LiDiex, Tibet Blade Crystal Skull w/ Red and similar items

~ Voodoo Priestess Estate ~ 1888 LiDiex Tibetan Blade Crystal Skull with Faceted Oval Cambodian Red Zircon Gem Eyes and an Oni Spell Induced Katana Wand and accessories The Voodoo Estate - Uncle Waddy's Sword Guy School reach out and touch someone ~!~ This is another of our very long listings with an abundant text and 30 photographs. So please be patient, read the listing through and take your time examining them. If you have come this far we feel you will find it was worth the wait. Twenty-one and one-half years have now passed since we were called to do the estate that had been closed up for seventeen years! The Voodoo Estate! This type of call usually gets us excited as they are a treasure trove. Located here in Florida, there was no electricity or running water so we rigged our own lighting and in we went. If you have ever seen the Adams Family you will have some idea as to what we were greeted with! Then the attorney handling the liquidation gave us some background. The estate had belonged to an alleged powerful Voodoo Priestess/JooJoo Exorcist, grand daughter of a Marie Laveau and favored daughter of a Marie Glapion. These names meant nothing to us, but the late night talk of Voodoo and exorcism in the old mansion was enough to make us decide to spend the night in a hotel and return in the morning to assess the estate. The rest is history. Our research has shown this woman was who and what she claimed to be and was indeed descended from a long line of well known Voodoun family originating in New Orleans in the early 1800's. We were pretty unnerved by this until we discovered they were also devout Catholics! Although I have to admit this was unlike any Catholic home we have ever been in and some of the items found inside were a little more than unnerving. There was no feeling of dread or unwelcome in the mansion, however there was quite a bit of contraband and other items we can or will not sell here. The skull used in this ensemble is from this estate and one of the few pieces from this estate which we will be listing this week, so check our other items. We will, upon the new guardian's request, issue a named Letter of Authenticity with each piece from this estate, complying with the terms set forth to us by the estate's attorney. Some Back Story ~!~ The Crystal Skulls A choice collection of quartz crystal was recovered from the suite of the 1888 LiDiex. An assortment of thirty-seven natural and carved pieces of these rock quartz crystal were predominantly skulls and are attributed as being used by this LiDiex for "Meditative Blade Charging" according to their journal entries. This was a sealed suite that was the north wing suite that shielded the Black Pyramid Veve Room (see our other listings). ~!~ 1888 LiDiex The research generated by this estate provides continuous fascination. This was another of the men known only as "LiDiex." A 4th. generation descendant of the original Man Known Only As "LiDiex" to these shores, who came here as a survivor and saboteur of the slave ship Henrietta Marie in 1701. He then found his way to New Orleans to meet with the parents of the then infant grandmother of our priestess, Marie Laveau. This is another case of the multi-generational relationships we have encountered with the families associated with this estate, as the LiDiex all had a strong ties with these women. He is the least mentioned of the LiDiex in her journals, yet he kept a suite of rooms with her from his sixteenth birthday. Apparently he would leave for periods lasting up to a decade before returning, shutting himself in the estate for lengthy periods before leaving again. There is no record of the death of this LiDiex. He is attributed with the design and consecration of the, "Resurrection Skull Altar" and most of the ceremonial spells associated and used with it. Her journals, and those of a number of her live in practitioner followers, most notably, those of the LiDiex, tell of this altar being used in ritual resurrection ceremonies. There are some pretty fantastic tales of animating inanimate objects, particularly, a number of articulated skulls using specific minerals, potions, elixirs and reptiles. He is described in her journals as being, "in excess of six feet of sinewy muscle, deceptively strong, easily matching two of his size in their grappling," and, "extensively, shaved, tattooed and pierced," in addition to, "shown to be capable of high magic without devices." Both their journals claim his ability to heal wounds, shape shift, travel through time and space, telepath and create life with the power of his thought. They also corroborate the sharing of identities with a number of other LiDiex, "being a master of disguise and misdirection, often with his mere thought," according to these entries. This gave these men the ability to appear two or more places at once, an old family ploy that was apparently often used by their mistress. It is this LiDiex who is attributed with making her introduction to Alexandra David Neel and his journals tell of numerous meetings and short adventures with her. Claiming at the age of twenty four to have met Neel for the second time in the company of Prince Sidkeong of Sikkim and of being her teacher of the Tibetan language having already spent six years with the Great Hermit as apprentice. Much is already written on these subjects, so there is no need to elaborate here in this already overly long text, but we wholeheartedly recommend a cursory search for some very interesting reading. ~!