the Sword of Old Japan. 338 
eight heads, has devoured all the maidens in the country, and 
now their child too must go. Susano resolves to slay the dragon. 
Filling eight jars with sake, a fermented liquor made from rice, 
he awaited the foe. Soon the monster appeared, and, as Susano 
had anticipated, plunges a head into each of the jars. He was 
soon intoxicated, and in that condition was slain by Susano, who 
proceeded to cut up the body; but his sharp blade struck against 
a hard substance in the tail of the monster, which proved to be 
a beautifully mounted sword. This sword was subsequently pre- 
sented by Amterasu to the first emperor, B.c. 585, together with 
the mirror and the sacred gem—the three sacred relics still to be 
seen in the Royal Treasury. ‘‘ Preserve them,’’ said the Sun 
Goddess, ‘‘ and your empire shall endure while heaven and earth 
remain.” It is a singular fact that during twenty-five centuries 
the imperial sceptre has never passed to any other dynasty, the 
only example in the world’s history. The sword in question is 
also known as “the sword of the clustering clouds.” 
Many famous swords are existing in the kuras of noble 
families, or in the temples, though the legends associated with 
them are not always, I need hardly say, authentic; but we can 
credit the story of the Higikiri, or beard-cutter, that, after cut- 
ting off a man’s head, also divided his beard ; or of the Hizamaru, 
the knee-cutter, which, in beheading a kneeling criminal, cut his 
knees also in its downward course. The edge of a famous blade 
made by Nagamitsu was so keen that it cut through a small bean 
thrown into the air. 
Rigid etiquette attended the wearing and the use of the sword 
in Old Japan. Dr. Lyman says :—‘‘ To draw a sword from its 
scabbard without begging leave of the others present was not 
thought polite; to clash the scabbard of your sword against 
another was a great rudeness ; to turn the sword in the scabbard 
as if to draw was tantamount to a challenge; and to lay your 
weapon on the floor, and to kick the guard towards another, was an 
intolerable insult that generally resulted in a combat to the death.” 
Another writer states :—‘‘ The rules of observance connected 
with the wearing of the long and short sword, or the single 
sword, were most minute, but have fallen into disuse. In 
former days the most trivial breach of this elaborate observance 
was often the cause of murderous brawls and dreadful reprisals. 
To express a wish to see a sword was not usual, unless when a 
blade of great value was in question, and then a request to be 
shown it would be a compliment appreciated by the happy 
possessor. The sword would then be handed with the back 
towards the guest, the edge turned towards the owner, and the 
hilt to the left, the guest wrapping the hilt either in the little 
silk napkin always carried by gentlemen in their girdle-books, or 
in a sheet of clean paper. The blade was drawn from the scab- 
