In the meantime, while I kick myself for getting the release date wrong, I have more time than I thought to refine my other ideas!
In the first Mononoke Movie and as I've already explained, Kun explains that there are 8 total swords, and a total of 64 guardians who can wield these 8 swords.
These swords are as follows (based off the Trigrams): Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), and Kun (Earth).
The thing that I'm stuck on is this: there are 64 separate individuals (presumably) who can wield the swords interchangeably. This number comes from the 64 hexagrams, which combine two trigrams to make a new "element."
To illustrate this, lets use the idea that Kun and Li are together in the third movie as I suspect they will be. They have 2 hexagrams their trigrams can make depending on who leads: Li + Kun = Jin (Prospering), and Kun + Li = Mingyi (Hidden Intelligence).
My idea of these 64 guardians is that they're actually just fusions of the 8 kusuriuri which represent the trigrams, and so can wield both swords of their trigrams at one time.
Now I must say, I don't really like this idea. I thought of it mostly because it seems strange to me that there is a backlog of 64 people at a time waiting to wield the blades if they are needed. At the same time, I think this massive backlog makes perfect sense considering how Kun describes the kusuriuri's job and the swords in the first movie:
"This is one of the 8 swords, representing Yin and Yang. A masterpiece formed from the realm of Shuga, entrusted to us 64 guardians."
Now, I have things to say about this Realm of Shuga business, but I'll post about that later.
Notice his use of the word "entrust." It seems to me that the Kusuriuri are not made for these swords, rather that they ascend into their positions, aND..if the sword is ENTRUSTED, that means it can also be taken away, or given to another guardian should the main host be injured. So, my conclusion here is that there is a higher body who governs over the 64 guardians that gives them the swords and their position of Kusuriuri.
Now for my headcanon: i am of the belief that the Kusuriuri are kitsune, as I think a lot of other people are as well. Kitsune begin as otherwise normal foxes of two camps, good and mischievous. Only the good kistune can ascend to achieve a heavenly status, which the Kusuriuri may be among.
My little headcanon is that the Kusuriuri once had lives beyond the swords, but they had to abandon themselves to become vessels for the sword, a-lot like we see the women of the Ooku must do in the first movie. In the same vein, I believe that their souls are embued into the blade (which is why I'm torn on the 64 guardians being individuals or fusions), which gives them their shingi, or the guy that can actually unsheathe the sacred blade. This makes it even more curious to me WHY there's so many guardians? Are ALL of their souls in the blade? Is it possible to be severed from it entirely? What happens if yes? Can the Kusuriuri die?????
These are questions which keep me up at night and will probably never get answered, but I'm content with that! Part of the reason i love the series and the movies so much is that theres SOOOO MUCH ENDLESS MATERIAL and nothing is explained! Or if it is, it only makes me ask MORE QUESTIONS!!!
Anyway, another light conspiracy/headcanon post on the board hell yeah. You are freed from my basement once more
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