~ Tibetan Blade Crystal Their journals and her inventory tell us, this is one of eight Tibetan crystal skulls that were the contents of one of two leather trunks which were some of the artifacts purchased and traded by the 1888 LiDiex, from a man they name only as, "the sorcerer and mountain monk merchant" over a three decade period. It is the LiDiex journal entries that describe their initial meeting, with his coming upon the monks camp on a winter morning, "his appearance is that of a mad man, but he is lucid for conversation, has fuel, shelter, food and drink, so we decide to commiserate and palaver. He is a maker and merchant trader of artifacts, amulets, charms and talisman, many of which he has fashioned from native ores procured in his travels. ?Business must be brisk!', I jokingly comment, as he is the first man we have made contact within a week." The trunks were procured with Buddhist statuary and regionally sourced Tibetan rock crystal carved skulls. One of these trunks was the skull reliquary box and contained seven skulls. Of the eight skulls, five had been dressed with gemstone eyes, gold leaf and/or applied magic symbols by those associated with this estate and their mistress. Four of these were recovered in the trunk while this fifth one was recovered from a minor blade altar in the LiDiex Chapel Room. The LiDiex had chosen these skulls "used for imparting spells to the blade," according to one of their journal entries. These blade ceremonies, "where one's consciousness and that of the spelled blade become one" is noted in a number of entries as described below in the commentary. I might also add, our own Uncle Waddy had both of these trunks loaded onto his truck when packing up this estate and they have remained in his collection for all of these years. He had plans for the five skulls which had been dressed and they are part of the seventeen skulls he used in last year's blade rituals of his own, the concepts of which are also disclosed in further detail below. Additional Notes and Commentary; Uncle Waddy is a contributing author and editor of this write-up and has spent nearly two decades in the research of this estate and the parties associated with it. It is his commentary that follows; "The LiDiex, the crystals and the chanted petitions or spells associated with them hold particular fascination for me. These "blade charging spells and rituals" which essentially consist of meditating oneself into a dream-like state while unconsciously bathing the blade in the charged aura of the crystal, which allegedly enabled them to move in the dream realm and this world simultaneously while wielding that blade. The distinction being his efforts in the dream world were minimal and their reaction in the physical world being disproportionly fast, fierce and effective. In addition, while in this state one would see the events the blade would participate in well in advance of the event taking place, allowing one to alter the outcome." ~!~ "Our family practiced martial art, for those of you that do not know is 'Muso Shinden Ryu Batto Jutsu' which translates as 'The Art of Drawing and Cutting from Divine Transmission through a Dream' so one can see the initial attraction and the reason I took possession of these crystals for my personal collection where most of them have remained until now. Their journals mention bathing the blades crystal, in this case the skull, in "salt and colored light when charging" we used Himalayan salt lamps for this. Four from the LiDiex Suite and three of our own and from memory of the suite layout tried to recreate the lighting they describe for this "charging with the addition of infrared and ultra violet lighting." Duplicating their "techniques" on some of our own blades has had some interesting results, especially as we developed and shared the teachings we learned with the combined knowledge of our own little group of blade culture practitioners. This 'blade charging' must be done as an unconscious manner while avoiding cutting yourself, but if bled, the blood must stay on the crystal and never touch the blade or its fittings, all while maintaining and focusing your intent. The initial blades this was done with were a Cold Steel Warrior Katana and a Paul Chen Golden Oriole Katana, both I had previously used to draw and cut, but noted that neither were perfect swords. Perhaps it was the power of suggestion, but it did seem to enhance the attributes (cutting and handling) of both blades. The third blade this was done with was a signed, tested and dated 18th. century blade that is phenomenal to handle, but I never cut with it as it was made to cut flesh and bone, not tatami mats, water bottles, etc. and for fear of damage as it is over 300 years old. Although the blade seemed to liven up quite a bit in forms, we do not recommend doing this to these old Japanese blades as we feel these older blade spirits do not like it. I base this on the events of the night this ceremony was performed on that antique blade. That night I had a vivid lucid dream of two very unhappy seven-plus foot tall Daimyo armored figures paying me a visit through a mirror followed by a woman who somehow identified herself to me as Fox Spirit Woman. Upon waking with total recall that name struck me as something Native American, but I am assured it was a Japanese spirit woman attached to the sword during its forging. So lo and behold this 18th. century woodblock print we turned up in our research with the named and described, both in my dream and on the print, "Fox Spirit Woman." ~!