Samurai have historically been some of the most fascinating and mysterious characters we know. They attract our attention as much as they intrigue us.
Kaishaku: The Role of the Second (Kaishaku: The role of the second) is the title of an interesting book that contains the English translation of four japanese texts written between 1600 and the first half of 1900, relating to the suicide and beheading rituals that were carried out within the Japanese warrior class. These texts have been passed down in samurai families for generations and describe how the Seppukumore widely known as Harakiri. The translation is the work of Eric Shahan, who has already translated several Japanese books on martial arts and one on the history of tattoos in japan.
Who were the samurai?
The samurai They were members of the Japanese warrior class who served the imperial court in the late 12th century and played an important political role in certain historical periods. They were not only warriors, but also repositories of refined knowledge and rituals, such as the now famous tea ceremony.
The samurai culture It was characterized by the fact that honor and loyalty were more important than the warrior’s own life, to the point that it led to the institutionalization of the Seppuko as an alternative to defeat and, in general, dishonor. The category of samurai was discarded in the second half of the 19th century.
The role of Kaishaku
As reported in LiveScience Owen Jarus, a journalist who writes about archeology and human history, several details emerged from the translation of the four Japanese texts, such as the differences in the way of enacting Seppuku according to the rank of the Samurai or with the crimes by the that he himself had been convicted.
In general, the texts contained information that in the past was usually transmitted orally within the samurai community, with the aim of creating a written memory for use primarily by the Kaishaku, or ‘Second’. The latter had the task of witnessing the ceremony and was often in charge of carrying out the beheading.
Contrary to the widespread idea in the common imagination, in fact, Seppuku It did not always consist of the condemned self-inflicted stab in the stomach. Normally, a designated one carried a tray with a knife that could be used by the samurai sentenced to death, but The Kaishaku most often proceeded to cut off his head before he could commit suicide..
Different rituals according to rank
The decapitation, we read again in the news LiveScience which takes up the content of the recently published translation, had to be done according to very precise criteria: for example, It was necessary for the executor not to forget to look into the eyes and then at the feet of the person subjected to Seppuku. In fact, this mistake would have been a sign of weakness probably due to a connection with the condemned person, and would have brought shame and dishonor to the Kaishaku or the performer of the ritual in general.
As might be expected, the ritual could vary greatly depending on the rank of the warrior. Normally, higher-ranking samurai were allowed to drink sake before execution (the word actually refers to ‘alcohol’, although it is commonly used in the West to refer to alcohol). nihonshuan alcoholic beverage obtained from the fermentation of rice). After the beheading, the hair of the high-ranking warrior was perfumed and the head was kept in special containers for this purpose. On the contrary, low-ranking samurai or those guilty of crimes considered especially serious, had a much less honorable death; They were tied up, beheaded and thrown into a pit.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy. Adapted by Andrea Baranenko.
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