Hua Mulan - The Most Famous Chinese Woman Warrior

The original story of Mulan is short, only a few hundred characters. But the story contained inside is unique and powerful, especially for the time period in which it was written. Set in the first half of the first millennium, it chronicles the story of a girl who takes her father’s place and joins the army.

While it recently gained fame as a Disney movie worldwide, the story has been popular in China for millennia. Unlike the movie, there are no romantic subplots in the original poem but only the familial love of a daughter for her father. Short and sweet, its meaning is timeless.

The Story

The poem starts with Mulan working at her loom. She is asked whom she longs for, and she answers that she has no one she desires, but instead worries for her father, whose name is on every draft notice in town. She notes that her family has no older male to serve, and she wishes she could take her father’s place.

The next section of the poem describes her buying a horse and tack from around town. She leaves her family’s home at dawn and travels to the army camp, arriving at evening. This section has a repeated line that is difficult to translate, but seems to refer to how Mulan is so focused on her mission that she doesn’t consider how her family misses her.

The following part details her long and varied service. She serves for ten years, traveling over ten thousand kilometers through the north of China and probably parts of what are now Mongolia and Russia.  She fights in over a hundred battles, and many of the army's leaders are killed over the course of the campaign.  While never directly said, it is heavily implied based on what happens next that she is repeatedly promoted.

When the long and bloody campaign is finally over, the army travels to the capital where she meets the emperor as part of a celebration. He hands out rewards to all and official posts to distinguished commanders.  When asked what she wants, she refuses a post, but asks simply to be allowed leave to return home and a fast horse to take her there.

Her family receives word of her immanent arrival.  Her parents go out to see her, her sister dresses up, and her younger brother goes to slaughter some of the livestock for a feast in her honor.  Mulan arrives and makes her way to her room where she trades her armor and battle clothes for a lady's dress and cosmetics.  It is implied that her hair is white, signaling just how stressful the campaign had been and how it had aged her.

Her companions who had traveled with her are amazed and astonished when they see her, for in all the years of traveling together they had never suspected who she was.  The poem ends with an analogy from Mulan relating how when rabbits run together, it is impossible to tell their sex.

History

The poem is nearly as old as the story it contains - written only one or two centuries after the events it purports.  However, we have no early copies, and the first reference we have of the poem is from a 12th century work in which the author references an earlier source.

In the poem, Mulan has no surname.  Later adaptions gave her different surnames, with "Hua", meaning "flower", becoming the most popular.  This is likely because in Chinese, "Mulan" means magnolia, so the name is more poetic.

Disney wasn't the first to play loosely with the story.  In the 1670s, Chu created an intriguing adaption in which Mulan, after leaving to join the army in her father's stead, becomes best friends with a king's warrior daughter.  When the king is captured and sentenced to death, they try to have themselves executed instead.  However, their act of loyalty is rewarded, and Mulan is granted riches and a place for her family to relocated.  Returning home, she discovers her father has died and her mother has remarried.  She also receives word that the Emperor has taken an interest in her and she is to become his concubine.    Rather than acquiesce, she decides to commit suicide so she can be with her dead father.

Chinese Weapons

There were five main Chinese weapons: dao, jian, spear, halberd, and staff.  While we don't know which weapon Mulan trained with or used, it is likely that she would have used a Dao, as they were easy to learn, plentiful, and reliable. 

 

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source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/hua-mulan

The Japanese Greatsword: The Ōdachi

The General’s Sword

Yamoto rode onto the field surrounded by his comrades in arms. His tactical ability was near-legendary, and his soldiers looked on with admiration as he surveyed the battlefield. Seeing the tattered ranks of the rebels arrayed before him, he knew the coming skirmish would be no challenge. Raising his Tachi high as a signal to the army around him, he gave the order to advance.

The battle was fierce but swift. Laying about with his Tachi, Yamoto killed many, but during his last bout with a foot soldier, his Tachi, weakened through years of harsh use, chipped and almost shattered. He managed to dodge the soldier's counterattack and watched as the soldier was quickly finished off by one of his lieutenants. Examining his Tachi, he knew this was its last battle; he would need another.

A few weeks later, he made it back to the capital. The shogun announced a feast in his honor for all the successful victories he had accomplished during the past year. There was much drinking and laughing, and halfway through, the king announced that he had a new gift for the venerated general. The king summoned the royal swordsmith who came quickly with two men carrying a long parcel.

