Setto

The setto word consists of two words: setsu ( jap. 節 , here “time, temporary”) and then: ( jap. 刀 , “sword”). The word setsu in this case means "certificate", "confirmation". Thus, setto is a “sword-certificate”, that is, a sword issued as evidence that its holder is authorized by the emperor to recruit people and horses for his army, as well as to receive from the local authorities everything necessary for his army. In addition, the owner of the sword received the right to control the lives of both enemies and his subordinates.

From the word setto the word jisetsu ( 持節 . ) Came : ji (持) means “to hold”, “possess”, and setsu (節) is used here instead of setto (節 刀). Thus, jisetsu is the owner of the seto, that is, the commander who has already received the setto sword from the emperor and who is now endowed with extraordinary powers. The word jisetsu was sometimes included in the title of commander, for example: jisetsu taisyogun (“the commander in chief who received the setto sword”), sei hayato jisetsu taysyogun (“the commander in the campaign against hayato , who received the setto sword”), sei jisetsu taisi (“head of the embassy of barbarians who received the Setto Sword. ”)

Setto's sword was one of the daitokei - regalia , which were transmitted in Japan from the emperor to the emperor and accompanied the emperor on his trips. By their importance, daitokei were considered state treasures, which were in second place after the three sacred treasures . Daitokei was kept in a special ark, which was called a carabiner ( 唐 櫃 , "Chinese box") and was first located in the Giyoden palace building, and then was transferred to Naisidokoro .

The “Japanese historical encyclopedia”, speaking of setto , says that this sword was called “magic” ( я 剣 р , reiken ), that is, it was symbolic and was not used directly during the battle.

This sword had three more names:

1. sanko sentoken ( Jap. 三公 戦 - «) -“ dignitary’s battle sword ”(“ combat ”not in the sense that it was used by a dignitary in battle, but in the sense that he was with a dignitary during the fighting);
2. shogunken ( 将軍 剣 剣 ) - “the commander’s sword” and
3. hatekiken ( 破 敵 剣 ) - "a sword smashing enemies."

On the blade were symbolic drawings of Chinese origin. On the left side of the blade (if you hold the sword with the hilt down and the blade away from you) were depicted:

1. three rulers and five emperors ( Fuxi , Shennong , Huangdi ; Shaohao , Zhuansuy , Diku , Yao , Shun );
2. six stars of the Ursa Major and the blue dragon ;
3. Sivanmu mascot, keeping from deadly weapons.

On the right side were depicted:

1. five stars of the North Pole and seven stars of the North Dipper ;
2. white tiger
3. the mascot of Lao Tzu , smashing enemies.

Some ancient writings report that all the daitokei swords, including the Setto sword, were presented to Japan as a tribute to Empress Dzingu ( 201-269 ) by the Korean principality of Kudar . However, it is more likely that the setto appeared under the emperor Mommu ( 697 - 707 ), who was a fan of all Chinese, and in China, the commander was awarded jieue ( Chinese 節 鉞 ) - "ax-certificate" as a sign of his authority. The Taihoryo Code ( 701 ) reads: “When a taishogun goes on a campaign, he is given a seto.” The interpretation of the Taihoryo says: “As for the ambassador’s credentials, they used to use a hairy cow’s tail for this, but now it’s been replaced by a sword, which is why it is called setto - a certification sword; the name of the certificate has changed, but its meaning remains the same. ”

• Setto sword was first granted in 709 under the Empress Gemmey (708-714). Fujiwara Kosemaro , who was appointed Mutsu tinto shogun (“commander in Mutsu is the pacifier of the east”), and Saeki Iwai , who was appointed to the post of Sei Etigo ejo shogun (“commander is the punisher of barbarians in Etigo ”) received it.
• Then, in 720, the sword was bestowed on Otomo Tabito , who received the rank of Sei Hayato Jisetsu Taishogun (“Commander-in-Chief with Setto - Hayato Punisher”).
• Since then, as can be seen from various historical chronicles, the seto has been given out to commanders invariably until the year 940 , when Fujiwara Tadabumi was appointed to suppress the Tenkei insurgency with the title of seito taishogun (“commander in chief - the punisher of the east”). He was the last to whom the emperor granted Setto .
• In 960, during the reign of Emperor Murakami ( 947–967 ), a fire setto suffered during a fire. The sword was restored (according to some sources, it was made anew), however, in 1005 and in 1094 the fires again broke out in the palace, and every time the daytokei suffered greatly from fire. Therefore, the commanders ceased to hand setto ; So, in 962 and 1180, instead of a setto , the commanders were only given the Ekirei courier bells ( 役 鈴 ).
• After the shoguns seized power in the country, the emperors no longer appointed commanders, and the delivery of the setto completely ceased. In some cases, when the emperors gathered troops to oppose the shogunate , they handed their warlords a brocade banner, which, perhaps, performed the same function as the setto .
• In 1227, during the reign of Emperor Go-Horikawa ( 1222 - 1232 ), daitokei were lost; the following 1228 they found a Chinese box containing two swords and charred fragments of iron and copper. A meeting was held at which it was decided to make two drawers: one for the setto , and the second for the rest. The emperor should always carry these boxes with him on his trips. In the Time of Troubles ( 1331 - 1335 ), both boxes were lost. When Emperor Go-Kogon ascended the throne in 1352, it was recorded in the annals that he had not been given daitokei.
• In 1863, Emperor Komei ( 1847 - 1867 ) first tried to hand in the Tokugawa shogun Iemoti , and then his successor Hitotsubashi Keiki with a request to expel the Europeans from the country. What kind of sword was this, which the emperor wanted to use as a seto , is unknown.
• In 1868, Emperor Meiji , entrusting his uncles - the adoptive sons of his grandfather Emperor Ninko (Princes Akihito and ) - to lead the war against the Shogun Keiki and his followers, handed both princes a setto . These setto were ordinary swords.

It is also known that sometimes a setto was awarded to ambassadors sent to China . So, in 701, Emperor Mommu , sending Avada Mabito as ambassador to China, awarded him the title of Kento Sissetsushi - "an ambassador to China endowed with a sword."