From playing video games like final fantasy and other rpgs....etc...I have heard of the swords Masamune and Muramasa
Both of these were japanese blacksmiths in ancient japan a long long time ago....The two blacksmiths are always described in tales and legends as rivals or oppisites... you get the idea.In some tales Muramasa is known to be Masamune's student but to most people... this was not possible because Masamune was known to have lived around the year 1300, (although this is not fully certain)while Muramasa lived around the 1500s as he dated his work.
In the legends and tales (which are all very similar in a way, just so you know) Muramasa challenged Masamune, his master, and see who could make a better, finer sword.Masamune accepted and they both worked on creating a blade of their own.When both were finished they tested out to see which was better by holding the blades in a river withthe sharp edge facing the current.Muramasa's blade cut everything that came at it, fish, leaves everything...When Masamune put his blade in the river it cut nothing, fish could swim up to it and not get hurt...A monk watching this came over to the two blacksmiths and told them what was the better sword and why...
About Muramasa's sword, he said that it was a blood thristy, evil blade as it cut anything in its path without questionno matter what it was.About Masamune's sword, he said that this was the better, finer sword of the two blades as it didn't cut or kill anything that was innocent...It was a peaceful sword.
The reason while Muramasa's blades were always known to be blood thristy or violent bladeswas because when Tokugawa became shogun at the start of the 1600s he lost alotof family and friends to Muramasa's blades and he hurt himself badly with one, so he banned people from carrying them.It was also the time of the Sengoku Period (1467-1603), a violent time which samurai leaders and provincial governors started to battle each other for land and power
Why Masamune's swords are know to be finer was that the swords were made in a period where the steel was impure and still turned out to be exceptionally crafted swords, the Honjo Masamune beingthe most famous of his works....The reason why the swords were described as peaceful was that that they were made around a time which wasn't as violent as theSengoku Period, they were made between late in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) to the beginning of the Nanboku-chō era (1336-1392)Although it was still a violent time in a way, it wasn't as violent as the Sengoku Periodthats why the swords could be described as peaceful, then Muramasa's swords....
Since Masamune's swords are known to be exceptional and since he is regared as the greatest swordsmith in japan, An award is dedicated after him called the Masamune prize which isawarded at the Japanese Sword Making Competiton but is only presented to swordsmiths who created a exceptional work so therefore it is not presented every year.