Raising his voice so everyone could hear, the king addressed the general. “My messengers kept me informed of your progress. After hearing of the loss of your Tachi, I commissioned a new sword made as a replacement.” The retainers held still as the swordsmith unwrapped the parcel, revealing an unusually long sword. “This an Ōdachi. They are incredibly difficult to make but are unmistakable. I figured it a fitting weapon for such a revered general as you.”

Featured Sword: Ōdachi

The larger version of the Tachi, the Katana's predecessor, was the Ōdachi. Meaning “Long Sword”, it commonly reached lengths of 90-100cm or more. There were two main uses of the Ōdachi - war and showmanship. As less is known about the Ōdachi compared to the Tachi, we have to make some educated speculation on how it was likely used.

While a Katana or Wakizashi can be drawn in one smooth stroke that can also be used as an attack, the Ōdachi’s size would have necessitated it being worn on the back, preventing this. It would also limit the Ōdachi’s self-defense proclivity, instead making it more useful as a primary weapon on the battlefield. Some soldiers may have even been accompanied by a retainer whose job was to carry the blade and assist the Samurai in drawing it. One place it would have especially shined is as a horseback weapon - the longer reach offered by the blade would have given the horseman an advantage against foes on foot.

A few Ōdachi were made especially long - some over two metres, with the Norimitsu Ōdachi measuring over 3 and three-quarters metres!. These would have been too impractical for use on the battlefield, so they were more likely created as a showpiece by their forger. When a sword is forged, it is important that the entire blade be heated to the same temperature. While fairly easy today with modern technology, back then it was incredibly difficult, and this difficulty increased with the length. Thus only an expert swordsmith could make a high-quality Ōdachi.

A Symbol Raised High

2 months later, Yamamoto looked out on yet another battlefield. The respite in the capital came to an end all too soon, and it was not long before it was time to return to the countryside. This time, the battle would not be so easy. His scouts had alerted him to the position, composition, and size of the enemy forces a day earlier, and he had dispatched horseman during the night who had been traveling through the wee hours in order to reach a flanking position. They should be just out of sight, with a few men scouting ahead and waiting for his signal.

He motioned to his retainer, who unsheathed the Ōdachi and handed it to him. Examining the king’s gift, Yamoto lamented that his days as a fighter were over - the sword at over 3 shakas was too large for combat, but to use another sword would dishonor and offend the shogun. However, as his personal symbol, the sword would do even more damage due to the fear it would drive into his enemies and to the hope it would bestow into his own men. With all the men on both sides looking on, he raised it high for the first time. With a cheer, his men rushed forward.

Fun Fact

Because of their oddity, Ōdachi were used in ceremonies and as offerings to the gods.

Etymology

Ōdachi (おうだち/大太刀 in Japanese) is a synonym of the word Nodachi (のだち/野太刀). Ōdachi means “big Taichi”, and Taichi means “long sword”. So literally, Ōdachi means “big long sword”! Nodachi literally means “field Tachi”.

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source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/the-japanese-greatsword-the-odachi

The Swordmaking Legacy of Longquan: Shen Guanglong

A Town of Swordmsiths

In mainland China, in a beautiful mountainous region just north of the Tropic of Cancer, a small town is nestled with a long history - Longquan (pronounced LOW-ng-CHU-an). Legend has it that the first iron sword was forged there over 2500 years ago by the legendary smith Ou Yezi, who crafted 8 famous swords and gifted them to two Kings of the time. Since then, the sword-making tradition has been passed on in Longquan from father to son and is classified as an intangible cultural heritage of China.

One Family to Rule Them All

While the rest of the world was reeling from the breakout of World War I, the town of Longquan held a sword competition. All the best sword-makers in the town turned out, and the Shen family won the competition hands down. Their sword was not only able to cut through three copper coins (remember, swords are not made to cut metal), but also able to cut a competitor’s sword in twain. The next year they proved it was not a fluke by winning the Gold Award at another competition. After another five years, the Shen family won the National Art Contest for China, gaining the family national recognition.

The Shen family is not originally from Longquan, but Bihiu. The patriarch of the family moved to Longquan in 1896 to set up a weapons shop. It took almost 20 years of hard work before the first aforementioned competition victory. After their subsequent wins and resulting fame, 15 years later the second generation of the family was honored by being asked to make a sword for China’s president. This honor was repeated with later swords being given to Chairman Mao and US president Nixon, among many other foreign leaders. Their swords have since been used in several films and on television.

