32 Mr. J. O. Pelton on 
to commit suicide, and around this terrible custom grew up one 
of the most elaborate ceremonials of old Japan, only abolished, 
and then after desperate opposition, when contact with western 
nations rendered it no longer possible. The ceremony is 
minutely described in Mitford’s ‘ Tales of Old Japan.’ 
Japanese sword-blades are divided into two groups, koto and 
shinto ; koto, which are the older blades, being considered the 
better. The date of division is 1596. I am indebted for this 
information to a paper by Mr. Gilbertson, who, however, expresses 
his inability to account for that particular year being chosen, as 
fine blades described as koto, were certainly forged well into the 
seventeenth century; but, speaking generally, the koto blades 
were forged when war was the normal condition of society, while 
the shinto blades belong to the era of profound peace with which 
Japan was blessed for two centuries and a half. This fact, I 
think, largely accounts for the preference of the Japanese for the 
older blades. Although the majority of the fine blades are koto, 
many smiths in the shinto period forged blades equal to any- 
thing their predecessors had produced. It has been stated that 
a wound from a koto blade would probably prove fatal, while a 
similar wound from a shinto blade would readily heal; but I do 
not consider the statement worthy of credence. 
A legend connected with the sword seems to indieate that the 
blades were divided into sexes. A certain king became mysteriously 
possessed of two masses of iron, of which he commanded a sword 
tobe made. But the smith made two swords of surpassing fineness, 
male and female, one only of which he gave to the king, burying 
the other in the ground. The secret was, however, discovered 
by the continued presence of moisture on the king’s blade, which 
lamented its absent mate, and the king summoned the smith to 
his presence. The smith, forseeing his fate, told his wife of the 
sword, which he bade her dig up and give to his three-year-old 
son when he should be come to man’s estate. It befell as he 
expected, and on his refusal to disclose the whereabouts of the 
sword he was put to death. There is no explanation of the 
smith’s reason for refusing to deliver up the sword. 
Foremost among the popular legends connected with the 
sword is the story of Susano and the Kight-headed Dragon, not 
unlike the familiar legend of St. George and the Dragon. Susano 
was the son of Isanaghi, the creative spirit, and brother of 
Amterasu, the radiant Sun Goddess. Susano, being very ill- 
behaved, so exasperated his sister that she retired into a cave, 
and the universe was plunged in darkness. After much trouble 
the gods enticed her from her retreat, and banished Susano. 
Wandering disconsolately along the sea-shore, he encountered 
two fond parents with their arms around their daughter, the fair 
Kushinada. He learns from them that a terrible dragon, with 
