One question that comes up again and again is the difference between a samurai sword and a katana. Are there any differences at all or are they simply different names for the same type of sword? We want to get to the bottom of this question here.
The samurai sword
The term samurai sword is general and basically refers to all swords that were carried by the samurai. In addition to the katana as a long sword, it also includes shorter variants such as the wakizashi. We have compiled a detailed overview of the different types of Japanese swords and their historical development here here compiled.
In German usage, however, the term samurai sword has largely established itself as a synonym for the katana.
The Katana
The katana is a curved, 2-handed long sword that is sharpened on one side.
Katana were used by the samurai, especially in combination with a wakizashi as daishō and thus belong to the samurai swords.
Although, strictly speaking, the katana is one of several types of samurai swords, it is often used as a synonym for all samurai swords in modern usage. The word "katana", along with the terms to and chi, is the Japanese kun reading of the kanji word 刀. It refers to a curved sword shape with a single-sided edge. Most sword names are also made up of this and a suffix, e.g. 太刀= Tachi= Ta Chi, which means big sword.
Samurai Sword & Katana: The Conclusion
Although they are not strictly speaking synonyms, the samurai sword and the katana are often used as such in modern parlance. However, a katana is one type of samurai sword, but not the only one.
Would you like to find out more about the samurai sword? Then take a look at our category "All about the samurai sword" over!
