thumb|upright|Nagamaki, koshirae, from tsuka to tip, tang, tsuka, cutting edge

thumb|upright=0.2|Nagamaki koshirae, 54 in.

thumb|upright=0.2|Nagamaki hilt, 26.75 in.

thumb|upright=0.2|Shinto nagamaki tang, 19.75 in.

The is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (nihontō) with an extra long handle, used by the samurai class of feudal Japan.

History

It is possible that nagamaki were first produced during the Heian period (794 to 1185), but there are no known examples dating from before the mid Kamakura period (1192–1333). The nagamaki is believed to have been developed from the . The , with its long blade, was sometimes too long to be used with a standard length hilt. Therefore, a strong cord would sometimes be wrapped around the sword from the center of the blade to the , and the user would hold the sword by that part of the cord. The sword used in this way was called . It is believed that this usage evolved into the nagamaki, in which the hilt was lengthened during the manufacturing process.

In the Sengoku period, as the battlefield changed to a tactic where foot soldiers called fought on a large scale in dense formations with and , , which were difficult to use in dense formations, were replaced by nagamaki, and heavy and long were often replaced by .

During the Sengoku period, the nagamaki reached its peak of usage. It was generally used as a weapon for low-ranking soldiers who fought on foot. The historical book mentions that nagamaki were lent to low-ranking soldiers who could not handle the well.

In the Edo period (1603–1867), the hilts of nagamaki were often cut off and made into or . This practice of cutting off the hilt of a or or or nagamaki and remaking it into a shorter or due to changes in tactics is called and was common in Japan at the time.

In Japan, there is a saying about swords: "No sword made by modifying a nagamaki or a is dull in cutting" (長巻（薙刀）直しに鈍刀なし). The meaning of this saying is nagamaki and are equipment for combat, not works of art or offerings to the , and that the sharpness and durability of swords made from their modifications have been proven on the battlefield.

Description

The nagamaki was a long sword with a blade that could be or more and a handle of about equal length to the blade.

All traditional Japanese swords are fitted snugly to their hilts and held in place with a mekugi, a bamboo peg which is fit through a hole in the tang called a mekugi-ana. This is a very strong mount when done correctly, and allowed for easy dismount of the bare blade for maintenance or inspection. Katanas most commonly had one single pin, and nagamaki commonly have been found with two or more to account for the added leverage of a longer handle.

Use

Wielding is very specific; it is held with two hands in a fixed position in the same way a katana is held. Unlike the naginata, the hands do not change when handling the weapon and the right hand was always the closest to the blade. While handling nagamaki, fewer sliding actions on the handle are performed than the naginata, where the entire length of the shaft is used. The nagamaki is designed for large sweeping and slicing strokes. The nagamaki was typically used as an infantry weapon, often against cavalry.

In fiction

  • Tatsugiri, signature nagamaki wields by Kuryuu Ango in 2000s Gamaran manga.
  • Sir Alonne, a boss encountered in the Dark Souls II DLC campaign Crown of the Old Iron King, is a samurai-like character who wields a nagamaki. He will commit seppuku with the nagamaki if the player defeats him under 5 minutes without taking damage.
  • Lyon, a supporting character in the fifth Suikoden game, wields a nagamaki to protect her charge, the Prince of Falena, who is the protagonist.
  • In The Lord of the Rings films The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the Elves are shown using a curved, single-edged sword very similar to the nagamaki, except for a subtle S-shape.
  • In the anime called Tensei Shitara Suraimu Datta Ken, the red-haired warrior Hiiro wields a nagamaki sword.
  • Corrupted Monk, a boss encountered in the game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, wields a huge nagamaki and performs elaborate swipe and swing attacks on the player.
  • In Samurai Shodown, newcomer Yashamaru Kurama wields a nagamaki. He is the only character in the series to wield one.

See also

  • Japanese sword
  • Naginata
  • Podao
  • Swordstaff

Notes

References

  • Amdur, Ellis (2002). Old School, Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions, Edgework
  • Friday, Karl F. (2004). Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan, Routledge
  • Knutsen, Roald M. (1963). Japanese Polearms, The Holland Press, London
  • Nihonto message board forum
  • Richard Stein Article on the Nagamaki
  • Swordforum Article on the Nagamaki
  • Swordforum Discussion of the Nagamaki