Cursed Swords seen outside of Anime
In the anime One Piece, Zoro picked up the Sandai Kitetsu in Loguetown, at a small sword shop run by Ipponmatsu. The shopkeeper warned him the blade was cursed and would bring misfortune to any wielder.
But here’s the fun part: this idea of the “cursed sword” isn’t just found in anime. Did you know that they are also featured in samurai films?
I just finished translating a film featuring one of those cured swords called “Nure Tsubame.”
What’s a yoto?
In English, they are usually translated as “cursed sword,” but the original words, “yoto” means more like mystical, or ghostly swords.
Katana are said to represent samurai’s spirit, but it most like yoto are “possessed” by another spirit, and has a mind of its own. Some are said to bring bad luck, and some are just said to be so beautiful to look at that it calls you.
Not Just Anime: The Sword Nure Tsubame
In the samurai film I translated, Tange Sazen: Yagyu’s Jar of Gold, (title subject to change) the one-eyed, one-armed swordsman called Sazen carries a blade called Nure Tsubame, (Literally, “Wet Swallow, or “Swallow in the Rain.”).
In the story, if you throw a sheet of paper into the air and cut it, the torn edges split like the forked tail of a swallow in flight.
Sazen often talks about Nure Tsubame as if it was alive, saying lines like “Nure Tsubame hasn’t been this thirsty for a long time!”
Katana are designed to be handled with both hands, and I can only imagine how tricky it would be to fight against a swordsman who fights with a yoto using only his left hand like Sazen goes!
Want More?
If you want to learn more fun Japanese facts from a samurai film translator, check out @koikast on YouTube where I share hidden meanings behind the words and more.
Come hang out, and let’s dive deeper into the stories behind the stories.
