking another's life should be done with honour, and long-range combat (firearms) is a cowardly way to end another's life.{{sfn|Singer|1981|p=41}}{{sfn|Ogawa|Harada|2010|p=22}} This also connects to the Japanese belief of self-sacrifice, warriors should be ready to lay down their lives for their nation (emperor).{{sfn|Singer|1981|p=41}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wert |first1=Michael |title=Samurai: A Concise History |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0190932947 |page=107}}</ref>

There is a rich relationship between swords, Japanese culture, and societal development. The different interpretations of the origins of swords and their connection to the spirit world, each hold their own merit within Japanese society, past and present. Which one and how modern-day samurai interpret the history of swords, help influence the kind of samurai and warrior they choose to be.