Identifier: mikadosempire05grif (find matches)
Title: The mikado's empire
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Griffis, William Elliot, 1843-1928
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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and often handsome-ly open-worked. The shaft was ofcane bamboo, with string-piece of boneor horn, whipped on with silk. Quiv-ers were of leather, water-proof paper,or thin lacquered wood, and oftensplendidly adorned. Gold-inlaid weap-ons were common among the rich sol-diers, and the outfit of an ofiicer oftencost many hundreds of dollars. Nota few of these old tools of war havelost their significance, and have be-come household adornments, objectsof art, or symbols of peace. Suchespecially are the emblems of the car-penters guilds, which consist of thehalf - feathered turnip-head arrow,wreathed with leaves of the same suc-culent, and the frog-crotch, insertedin the mouth of a dragon, crossedupon the ancient mallet of the craft.These adorn temples or houses, or arecarried in the local parades and festi-vals. As Buddhism had become the pro- Symbols of the Carpenters Guild: the Singing or "Turnip-top," and Cutting fessed religion of the entire nation, or Knife-prong, Arrows, and Mallet.
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228 THE MIKADOS EMPIRE. the vast majority of the military men were Buddhists. Each hadhis patron or deity. The soldier went into battle with an image ofBuddha sewed in his helmet, and after victory ascribed glory to hisdivine deliverer. Many temples in Japan are the standing monumentsof triumph in battle, or vows performed. Many of the noted captains,notably Kato, inscribed their banners with texts from the classics orthe prayers, Namu Amida Butsu, or Namu mio ho, etc., ac-cording to their sect. Amulets and charms were worn almost withoutexception, and many a tale is told of arrows turned aside, or swordsbroken, that struck on a sacred image, picture, or text. Before enter-ing a battle, or performing a special feat of skill or valor, the herouttered the warriors prayer, Namu Hachiman Dai-bosatsu (Glory toHachiman, the incarnation of Great Buddha). Though brave heroesmust, like ordinary men, pass through purgatory, yet death on thebattle-field was reckoned highly meritorious, and the h

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