Many Samurai Had Swords With Secret Crucifixes And Hidden Christian Symbols To Avoid Persecution
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - During the feudal era in Japan, also known as the Age of the Warrior, Christians were persecuted.
Christianity was banned in Japan, but some kept their deep faith despite persecution.
Left - Image source; Right: Image source - Sawada Miki Kinenkan Museum.
Hundreds of Japanese Samurai warriors were Christians, and they hid religious codes in their sword hilts. Several Samurai swords with secret crucifixes and hidden Christian symbols have been found.
The feudal era lasted from 1185 CE to 1868 CE. It was a time when the Emperor and the Shogun were the highest-ranking nobles.
The collapse of aristocratic rule ushered in a new age of chaos — appropriately called the Warring States period (c.1400-1600) — in which the military might dictate who governed and who followed.
During this period, Bushido, which means "way of the warrior," the warriors developed a code of chivalry as the samurai.
Early seventeenth century sword tsuba featuring an unusual crucifix in it’s decoration. Image credit: Revivaler
In 1549, Roman Catholic Jesuit missionaries led by Francis Xavier introduced Christianity to the East. Catholic missionaries initially brought the religion to the East around the mid-1500s.
However, it took only a short time before Christianity was banned. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1596), a Japanese warrior commander who later became an undisputed military dictator, prohibited the practice of Christianity and expelled all foreigners in 1638.
At the time, there were about 300,000 people in Japan. Many renounced their faith, and others went underground. Several Christians were also tortured and killed.
Samurais were banned from following religions after feudal Japan and many carried secret Christian symbols. Image credit: Sawada Miki Kinenkan museum.
Catholics who hid underground continued to practice their religion. They disguised images of Jesus and Mary to look like Buddhas and changed their prayers to sound like Buddhist chants.
At the Sawada Miki Kinenkan museum, several Japanese feudal-era sword guards are on display. These ancient swords offer evidence that Japanese Samurai warriors were Christians.
Forty-eight swords were identified to have belonged to Christians, and more than 10 of these could have been created somewhere between 1467 and 1568 during the Sengoku period. Having been among the Samurai's most important ornaments for their swords, the sword guards are believed to have been designed with hidden crosses to prove their Christianity, albeit in secret.
"A characteristic of sword guards made after anti-Christian measures were taken is that Christians carefully hid crosses in their designs.
We concluded the designs show the faith of hidden Christians, Yuhiko Nakanishi, chairman of the nonprofit group Nihon Token Hozon Kai, a Japanese sword preservation association, said.
Today, Christianity in Japan is a religious minority of about one million to three million people.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Updated on February 8, 2024
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Medieval Mystery Of The Booted Man Found In The Thames Mud
Archaeology | Dec 10, 2018
-
10 Ancient Love Symbols
Featured Stories | Mar 2, 2023
-
‘Masters Of The Desert’ – Hohokam People, Massive Caliche Structures And Sophisticated Extensive Irrigation Canals
Civilizations | May 31, 2016
-
Bronze Age Finding Offer New Clues On The Beginnings Of Cardiff
Archaeology | Jul 15, 2022
-
Puzzling Ancient Artifacts Of Unknown Origin And Purpose
Artifacts | Mar 10, 2014
-
Priam’s Treasure – Authentic Trove From Homeric Troy Or Deception?
Artifacts | Jun 11, 2021
-
Prophet King Phineus Revealed The Future To Humans And Unleashed God Zeus’ Fury
Featured Stories | Nov 20, 2019
-
Ancient DNA Reveals Mongolia’s First Nomadic Empire Was Multiethnic
Archaeology | Apr 14, 2023
-
Coin Hoard Paints A Fascinating Picture Of Life Of Highland Clan Chief And His Household
Archaeology | Oct 13, 2023
-
Earliest Fascinating Concepts Of Artificial Intelligence And Robots In Ancient Myths – Examined
Archaeology | Mar 6, 2019
-
Ashurbanipal – Last Great Ruler Of Assyria And His Famous Well-Organized Library
Featured Stories | Jun 21, 2021
-
Earliest Document Written 2,100 Years Ago May Rewrite History Of The Basque Language
Archaeology | Nov 17, 2022
-
Secrets Of Ancient Underwater City Pavlopetri Revealed – Travel Back In Time And See What The City Looked Like!
Archaeology | Mar 1, 2014
-
Extraordinary Discovery Of First Viking Tower In Viborg, Denmark Re-Writes Viking History
Archaeology | Jan 30, 2017
-
Amazing Finds At Rutland Roman Villa Reported By Archaeologists
Archaeology | Nov 29, 2022
-
Triskelion – Millennia Old Traditional Symbol Used In Many Cultures Around The World
Ancient Symbols | Dec 13, 2018
-
Mystery Of The Hidden Wooden Hieroglyphic Tablets And The Unknown White Bearded Men – The Vatican – Part 1
Civilizations | Mar 2, 2021
-
Remains Of Medieval Port Discovered In Eindhoven
Archaeology | Nov 17, 2020
-
Mysterious Inscription On Naxian-Style Sphinx From Dacia Deciphered
Archaeology | Jan 15, 2024
-
‘Vampire Of Lugnano’ And Old Beliefs In Witchcraft: Eerie And Weird Discovery In Italy
Archaeology | Oct 13, 2018