Chinese sabre blade believed of late Ming dynasty with svastika markings

josh stout · 14th December 2020, 05:33 PM

I would like to respond to Jim's earlier question.

"My interest in the symbol, as a Buddhist symbol, and in its application in the motif on weapons, would be why are these sequenced in the numeric five?
The three is of course well known symbolically in religions, and we have determined that the symbol itself is generally held as a symbol of good fortune, success and positive force."

Several posts have mentioned the swastika as a sun symbol, but the four quadrants represent thus sun in relation to the four seasons of the earth. The angled arms represent the sun going around the earth (it looked like that anyway). So it is a symbol of the sun and the earth, much like the Celtic cross (cross in a circle).

So why have five of them? In Chinese numerology, the number four is associated with the earth, but is considered unlucky because it is the earth without humans. The number five specifically represents our five pointed shape, and is considered the human number. There are of course many important "fives" in Chinese mythology, such as the five elements, but in my opinion, the maker of this sword wanted to avoid an unlucky association with the number four. Four is the number of death, and that is a bit intense on the side of a blade.

14th December 2020, 05:33 PM	#11
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	I would like to respond to Jim's earlier question. "My interest in the symbol, as a Buddhist symbol, and in its application in the motif on weapons, would be why are these sequenced in the numeric five? The three is of course well known symbolically in religions, and we have determined that the symbol itself is generally held as a symbol of good fortune, success and positive force." Several posts have mentioned the swastika as a sun symbol, but the four quadrants represent thus sun in relation to the four seasons of the earth. The angled arms represent the sun going around the earth (it looked like that anyway). So it is a symbol of the sun and the earth, much like the Celtic cross (cross in a circle). So why have five of them? In Chinese numerology, the number four is associated with the earth, but is considered unlucky because it is the earth without humans. The number five specifically represents our five pointed shape, and is considered the human number. There are of course many important "fives" in Chinese mythology, such as the five elements, but in my opinion, the maker of this sword wanted to avoid an unlucky association with the number four. Four is the number of death, and that is a bit intense on the side of a blade.