I am called Ishikirimaru. Although I am said to be a sacred sword that can cut through stone, I am mainly devoted to spiritually cutting away tumors and diseases. At any rate, I’ve been enshrined for a long time. Now, I may specialize in Shinto rituals more than battles.
石切丸という。 石をも斬る神刀、とは言われるけれど、もっぱら腫れ物や病魔を霊的に斬ることが多いな。 何せ、神社ぐらしが長いものでね。いくさよりは神事のほうが得意になってしまったよ
Ishikirimaru was forged by the great swordsmith Sanjou Munechika 三条宗近 (who also forged Kogitsunemaru 小狐丸, Mikazuki Munechika 三日月宗近, Imanotsurugi 石切丸 and possibly Iwatooshi 岩融).
Ishikirimaru claims to be a sacred sword with healing powers that can cure tumors and diseases, in the japanese quote he says: 腫れ物 (haremono), which describes swelling or tumors, but in this context it also encompasses anything that causes swelling or tumors (i.e. injuries of various kind).
He was probably never used in battle (when you give him equipment he doesn’t even know how to use it: “You use this to make prayers? Ahh, am I wrong?” even though he does recognize a weapon: “So I’m going to have something other than the gohei*.”), in fact he often asks if it’s alright to take him to battlefield since he’s not suited for battle (“Oh, is it alright for me to lead if I’m not suited for battle?”), and he was probably always kept in a shrine to be whorshipped (“I don’t plan to forget my status as a weapon, but really, this environment is quite different from the shrine.”).
Though he may be used to have people around him he is clearly not used to have subordinates (When you give him troops: “Today’s fortune is… Oops, this isn’t an O-mikuji**”.), he also not used to go outside, infact when we take him to an expedition he says: “It feel strange to vacate the house even though it isn’t the godless month***.”
Ishikirimaru’s name can come from multiple anecdotes, so it’s unsure exactly which one is the original. The more popularly known version comes from the old story, also made into a Kabuki play called Ishikiri Kajiwara, where legendary swordsman Kajiwara Heizo possessed a treasured sword from the Genji clan. In order to prove the sharpness of the sword, he used it to cut through a stonewater. To put it into perspective, it’s considered a talented feat in Kendo today just to be able to cut cleanly through a bundle of hay or stack of bamboo.
Another possibility comes from a sword named Ishikiri which also appears in the Heiji Monogatari. Said to be the work of Sanjou Munechika’s son Arinari, it was the favoured sword of Minamoto no Yoshihira. This Yoshihira was widely feared for his fighting prowess and was thus nicknamed “Kamakura Akugenta” (The Daring Eldest Son of the Minamoto Clan of Kamakura).
Another possible name is from the Ishikiri Tsurugiya shrine in Higashiosaka at the base of Mt. Ikoma, in the Osaka province in Japan. The god Ishikiri-san is believed to have the power to heal diseases. The shrine’s name comes from two objects enshrined there, a sword and arrow (tsurugi (sword) and ya(arrow), so tsurugiya) said to be able to cut/penetrate any rock.
So his intro combines elements from all stories, being a sword that can cut through rock or an artifact that can cure diseases. Also most of is quotes let us know that he was actually being kept in a shrine and partecipated in the Misogi purification ritual*°. (He says: Purify and cleanse. which are quotes from the ritual.)
He is kept in Ishikiri-Tsurugiya Shrine, Osaka, Japan, and will be on display on September 20th ~ 23th this year, further dates will be announce since he is open to public viewing.
*The gohei (御幣) is a wooden staff with two zigzag paper streamers, usually used in purification rituals.
**O-mikuji are fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto and Buddhist shrines. They will contain either a blessing or a curse, and the strength of these can be different. It also lists the aspect of your life the fortune applies to.
***The godless month (神無月), the tenth month in the lunar calendar, is the month when gods from all over the country gather at Izumo Shrine, hence the reason why he talks about vacating the house (shrine).
*°Misogi (禊) is a Japanese Shinto practice of ritual purification by washing the entire body. Misogi is related to another Shinto purification ritual called Harae – thus both being collectively referred to as Misogiharae (禊祓). In Kyoto, people douse themselves under Kiyomizu Temple’s Otowa no taki (Sound-of-Wings) waterfall, although the majority of visitors drink from the waters rather than plunging into them. Before encountering Misogi, members generally undergo some sort of preliminary purification. Such things as prayers, fasting, or some sort of physical activity is common.
Ootachi - 🌸🌸🌸 High rarity - #7