~ We had also performed these rituals with a number of new knives, including two pair of Cold Steel Moro Barong's and a pair of Karambits which in our opinion enhanced the ability of these tools as fighting weapons quite a bit. We gave one of the karambits away to a good client with metaphysical and martial background and training, but to this day she has refrained from using it. She has however become a recluse and gone mad, but this we do not feel had anything to do with the blade. It was also done with a pair of Cheness SGC Series - "Tsukikage" (Moon Shadow) Katana. Not to burden an already overlong listing with a review, these blades are wider and thinner than traditional blades, excellent cutters and well worth the money. A fresh hog from the butcher was chosen as test medium for each these 'charged' blades. Although each session was an impressive demonstration, we did not do any cutting beforehand for comparison, so it is not fair to try and make a comparison. The barong's on the other hand were thought to vibrate and rattle in their sheaths on a number of occasion noted by all present. We really wanted some more experience in doing this before trying it on the blades their notes tells us they are best used on, the Keris or Kris. Pulling four blades from our own collection, a 12th. century Dapur Brojol, 13th. century Kulit Semangka and a matched, presentation grade pair of 19th. century Wengkon. These are from my grandfather's personal collection and are heaped with folklore. These are old swords with numerous ancient mystical and historical references. The keris was also a favored blade of her Zuvembie with her noting of them, "it is time that determines when the most powerful blades were made. This energy and magic increases through use being the continuous feeding needed by the keris and its jinn." These are blades created by 'empus' with ancient technique and ritual that is still closely guarded as our own forays into Indonesia have shown. If you decide to use these crystals with blades, please research the history of the blade and proceed with caution. There seems to be a wide range of magic applied to the keris and the Japanese blades, many of them dating back hundreds of years, having passed through the hands of warrior magicians and ritually used. Some of these are meant to protect one from harm, others to promote wealth, but many of these swords are ancestral belongings, passed down through generations of practitioners. They are said to embody attributes of strength and heroism of all its previous owners, so in this regard they are considered powerful magical charms. Some of the legends concerning these blades are the ability to slay an enemy by simply pointing the weapon at that person or into their footprints, transferring a fire from one location to another by pointing the tip of the blade in another direction, the blade flying out of the sheath to attack an enemy on its own. rattling in its sheath to warn the owner of approaching danger. allowing one to see into the future via peering into small holes in the weapon or sighting along its spine, healing battle wounds of its owner, and give complete invulnerability to its wearer. These blades, if properly made are said to contain a life force or spirit which is known in Indonesian as ?Khodam? or Servitor. Khodam is a spiritual force or intelligence which lives in the blade providing guidance and protection to its owner. Not all of these blades have a positive nature. The name Keris comes from the Malaise language which means to stab or to pierce, but even though this indicates its use as a weapon they are actually made as spiritual objects to protect their owners, warn them of danger and allow them to glimpse into the future. But, this listing is not about the keris and we have already burdened another overly long text with this but feel one should have some additional background and access to our own research to guide them with these things and strongly suggest further research in this area before conducting magic or wielding one of these blades. ~!~ But Back to the Skull This is one of eight similar sourced skulls, five of which were dressed with gemstone eyes by those associated with this estate and all part of my collection which my associates and I matched with modern blades for ceremony performed by this group of associates all known to be well practiced and versed in blade culture magic and performed over the course of ten days at our Bed and Breakfast in the summer of 2022. We relied upon the journals recovered from this estate which note of their performing these 'Blood Blade Crystal Meditations' which called for "blooding the skull during the spell." We should also note that there a number of entries where the skulls are alleged to then being able to perform this spell on their own. ~!~ The skull is of fine grind and polish, natural rock quartz crystal of white to clear color, heavily included with areas of very good transparency, natural tan chlorite, white veils and heat sensitive Rainbow or aurora borealis inclusions. It has been set with a pair of Faceted Oval Cambodian Red Zircon Gem Eyes which are described in further detail below. The skull measures approximately 8" x 4 5/8" x 5 1/2" and weighs 11 lbs., 8 oz. ~!