Ninja swords

[Manny_]

I have a couple of question about "ninja swords".

Ok, I've recently read that ninja swords, that is the straight blade short swords with a square tsuba are just Hollywood fiction.

Now if so, I would assume when ninja used swords, they would have used regular Japanese weapons.

I like to build a subplot into the story I'm writing. Kiyoko, my modern-day "ninja", grew up not knowing her mother. Her father told her mother died when she was a baby. She then finds out that this isn't true. She also finds out that her mother was one in a line female ninja going back to the 1400s or so.

Back then, one of Kiyoko's ancestors made a sword and she passed it down to her daughter, and so on, through the female line. Kiyoko's mother was the last one to have it, and Kiyoko acquired it somehow (I haven't decided exactly how yet).

But, from a realistic point of view, is the following plausible:

1. That a 1400s woman in Japan could have been a ninja (or the female equivalent) and a swordsmith to make the sword.

2. Could (or would) the sword survive through the 20-odd generations being passed down?

3. It is plausible for it to stay in the family through the female line?

4. Could the skills of the ninja be passed down through the generations?

5. I would ask if the sword could physically survive 700 years time, but I know it could from research if properly cared for.


I think a wakizashi or something of the like could substitute for a "ninja sword"

Thanx, any help would be appreciated,

-Manny

[thomas]

Hi Manny,

just a short reply in regard to Japanese swords. I have collected a few resources in the following thread, perhaps that will help you a bit

=> http://forum.japanreference.com/show...&threadid=1258

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Manny-san!

1, There is a woman ninja in 1400s. Woman ninja is called Kunoichi. But woman could not be swordsmith. There is two reasons. One is a strength reason. Making sword need strong strength. And the other reason is a tradition. Making sword has a religious side. Woman can not join in a Making studio even now.

2, It's possible. But Japanese sword is very easy to get rusty and keeping sword brightly is difficult.

3, Keeping female line is difficult. Particularly before the modern period. A man succeed to his family line. But a female was excluded from family line.

4, Of course it is possible. But ninja's skill is a "skill". Getting skill need a hard training.

5, I think that is possible. But it is difficult to keep sword bright.

And "ninja sword" is caiile "Ninjagatana", "Shinobigatana" or "Nintou" in Japanese. "Ninjagatana" and "wakizashi" are very similar. But they are two different things.

NANGI