The Samurai
This Samurai is wearing face armor that was meant to scare or frighten his enemies from the battle.
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This is a cave where the Samurai would commit there ancient suicide ritual Seppuku.
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The Samurai were amazing with a Bow, Sword and were great fighters on Horse back. This made the Samurai a multi-threat on the battle field.
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This Image includes two swords, the big sword is used for battle and the smaller sword is used if the samurai had to commit Seppuku after losing a battle. The face mask was supposed to look scary so the enemy would get scared and it also protected them from getting stabbed in the neck.
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The Samurai
Who were the Samurai? The Samurai were like Japanese knights. They fought for the Daimyo (Vassal) and Shogun (Military leader, like a European Lord). The Samurai were very well disciplined; they hated to dishonor their families or their Shoguns. Samurai were also women that defended the land that they lived in but rarely would they go into battle. Many Samurai practiced either Shintoism or Buddhism to help them discover inner peace and humility.
Shinto
What were the many beliefs of a Samurai? The Samurai believed
in different religions, not every Samurai believed in the same religion. The
two religions that Samurai believed in were Shinto and Zen Buddhism. Shinto was
the first religion that the Japanese warriors adopted. The Samurai that followed
Shinto believed that all natural things contain a God. They also believed there
first emperor was a descendant of the sun goddess thus making him a God. The
Shinto followers built many shrines for Shinto because they believed the dead
would use the shrines as a gathering place.
Zen Buddihism
Zen means meditation or focusing
the mind on a single object or idea. The Samurai wanted to find the truth,
Knowledge and find self-control through meditation. The Samurai wanted to
achieve inner peace. Zen Buddhism gave Samurai the mind of no mind. It blocked
all feelings to death, victory and defeat. All the Samurai focused on was the
future and the changing tide of battle. Buddhists are pacifist but they had no hesitation killing the enemy, their captains told them to intent solely on
killing the enemy and having no hesitation.
Codes of a Samurai
Samurai had to follow certain codes to become a Samurai.
Bushido “the way of the warrior” was a code very much like the European Knight's
Code of Chivalry. The Samurai had to protect the women, children, and their lord's land, and be loyal to the Daimyo. Kendo is “the way of the sword”. Samurai had to
be one with their sword. Seppuku was a ritual suicide that Samurai did when
they lost a battle or dishonored their clan.
The end of the Samurai
American soldiers overthrew the Samurai in the 18th century. This was the end of the Samurai era and the Tokugawa regime. American ships sailed over to Japan and defeated the Samurai. There are still Samurai but not a lot. The Samurai era was a state of well balance in warfare for Japan. Japan always got these noble warriors to fight for them. Samurai was a legend of Feudalism
This is the inside of a Samurai residence. This looks like the training room where Samurai would practice with other Samurai or their children that would later carry the family title of Samurai.
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Samurai were also linguistic, they made many poems about battle, Japan and their deaths. This poem is made by a Samurai named Matsuo Basho. Matsuo is apologizing to his disciples for dying before them.
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Works Cited
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