The Legendary Curse of Samurai Muramasa Blades

Swords of renown are the objects of many mystical, heroic, and even tragic legends. Fueled by tales of bloodshed and conquest, stories about various swords throughout history have grown to fantastical proportions, combining fact and fiction until the two are indistinguishable.

In ancient Japan, swords were regarded as the “Soul of the Samurai,” and symbolizes a Samurai’s power and prowess. To the samurai, the possession of this dangerous instrument instills a feeling and air of self-respect and responsibility. Carrying the sword is a symbol of what the samurai upholds in his mind and heart – loyalty and honor. And because these weapons were placed in such high regard, so were the swordsmiths that forged them.

The esteem placed on Japan’s ancient swordsmiths was so tremendous that some of them, at one point or another, became as widely acclaimed — if not more so — than as the samurai wielding their creation. And among the greatest and most legendary of Japan’s swordsmiths was Muramasa Sengo.

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Background on Muramasa Sengo

Muramasa Sengo lived and pursued his sword-making craft during the Muromachi Period – between the 14th and 15th century AD - in feudal Japan’s Ise Province, in a the Kuwana town. He founded the Muramasa school and passed down his sword-making art and style to students. This legacy continued for 200 years. Both Muramasa and his sword-making school were known for their extraordinary quality and sharpness of their blades, making their weapons greatly prized and highly sought after by warriors and generals in the early 1500's.

Muramasa was an incredible swordsmith to the point that people regarded him as one of the finest swordsmiths who ever lived. Although he had incredible talent, he was also known to have a troubled mind. Aside from the quality and sharpness of his swords, he also gained notoriety for his rather volatile nature, and some believed a dark curse or evil spirit emanates from his weapons.

The Curse of the Muramasa Blades

The rumors regarding the supposed “curse” of the Muramasa blades mainly originated from the abrasive and venomous personality of Muramasa himself. Besides being a brilliant swordsmith, he supposedly sometimes went insane, bursting into violent rages and lashing out at whoever was nearby. This unbalanced mind bordering on complete madness, a relentless drive for perfection, and a violent passion for crafting deadly swords gave birth to weapons possessing his genius, intense determination, and insane bloodlust.

Muramasa’s swords were said to have a life of their own. There are tales claiming that the swordsmith had made a deal with the devil to make the deadliest and most powerful weapons. Aside from that, Muramasa allegedly had the habit of whispering a prayer to the gods that his swords would become the “greatest destroyers.”

The swords created by Muramasa were believed capable of possessing their wielders and pushing them beyond the brink of murderous rage. Stories say these swords boost swordsmanship, super strength, and resistance to damage and pain! The cursed Muramasa swords are believed to thirst for blood and if not satisfied with enough blood from enemies, they would turn on their owner forcing them to commit suicide for appeasement!

If a Muramasa blade was drawn, that sword would ruthlessly demand blood before it could be placed back into its scabbard, which meant almost certain doom for its wielder if no one else was around for the weapon to unleash its bloodlust upon. There are also claims that a sheathed Muramasa sword would call to be unleashed and compel their owners to kill!

Although the Muramasa swords were irrefutably effective weapons proving reliable in battle, the dark curse surrounding them allegedly made these weapons just as dangerous for its wielders and those around them. The swords were believed to hardly discriminate between friend and foe, using their owners only as mere instruments to help them kill people — even the wielders’ allies, friends, and family. It was also quite common to hear about owners of Muramasa swords going insane, with their minds bent to or destroyed by the demonic will of their weapons. Sometimes, these warriors ended up killing themselves to escape the curse and the madness that come with the swords.

Banning of the Muramasa Blades

Even with the “evil” reputation of the Muramasa blades, the swords remained popular in Japan, with Muramasa Sengo’s school of sword-making enduring for the next 200 hundred years. It was only during the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the last feudal government in Japan, that Muramasa’s blades fell out of favor.

