Samurai Sword, Samurai Warrior, History Tradition
Continued From Page 2
Samurai Sword, Samurai Warrior, History & Tradition
During the era of the rule of the Samurai history, the earlier term yumitori (“bowman”) was also used as an honorary title of an accomplished warrior even when swordsmanship had become more important. Japanese archery (kyujutsu), is still strongly associated with the war god Hachiman.
A samurai with no attachment to a clan or daimyō was called a ronin. In Japanese, the word "ronin" means "wave man", a person destined to wander aimlessly forever, like the waves in the sea. In Samurai history the word came to mean a samurai who was no longer in the service of a lord because his lord had died, being banished, or simply choosing to become a ronin. It was considered undesirable to be a ronin, because it meant being without a stipend from a lord, measured in "koku" of rice (180 liters; enough to feed a man for one year). Samurai in the service of the han are called hanshi.
The following terms are related to samurai or the samurai tradition, Samurai history:
- Uruwashii - a cultured warrior symbolized by the kanji for "bun" (literary study) and "bu" (military study or arts)
- Buke (武家) – A martial house or a member of such a house
- Mononofu (もののふ) - An ancient term meaning a warrior.
- Musha (武者) – A shortened form of Bugeisha (武芸者), lit. martial art man.
- Shi (士) – A word roughly meaning "gentleman," it is sometimes used for samurai, in particular in words such as 武士 (bushi, meaning warrior or samurai).
- Tsuwamono (兵) – An old term for a soldier popularized by Matsuo Basho in his famous haiku. In Samurai history Literally meaning a strong person.