The Continuing Legacy 

Today, Shen Guanglong (in Chinese names, the family name comes first) is the fourth generation of the Shen family and current representative of the Shen legacy. He started learning swordsmithing very early, consistently skipping school until his parents gave in and taught him the family craft. While he never finished primary school, even though he wishes he had, under his direction, the Shen swordmaking shop has expanded into a factory with hundreds of workers. The family business now makes a wide variety of swords, from traditional Chinese Jian to Japanese Katanas. Consistently winning awards since 1980, including one as the best sword forger in all of China, the shop has managed to maintain its works’ high quality through its businesses’ expansion. Crafted mainly for export, all crafted swords are held to exacting standards and are quite expensive, often running four to five digits in price.

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source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/longquan-legacy-shen-guang-long

Chinese Swords - The Jian

A Blade Fit for a King

Li Qiang worked tirelessly to craft the mold. He was an expert Bronze worker and no stranger to sword-making, but this sword was for the king. And not just any king, but King Ghoujin, he who had not only turned the country around through political reforms devised by his astute advisers, but he who had also suffered 3 years as a slave to King Fuchai of Wu and would soon be going back, as leader of the glorious Yue army, to have his revenge.

So Qiang worked for several days straight. He constantly created new molds - experimenting with different lengths and thicknesses, as well as where to put holes for outgassing so the rising bubbles from the hot copper wouldn’t harm the resulting blade. He tried different mixtures of copper and tin - while copper alone is flexible and soft, the addition of tin makes it harder but more prone to shattering. He even added a minute amount of sulfur, so when it came time to inscribe the blade, the inscriptions wouldn’t tarnish with time.

Finally, one day, he had it: a straight, double-sided blade. Coloured like gold, true and hard, a gift fit for a king. A true Jian. All it needed now was the inscription. Tomorrow, Qiang would take it to a colleague who would inscribe the words “King Ghoujin’s personal sword”.

Featured Sword: Jian

Chinese swords are divided into two types: the Jian and the Dao. They were both considered one of the Five Weapons - along with the spear, halberd, and staff.

Swords of the Jian type are double-edged and straight. Originally descended from daggers, they were the first type of sword in China. Because of the poor swordsmithing techniques available at the time, they were not considered very reliable as they tended to break easily - not desired behaviour in a weapon one’s life depends upon. They were also hard to use, requiring much training to become proficient. Thus, when the Dao came along, they were quickly supplanted. Needless to say, with modern swordsmithing, Jian swords are much more reliable, though they still require training to use effectively.

The Sword of Ghoujin

The bronze sword made by Li Qang is known as the famous “Sword Of Ghoujin”, one of the earliest examples of a bronze sword from ancient China. What makes the blade so wondrous is that, 2500 years after its inception, it is still in pristine condition with almost no tarnish. This is made even more incredible by the fact that it was found in a damp tomb. The only damage to the sword was caused after it was found and being displayed abroad, sadly, by a worker who managed to bang the blade against a hard surface while unsheathing it, which caused a small crack on the blade. In response to this, the Chinese government has banned it from leaving the country, and it can be seen only in the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan.

Fun Facts

Jian swords often have tassels. While today they are mainly used decoratively or to change the balance of a sword, there is speculation that in the past they could have been used from such mundane uses as making it easier to hold onto the sword, to offensive uses including blinding or injuring opponents (using metal inserted into the tassel).

Etymology

Jian (traditional: 劍, simplified: 剑, 4th tone) is a Chinese word that originally described Jian-type swords, though in modern usage it has expanded to also mean “double-edged sword” or even swords in general.

Further Reading

If you liked this post and would like to learn about the Jian's sister sword, please check out post Chinese Swords - The Dao.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of both sword types, as well as Chinese swordsmithing in general, please check out our post Chinese Swordsmithing - A Rediscovered Treasure.

See our Jian Swords

source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/chinese-swords-jian

Chinese Swords - The Dao

A Wicked Blade for a Foreign Horseman

Mahmut Sabri was a member of the Tang dynasty's cavalry corps.  Recruited because of his height, skill with a horse, and ability to accurately use a weapon while riding at high speeds, his job was to go into battle ahead of the main army and soften up the enemy.  As were many of the cavalry, he was Uighur, not Han Chinese.  This was because the Han were not as skilled with horses, but recognised the strong force multiplier cavalry were to any army, so they bolstered their ranks with foreigners.

While his horse was his own, he had recently been given a Chinese blade.   Chinese swordsmithing was second to none in the region, and this sword - called a Dao, was easy to use, especially for cavalry.  Sharp on one side and slightly curved, it was a mean blade, made to cut into infantry and lay waste.  Mahmut looked forward to using it in the coming battle.

Featured Sword: Dao

Chinese swords are divided into two types: the Jian and the Dao. They were both considered one of the Five Weapons - along with the spear, halberd, and staff.