The shogun believed that the Muramasa swords were cursed, and blamed them for the demise of many of his allies, friends, and relatives. The Shogun's father, Matsudaira Hirota, as well as his grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, were apparently both cut down by their retainers who were in a murderous trance while wielding such swords. Tokugawa even claimed that he was also cut by a Muramasa katana that was carried by one of his samurai guards while he inspected his ranks. His own wife and adopted son were also allegedly executed using a Muramasa sword.

These gave rise to the legend that Muramasa’s blades possessed the curse and power to kill members of the Tokugawa family. As a result of this, the Shogun decided to ban the ownership of Muramasa blades. Many of them were melted down, but some were also hidden away. The Shogun took the ban so seriously that those who were caught in possession or keeping Muramasa blades were punished severely.

One notable case was that of Takanak Ume, the Magistrate of Nagasaki. In 1634, the magistrate was found to have hoarded as many as 24 Muramasa blades, and because of this, he was ordered to commit “seppuku” – a ritual suicide by disembowelment.

Despite the harsh punishments imposed upon those who were caught to be in possession of Muramasa swords, there were those who insisted on keeping their blades, even going so far as to change the markings on these blades to avoid detection from authorities. And because these swords were thought to have a special affinity for killing members of the Tokugawa family, there was also a heightened demand for the Muramasa blades among the Shogun's enemies. Thus for profit, lesser swordsmiths made fakes and today it's difficult to verify the authenticity of surviving Muramasa blades.

Were the Muramasa Blades really cursed with a bloodthirsty evil spirit or were the stories just a byproduct of their crazed popularity back then? Were the violence and killings really the fault of the swords or was it the warriors' own thirst for power?

Nevertheless, Muramasa Blades today still embody the superior Japanese sword-making skills and are present in today’s pop culture. Magical and powerful weapons based on these legendary swords are found in many Asian medias from video games to anime and even in western Marvel comics.

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Sources:

• http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/curse-samurai-muramasa-blades-002878?nopaging=1
• http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/bsd/bsd18.htm
• http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/03/the-mysterious-cursed-and-magic-swords-of-japan/
• http://www.muramasa.us/muramasa.html
• http://listverse.com/2013/11/16/10-mysterious-swords-from-legend-and-history/

The Most Deadly Cursed Diamond In The World

Diamonds are precious gemstones which, from ancient to modern times, have typically been used for adornment because of its gemological and shining characteristic of dispersing white light and bursting it into different spectral and sparkling colors. It cannot be denied that people are primarily fascinated by these precious stones for their crystalline beauty and elegance as well as the widespread knowledge that they could last “forever.” But, of course, not all diamonds and other gemstones are famous simply for their physical attributes, but for the notorious reputation, they gained over several generations for purportedly being cursed. 
 
Many of the oldest gemstones that survive today bring with them tales of mystery, intrigue as well as a series of misfortunes that have been passed down from one owner to the next. With so many people going to great lengths to possess them, and with so many deaths believed to have been caused by these precious diamonds, a lot of individuals today are left wondering if the pricelessness of these gemstones is worth the curse that comes with owning one.
 
One of the most famously known diamonds believed to possess a deadly curse is the Koh-i-Noor.

The Koh-i-Noor, which is Persian for “Mountain of Light,” is currently ranked as the 90th largest diamond in the world, and is arguably the most infamous one. It is a large, dazzling, oval-cut and colorless diamond, which currently weighs at 105.6 karats or 21.12 grams. Its earliest officially recorded weight was 186 karats or 77.2 grams, though it is believed by some to have weighed as much as 793 karats before its first cutting. 
 
As for when it was first found and where it originally came from, no one knows for certain. But what is common knowledge is the fact that it is an unspeaking witness to centuries of violent and bloody wars and conquests, having been passed on from one ruler or conqueror to another, sometimes by inheritance but mostly by force. The story and lives of those who once held ownership of this gemstone went down in history as rulers whose legacies were plagued with ill fortune, and whose kingdoms and empires eventually met their downfall. 
 
