鬼丸国綱
Onimaru Kunitsuna
Auch bekannt als: Demon Destroyer
Beschreibung
One of the Five Greatest Swords, Onimaru Kunitsuna served as the guardian blade of the Hōjō clan and symbol of Kamakura shōgunate authority. Forged by Awataguchi Kunitsuna, it combines Yamashiro-den elegance with formidable construction. It earned the name 'Onimaru' (Demon Destroyer) after it allegedly slew an imp that haunted regent Hōjō Tokiyori's bedside of its own accord. After the fall of the Hōjō, it passed through Nitta Yoshisada, the Ashikaga shōguns, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, before being presented to the Imperial Household after the Meiji Restoration. As an Imperial treasure, it is rarely displayed publicly.
Legenden & Geschichten
Hōjō Tokiyori, the fifth regent of the Kamakura shōgunate, was plagued by nightmares. In a dream, a small spirit appeared and said: 'I am the spirit dwelling in the tachi made by Kunitsuna, but my scabbard has rusted shut and I cannot slay the demon tormenting you.' Upon waking, Tokiyori cleaned the blade and placed it on its stand. The sword then fell of its own accord and severed the head of a demon ornament carved into the base of a brazier. From that night on, the nightmares ceased, and the blade was called 'Onimaru' — the Demon Destroyer. A sword that slays demons by its own will — this legend earned it profound reverence as a guardian blade throughout samurai history.