Dao swords are single-edged and usually curved. They were created as swordsmithing advanced, and it was discovered that dulling one of the sides of the Jian and thickening it would increase its reliability. As Japanese swordsmiths received much of their early swordsmithing knowledge from China, some people say that the Dao influenced the Japanese toward making their renowned Katana and Wakizashi. Because of its relative ease of use compared to the Jian, the Dao quickly became a favourite in battle, and the Jian fell out of favour except by officials and experts.

Laying Waste

Mahmut rode into battle, skillfully jumping over small creeks, avoiding caltrops, and cutting into the infantry around him.  A few tried to stab at him with spears, but they either missed or struck the light armour on the horse.  He laughed and swung his Dao, the sharp edge easily cutting through his target, the reinforced spine absorbing the shock, then springing back into shape, ready for the next cut.  The reliability and ease of use of the Dao amazed him, and he smiled again as he neared his next target.

Fun Facts

Even though Dao swords are single-edged, they will sometimes have a few centimeters of the spine sharpened to aid in thrusts. Also, they are considered much easier to learn - it was once said “it takes a week to learn a dao, a month to learn a qiang (spear), and a year to learn a jian!”

Etymology

Dao (traditional & simplified: 刀, 1st tone) is a Chinese word that originally meant “knife”, though it later expanded to include the meaning of “knife money” (a type of old currency) and, more recently, the “US dollar.”

Further Reading

If you liked this post and would like to learn about the Dao's sister sword, please check out post Chinese Swords - The Jian.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of both sword types, as well as Chinese swordsmithing in general, please check out our post Chinese Swordsmithing - A Rediscovered Treasure.

See our Dao Swords

source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/chinese-swords-dao

The Witcher

The Witcher franchise follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a genetically-altered monster-hunter.  Possessing greater strength, stamina, and speed than a normal human, he also has limited use of magic through the use of Witcher Signs -  simple spells that require only a gesture and concentration to cast.

The Adventure Begins - Books

The world of the Witcher was first revealed by author Andrzej Sapkowski through a short story about Geralt written for a contest held by the Polish science fiction magazine Fantastyka.  It was followed by three more short stories, one of which was a prequel that featured Geralt’s mother.

The book series focuses primarily on Geralt, his daughter Ciri, and his lover Yennefer.  Geralt is also often accompanied by Dandelion, his best friend and a minstrel. The series features common fantasy races such as elves, dwarves, gnomes, and, of course, humans.  Other common magical creatures make appearances including vampires, werewolves, halflings, and dryads.

The name of the series “Witcher”, was purportedly inspired by the male versions of the world “witch” in English and German.  Thus, Sapkowski coined a new Polish word “wiedźmin” to be the male equivalent of the already-existing word wiedźma.

Expanding the Story - TableTop RolePlaying

Soon after the main series line was completed, the first tabletop roleplaying game was developed. Released in 2001, it was called called Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni (English: The Witcher: A Game of Imagination) and was based off the books    A second game was released last year (2018), but this one was based off the by-then successful video game franchise.

Going National - TV and Movies

Following a similar release schedule to the roleplaying games, in 2001 the first Witcher movie was released, followed in 2002 by a TV series by the same name.  Both were hated by the series author. Over a decade later, an American movie was planned for 2017, but has since morphed into a TV series that is still in development (as of early 2019).

International Success - Video Games

By far the most successful spin-off of the books, three successful video games have been developed that loosely following plot lines from the books.  A notable feature of all three games has been their delayed consequences mechanic - decisions made early on in a game has profound impact later. This mechanic enhances replayability and prohibits save-and-reloading by players looking for the best short-term outcome.  The series is also noted for its morally grey choices - where there is often neither a clear good nor bad option, but rather a mix of both.

The first Witcher video game was released on PC in 2007. It featured a unique combat system that made it markedly different from other roleplaying games.  The licensing rights were acquired for a mere $9,500 paid up-front even though the author was offered royalties, a decision he would later come to regret.

The second Witcher game was planned to be the first but re-released on console with a new combat system in 2009, but this failed, so work was transferred to another game which eventually became The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, released in 2011 on both PC and console. It featured a more complex combat system, more complex ability upgrade system, and a new stealth system. This second game was noted for its varied storypaths, with the game developers stating there were “16 different states of the world” that could be explored. Selling over 1.5 million copies, the game was a greater success compared to the original.