Even now, ownership of this precious diamond is still being fought about by various nations, which is probably why some people have thought of the Koh-i-Noor as the deadliest cursed diamond on the planet. 

Source: bbc

Mysterious Origins

There are conflicting views regarding the possible origins of the Koh-i-Noor. Some say that the legendary diamond’s existence dates back to more than 5,000 years ago, and was found in the river bed of the Lower Godavari River, which is part of the second longest river in India. Others say that the legendary diamond came from Surya, the sun god, and was given to the world as a unique gift. There also those who claim that the diamond was originally the property of the Hindu god Krishna, while others believe that the Koh-i-Noor is the prized jewel called Shyamantaka mentioned in the written texts of Indian mythology. Another story suggests that the diamond was worn by Raja Karna as a talisman when he fought in the Mahabharata war. 

 

The Journey of the Koh-i-Noor From India to England

While it may be impossible now to find out where exactly the Koh-i-Noor was found, it is widely believed that the prized gemstone came from the Kollur Mines in the Guntur District, which was located in what is known today as the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. 
 
They say that the diamond was the eye of the Devi, or the goddess, in a Hindu temple during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty sometime in the 13th century. However, during the early 14th century, the Turkic Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate marched to southern India. The army of Alauddin Khalji – the dynasty’s second ruler – raided the kingdoms of the area for their wealth, and it is believed that among the riches and prized possessions taken by the Khilji’s army is the Koh-i-Noor diamond. 
 
The stone supposedly remained in the custody of the Khilji dynasty for several years until it was later passed on to subsequent dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate. However, most historians agree that the first reliable recording of the Koh-i-Noor was in the Baburnama or the Memoirs of Babur, an autobiographical work written by the founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur. The jewel was obtained by the conqueror and at the time, he referred to it as the “Diamond of Babur.” He also mentioned in his memoirs that it had belonged to an unnamed Raja of Malwa in India. It has also been said that the emperor treasured the diamond so much that he compared its worth to “the value of one day’s food for all the people in the world” who lived at the time. 
 
The Mughal Empire ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent for around two centuries, and it is believed that the Koh-i-Noor was passed from one emperor of the Mughal Empire to the next until the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, had the jewel placed onto his ornamental Peacock Throne. Unfortunately, Jahan’s sons got caught up in a power struggle that led to his imprisonment, and the ailing emperor eventually passed away in captivity. When his son Aurangzeb came into power, ownership of the Peacock Throne and the diamond passed onto him before it eventually came into the possession of Aurangzeb’s grandson, Sultan Mahamad. 

 In 1739, Delhi was invaded by the ruling Shah of Persia, Nader Shah, who went down in history as the “scourge” of the Ottoman Empire. With the invasion of Nader Shah’s army came the exhaustive looting and acquisition of the riches and valuable possessions of the Mughal nobility. Along with other jewels and treasures, the Peacock Throne which contained the diamond was transported to Persia. As the story goes, when the Shah finally got his hands on the famous stone, he allegedly exclaimed “Koh-i-Noor!” which is how the jewel got its name. 
 
The Koh-i-Noor did not last for very long in Nader Shah’s possession as he was assassinated in 1747. With the fall of his empire, the diamond fell into the hands of his general, Ahmad Shah Abdali, who eventually rose to power as the Emir of Afghanistan. When he and his son died during their respective reigns, Ahmad Shah Abdali’s descendants were caught in a civil war. Amid the chaos, Shah Shuja Durrani, a descendant of Ahmad Shah who briefly assumed power as king, escaped from the wrath of his feuding brothers and brought the Koh-i-Noor with him in India. 

Shah Shuja Durrani sought asylum in Lahore, which was granted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler and founder of the Sikh Empire. However, his safety came at a very high price, as the Sikh emperor required that the Koh-i-Noor be given to him in exchange for his hospitality. And so, Shah Shuja Durrani surrendered ownership of the diamond, and the Sikh emperor took possession of the stone in 1813. 
 
