Samurai
A samurai is a Japanese warrior. The word "Samurai" comes from the word "to serve" because they were known for their loyalty to serve people of great status. In other words, they act as a guardian or body guard of the one whom they serve.
Samurais are rewarded by the the amount of heads they bring back to their overlords from battle. The heads were to be groomed and labeled with a tag on the ear which included the rank and name of the owner of the head. The higher the rank the person was is what determines how much was rewarded to the killer. Rice and land of the vanquished was what was most often rewarded.
Families which have developed a reputation as great warriors sometimes have their own fighting style. Since samurais want to be known for their statuses, these samurais tend to shout out his name, rank, and family's lineage to persuade someone of equal or higher ranking to challenge him in battle.
Bushido [Hidden in Leaves ]
Bushido is 'the way' the samurais conduct themselves. There are two 'types' of bushido. One which is based on confucianism and the other buddhism. Bushido is a set of principles which a person must accept in order to fight without losing their humanity and values. To live without the fear of death, to have actions based on principles rather than fear, and to live a life without blame.
The acceptance of death would be the most important element in bushido. To not worry about dying but also constantly think that they will eventually die. Suicide would be considered a more honourable death than to be killed by a opponent. When a samurai decides to commit suicide they would slit their stomachs with a small dagger because it was believed that the stomach was where the soul lies. This is called seppuku.
Another important element in bushido would be having the mind free from all distractions. Thus, the ability to pursue the perfection in all things such as haiku, writing, art, seppuku etc.
Names
Samurais, at birth, were given a name until their 14th year, the coming of age. When the samurai is an adult, their first name would consist of two chracters which was from his family and the other given as a gift from a person of higher status. A samurai may change the characters in their names if something extremely "special" such as great success in battle.
Ronin
A ronin samurai is a samurai who lost their masters. They're mostly seen in groups/gangs. Ronin also means a person who is waiting for university entrance!
The hair
Topknots were common among everyone except for Buddhist priests.
Facial Hair
After the Edo Period, facial hair became very common for they show the 'manliness' of the wearer. Having facial hair also made wearing helmets more comfortable!
A samurai is a Japanese warrior. The word "Samurai" comes from the word "to serve" because they were known for their loyalty to serve people of great status. In other words, they act as a guardian or body guard of the one whom they serve.
Samurais are rewarded by the the amount of heads they bring back to their overlords from battle. The heads were to be groomed and labeled with a tag on the ear which included the rank and name of the owner of the head. The higher the rank the person was is what determines how much was rewarded to the killer. Rice and land of the vanquished was what was most often rewarded.
Families which have developed a reputation as great warriors sometimes have their own fighting style. Since samurais want to be known for their statuses, these samurais tend to shout out his name, rank, and family's lineage to persuade someone of equal or higher ranking to challenge him in battle.
Bushido [Hidden in Leaves ]
Bushido is 'the way' the samurais conduct themselves. There are two 'types' of bushido. One which is based on confucianism and the other buddhism. Bushido is a set of principles which a person must accept in order to fight without losing their humanity and values. To live without the fear of death, to have actions based on principles rather than fear, and to live a life without blame.
The acceptance of death would be the most important element in bushido. To not worry about dying but also constantly think that they will eventually die. Suicide would be considered a more honourable death than to be killed by a opponent. When a samurai decides to commit suicide they would slit their stomachs with a small dagger because it was believed that the stomach was where the soul lies. This is called seppuku.
Another important element in bushido would be having the mind free from all distractions. Thus, the ability to pursue the perfection in all things such as haiku, writing, art, seppuku etc.
Names
Samurais, at birth, were given a name until their 14th year, the coming of age. When the samurai is an adult, their first name would consist of two chracters which was from his family and the other given as a gift from a person of higher status. A samurai may change the characters in their names if something extremely "special" such as great success in battle.
Ronin
A ronin samurai is a samurai who lost their masters. They're mostly seen in groups/gangs. Ronin also means a person who is waiting for university entrance!
The hair
Topknots were common among everyone except for Buddhist priests.
Facial Hair
After the Edo Period, facial hair became very common for they show the 'manliness' of the wearer. Having facial hair also made wearing helmets more comfortable!