The final video game installment that follows Geralt as the main protagonist was released in 2015 to rave reviews and vast commercial success.  Selling over 10 million copies and earning profit of over $63.3 million dollars, the game has been considered one of the greatest video games of all time.  It was noted for its large open world, memorable side quests, and multiple new systems that gave the game a more realistic feel.

The Swords of the Witcher

There are two main types of swords in the Witcher Series: steel and silver.  Steel swords are used against most common foes, especially humans. Strong and sharp, they don’t don’t break easily and can do a surprising amount of damage.  Silver swords, by contrast, are used only against magical foes. Silver is much softer than steel, so it wouldn’t last nearly as long against enemies that weren’t supernaturally vulnerable to it.  Silver swords are not pure silver however, as they contain a steel core which gives the blade strength.

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source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/witcher-franchise

The Katana’s Predecessor: The Tachi

In the Calvary

Riding with his cavalry contingent, Reo was a bit nervous. While he had been training as a Samurai for years, he had only recently been allotted a horse.  In the few months since then, he had been practicing as often as he could, but it was so different from fighting on foot. If there were actual combat, he wasn’t sure how well he would perform.

A few hours later, the sun was just starting down from its noonday crest.  The hills, barren of shadows for the moment, would soon begin sporting new ones, perfect hiding places for an ambush.  He heard some voices up ahead and saw three men running down a hill just ahead, their feet kicking up dirt into the dry air.  They were scouts, and from their rush seemed to have some important news...

***

Once the scouts reached us, they told us the news. They had spotted some men up ahead, and, while they were few in number, it was possible they belonged to a larger force nearby.  The scouts assured us that they had not been seen. My commander decided that the few of us on horse had the best chance of catching them, so he dispatched us with one of the scouts to the men’s location, to use the horse's speed to close the gap once we were spotted.

10 minutes later, the scout motioned for quiet and we pulled our horses to a stop. He steadily climbed up the hill, and peeked over it, careful to keep his head down low.  Coming back down, he informed us the men we were looking for were in the valley behind the hill.  Our leader decided we would ride around the base of the hill and catch them on the other side, while our scout would again summit the hill to make sure no one got away.  In anticipation of the coming order to attack, Reo quietly drew his Tachi...

Featured Sword: Tachi

Tachi swords were originally developed around 900 AD and commonly made until about 1600.  Typically 2-3 Shaku in length, they are slightly longer than a Katana, the sword to which they are most often compared.  However, there are other differences between the two. Both the Katana and Tachi are curved, but the curvature of the Tachi is greater.  Additionally, Tachi are worn with the cutting edge down, while Katana are worn with the cutting edge up. Because a swordsmith’s signature would be put on the side of the tang facing outward when worn on the wielder’s left side, this difference in wearing style meant that the swordsmith’s signature on a Tachi and Katana are on opposite sides of the tang.

Because of its greater length than the Katana, the Tachi has been suggested to have been used as more of an open-field weapon.  In combat, the person whose weapon has the greater reach almost always has the advantage, so the Tachi with its longer length would have been preferred  However, it would be less effective in more closed-in spaces. A further suggested use of the Tachi would have been its use on horseback, as longer reach is even more important for calvary, and the cutting edge worn down would seem to fit the needs of a horseman more.  However, we lack early contemporary references to horseback combat, so we don’t know for sure.

A Careful Ambush

My troop carefully trotted around the base of the hill, guiding our horses and keeping them on the firmer, greener grass where the water flowed through between the hills in order to muffle the sound of the horses’ hooves.  Three-quarters of the way around the base of the hill, we heard a shout. We had been spotted! Quickly heeling our horses forward, we pushed our horses to a gallop, quickly spotting the men and adjusting our path to intersect.

50 meters, 40, 30, 20, 10...and we were on them.  Carefully raising my Tachi as I had trained, I aimed at the men, making careful and deliberate swings while I rode past.  I had to be very careful not to hit the horse while keeping my balance - a very difficult feat on a moving horse while swinging at a moving target. One of my swings connected, and one man went down.  I heard a horse bellow behind me. Looking back, I saw one of my comrades' horses had a large gash accross its flank. The man who had made it was quickly cut down by another one of our number, but the horse did not look good.  Wheeling back, I saw all our targets were down. Now we had to decide what to do with the horse...

Fun Fact

Originally worn with a Tanto as the larger weapon in a Daishō (大小, big-little pair), they were eventually replaced several centuries after with the Katana and Wakizashi pair.

Etymology

From the Old Japanese word “Tati” meaning “sever”, the pronunciation changed to “Tatsi”, then eventually to the modern “Tatchi”.  In Kanji, it is written as 大刀, meaning “great/big Katana”.

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source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/tachi