07-04-2008, 08:02 PM
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/ ... 61477.html
(This page seems to shut itself down after about a minute. Paranormal influence, no doubt. )
And...
There is a story from ancient Japan. A pretty young woman who was rather vain in her appearance used to take the pins that held her hair and stick them into the floor mat instead of properly disposing of them. One summer night she awoke to visions of evil Tengu and Oni swirling around her room. These spirits tormented her until dawn and she could never sleep. Her family sought help from wise men and advisors who all agreed the visitations would end when the spirits were struck down by the only proven method. A Samurai of proven courage would have to strike them with the blade of a sword of quality: one that is signed.
The family made an agreement with a young and brave warrior who had a signed blade, and they also arranged a marriage contract so it would not be useemly for the handsome samurai to vist the young woman through the evening hours. That evening the young samurai hid in the garden. When the moon rose the evil Tengu and Oni begain to appear and torment the the young woman. Suddenly the samurai appeared and struck with his blade. The Tengu and Oni vanished, and turned into... hair pins... that the fell to the floor. Both the spirits of the pins and of the floor mats had been offended.
The young woman was repentent of her lazy ways and promised to never to behave improperly again. The brave samurai and the pretty young woman were married and they were never again tormented. But if this was because of the now ever present spirit of the samurai's blade, or by the reformed habits of the young woman, it will never be known.
The moral of the story is to buy a signed katana, do what you want, and don't wory about anything ever again. If you constantly answer the door with a sword, no one will bother you, not even your relatives or neighbors who want to borrow your lawn mower, or that old lady activist from down the street with her fringey petitions. (Note: possession of most Samurai swords is now banned in England. This fairy tale is not an instrument of any political statement or an advocacy to break any laws.)
Alternatively, you can just pick up after your primping and save the $6,000+ starting price for a signed katana. Also you don't have to look for an appropriate samurai and then pay the legal fees for all the lawyers in writing a marriage agreement.
R. Izard
(This page seems to shut itself down after about a minute. Paranormal influence, no doubt. )
And...
There is a story from ancient Japan. A pretty young woman who was rather vain in her appearance used to take the pins that held her hair and stick them into the floor mat instead of properly disposing of them. One summer night she awoke to visions of evil Tengu and Oni swirling around her room. These spirits tormented her until dawn and she could never sleep. Her family sought help from wise men and advisors who all agreed the visitations would end when the spirits were struck down by the only proven method. A Samurai of proven courage would have to strike them with the blade of a sword of quality: one that is signed.
The family made an agreement with a young and brave warrior who had a signed blade, and they also arranged a marriage contract so it would not be useemly for the handsome samurai to vist the young woman through the evening hours. That evening the young samurai hid in the garden. When the moon rose the evil Tengu and Oni begain to appear and torment the the young woman. Suddenly the samurai appeared and struck with his blade. The Tengu and Oni vanished, and turned into... hair pins... that the fell to the floor. Both the spirits of the pins and of the floor mats had been offended.
The young woman was repentent of her lazy ways and promised to never to behave improperly again. The brave samurai and the pretty young woman were married and they were never again tormented. But if this was because of the now ever present spirit of the samurai's blade, or by the reformed habits of the young woman, it will never be known.
The moral of the story is to buy a signed katana, do what you want, and don't wory about anything ever again. If you constantly answer the door with a sword, no one will bother you, not even your relatives or neighbors who want to borrow your lawn mower, or that old lady activist from down the street with her fringey petitions. (Note: possession of most Samurai swords is now banned in England. This fairy tale is not an instrument of any political statement or an advocacy to break any laws.)
Alternatively, you can just pick up after your primping and save the $6,000+ starting price for a signed katana. Also you don't have to look for an appropriate samurai and then pay the legal fees for all the lawyers in writing a marriage agreement.
R. Izard
