Totsuka-no-Tsurugi

Totsuka-no-Tsurugi (Japanese: "Sword of Ten Hand-Breadths" or "Ten-Span Sword") is a class of divine swords in Japanese Shinto mythology, with several legendary blades bearing this designation. The name describes not a single weapon but a type - a sword whose blade measures ten fists (approximately 75-80 centimeters) in length. These swords appear at crucial moments in Japanese mythology, wielded by the most powerful deities to accomplish deeds that shaped the cosmic order.

The most famous Totsuka-no-Tsurugi is the Ama-no-Habakiri ("Slash of Heavenly Wings" or "Heaven's Tail-Feathers-Cutter"), the sword used by Susanoo to slay the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. Another is the Ama-no-Ohabari ("Divine Blade of Heaven"), used by Izanagi to kill the fire god Kagutsuchi.

These divine swords represent the power of the kami to impose order upon chaos, to slay monsters and rebellious spirits, and to establish the sacred authority of the heavenly lineage.

The first major mythological use of a Totsuka-no-Tsurugi occurs in the tragic story of Izanami's death. The creator goddess, wife of Izanagi, died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. The flames of his birth burned her fatally, and she descended to Yomi, the land of the dead.

In his grief and rage, Izanagi drew his Totsuka-no-Tsurugi (called Ama-no-Ohabari in some versions) and struck down his own son. With three strokes, he cut Kagutsuchi into pieces. From the god's body and blood sprang numerous new kami, including gods of thunder, mountains, and various aspects of fire itself.

This act demonstrates the creative-destructive nature of divine violence in Shinto mythology. Even the murder of a god by his father leads to new creation - the universe continues to expand and differentiate through such sacred violence.

The most famous story involving a Totsuka-no-Tsurugi is Susanoo's battle with Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent that terrorized the land of Izumo. This myth contains one of Japanese mythology's most beloved heroic narratives.

The Setup

After being expelled from heaven for his tempestuous behavior, Susanoo descended to the mortal realm. There he encountered an elderly couple weeping beside a beautiful young woman, Kushinadahime. They explained that each year for seven years, the Orochi had come to devour one of their eight daughters. Kushinadahime was the last, and the serpent was coming for her.

The Battle

Susanoo devised a plan. He had the couple prepare eight vats of sake (rice wine) and a fence with eight gates. When the Orochi arrived, it found the sake and drank greedily from each vat with each of its eight heads. Drunk and stupefied, the serpent was helpless when Susanoo attacked.

With his Totsuka-no-Tsurugi (the Ama-no-Habakiri), Susanoo cut the serpent to pieces. As he carved through one of the tails, his blade struck something hard and chipped. Cutting open the tail, he discovered another sword - the legendary Kusanagi (Grass-Cutting Sword), which would become one of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japan.

Divine Justice

The Totsuka-no-Tsurugi represents the power of the kami to enforce cosmic order. Both Izanagi's slaying of Kagutsuchi and Susanoo's defeat of the Orochi demonstrate that even divine beings are subject to consequences for disrupting the proper order of things.

Monster-Slaying

As a serpent-slaying sword, the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi connects to a worldwide pattern of dragon/serpent-slaying myths. Susanoo's victory over the Orochi parallels stories like St. George and the Dragon, Siegfried and Fafnir, and Indra's defeat of Vritra.

Imperial Authority

The discovery of Kusanagi within the Orochi's body, found using a Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, links these divine swords to the foundation of Japanese imperial authority. The sword of divine justice literally produces the sword of imperial sovereignty.