The new owner of the Koh-i-Noor purportedly loved the diamond so much that he wore it on all kinds of public occasions. Perhaps to make sure that the jewel will be taken care of by capable hands, the Sikh emperor willed that the Koh-i-Noor be given to a Hindu temple. However, when he died and after the assassinations of the next Maharajas, his youngest son, Duleep Singh, ascended the throne at the tender age of five in 1843. And when the British Empire won the Second Anglo-Sikh War in April 1849, the ten-year-old Duleep was made to sign the Last Treaty of Lahore. Having done so, he resigned his claim to the sovereignty of Punjab and officially ceded ownership of the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria along with his other assets to the East India Company.
 

When the Koh-i-Noor came into the possession of the British royal family, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, commissioned the re-cutting of the diamond to its current size and appearance, and it was worn by the queen as a personal brooch. After Queen Victoria’s death, it became a part of the crown jewels of the British royal family. It was mounted onto the crown of Queen Consort Alexandra before it was transferred to Queen Consort Mary’s crown in 1911, and was finally placed on the crown of The Queen Mother Elizabeth in 1937.
 
Today, the crown is publicly displayed along with other Crown Jewels of the royal family at the Tower of London.

The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor

Considering that the ownership of the Koh-i-Noor transferred from one person to another for so many times to the point that it became difficult to pinpoint who had it when we can’t help but ask: Is the curse of the Koh-i-Noor real?
 
There’s an old saying about the Koh-i-Noor, and it states: “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or woman, can wear it with impunity.”
 
If we take a look at the events that transpired around the time the Koh-i-Noor was in possession of an emperor or a ruler, it will not be difficult to see the pattern of violence, gore, and tragedies that are very apparent in the diamond’s history. The stories of the people who gained ownership of the jewel and their descendants who ended up inheriting the stone usually ended in torture, murder, mutilation, treachery and the collapse of their dynasties. 

While the British royal family may never admit that they believe in the curse of the Koh-i-Noor, its history cannot be dismissed so easily, and it seems the threat of receiving the curse is frightening enough for the long-reigning monarch to handle it with caution. After the reign of Queen Victoria, the use of the Koh-i-Noor diamond has so far only been granted to the wives of the male heirs to the British throne. Even Queen Elizabeth II has steered clear of wearing the diamond with a crown or as an accessory, even though the Koh-i-Noor’s curse supposedly only applied to male rulers.

Of course, this does not confirm that the diamond is cursed and deadly, but it does leave us wondering if the jewel is indeed the source of the problem of its owners, or its role in the violent history of many fallen empires is not any more special than any other spoil of war. Did the owners of the Koh-i-Noor and the empires and kingdoms they ruled experienced horrible misfortunes and terrible fates because the diamond in their possession was cursed? Or, did people come to believe that the Koh-i-Noor was cursed simply because its previous owners incidentally experienced misfortunes along with the collapse of their empires?
 
We may never know for sure if the Koh-i-Noor is indeed cursed, or its supposed menacing power to destroy the lives of its owners and their descendants is nothing more than a long-standing myth. And perhaps answering this mystery should be the least of our concern at the moment as there are more pressing issues about this diamond that remains unresolved today, particularly the disputes over its ownership. 
 
Although under the possession of the British royal family, other countries such as India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have called for the United Kingdom’s relinquishment of the diamond’s ownership and the return of the Koh-i-Noor to the care of their respective nations. And although the jewel’s presence in London is largely contested, it looks like the British royal family will not be ceding possession of this diamond anytime soon. 

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-4608828/The-world-s-deadliest-diamond.html
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http://www.academia.edu/6804928/The_Lust_and_Curse_of_the_Koh-i-Noor_Diamond_of_India
https://www.worthy.com/famous-diamonds/the-koh-i-noor-diamond
http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/mountain-light-history-and-lore-koh-i-noor-diamond-005172?nopaging=1