~ Cambodian Red Zircon Gems Their journals and her inventory tell us the pair of faceted oval red zircon gems used as the eyes of this skull, were brought to the estate and set in the skull as shown by one or more of a group of Theravada Buddhist Monks who were guests in the spring of 1973. It was then that the group of eleven Theravada Buddhist Monks sailed here aboard the Agwe at the invitation of the 1888 LiDiex. They left for home in mid July. It is obvious their hostess and host went out of their way to make their guests feel welcome. One of the monks is named as Somdej Phra Nyanasamvara. Most of those named in this party apparently had their names edited out of the journals by various means. ie; black ink, white-out, erasure and razor cuts were all employed in the ledgers during the period of their visit. Our feeling is more than one of the residents had a hand in this and that it was done to protect the identities of the monks. Her journals describe this as "a decadent group" and the timeline of their return to Thailand indicates a rash of decadent behavior by a group of monks we believe to be one and the same. Most, but not all of their names were censored out of the journal entries and we believe this Somdej Phra Nyanasamvara, was the man who would go on to become the 19th. Supreme Patriarch of Thailand who would be appointed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1989. In 1972, he was given the title Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the same basic title that he bears today. This is a rarely used monastic title that had not been granted to a Thai bhikkhu in over 150 years! The granting of this title placed Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara at the top of the Thai monastic establishment, and set the stage for his being named "Sangharaja", or "Lord of the Sangha" (Supreme Buddhist Patriarch of Thailand). Other than being a notable person and willing participant in a 'mass dressing and blessing' of a group of mostly Buddhist depictions their hosts provided from their personal collections, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara does not stand out in these journal entries. He is however worthy of further research so we are providing a link to his Wikipedia page if this is of interest to you; (links are not allowed ) ~!~ The Agwe This estate included four off-site properties. One of which was a nautical dry-dock, warehouse and storage yard on Old Griffin Road in Dania Beach Florida. This was another overgrown property we literally had to cut our way into. The massive bougainvillea that lined the fence line is what most likely prevented vandalism and theft, although her journals tell otherwise, attributing this to her spells of protection. Restoring power to the site we began our inventory with the surprise find of their yacht, named, "The Agwe." Her journals, inventory and our own research revealed this one hundred and seventy two foot, twin screw diesel, steel-hull motor yacht was custom built for her in 1930 by the Defoe Ship Building Company. This was a small ship builder that was established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan which went out of business in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The Agwe was designed for transoceanic voyages and upon inspection we found disguised, armored turrets with pintle gun mounts, and a secure, but empty armory. No guns or munitions were recovered from the Agwe, but her journals and inventory list an extensive array of then state of the art, military grade weaponry she and her associates procured for this vessel. The Agwe was named after a Voodoo Loa who her journals tell us, ?is invoked as Shell of the Sea, Eel, and Tadpole of the Pond. He is a Sea Sovereign and a lover of Erzulie. He cares for the fauna and flora and all ships which sail upon the sea. His symbols are brightly painted oars, shells, tiny boats, and small metal fish (all of which were found onboard). He favors uniforms and gunfire, and is a protector of those at sea.? We sold the Agwe to a local automotive distributor who sent it to Holland to be refurbished, and we understand from the family (the buyer had since passed away) that he sold it after reports from the Dutch restorers that the ship was haunted. ~!~ Our research revealed this ship passed through several stages during its career. The first was the initial contract to build it. Then began the design phase which was carried out by a naval architect. Construction then began in the shipyard. Once completed, the ship was launched and delivered to them in Florida. They procured the Dania Beach shipyard where they conducted an elaborate ceremony where they named and launched their ship. The Agwe would receive constant maintenance during its career, and once it was returned to Holland to repair major damage sustained at sea in 1946. Most steel-hulled ocean-going yachts can have a lifespan of over one hundred years if maintained. ~!~ Buddha Magic Incantation Party These eleven monks, along with their hosts and other residents of this estate, provided thirty-seven predominantly Buddhist depictions which they 'dressed and blessed' in a mass incantation ritual blessing they held in the Main Ballroom of this estate. Her journals tell us they spent nine days preparing these depictions using a host of eclectic articles each had brought to the party to create a series of magical charmed images. All were later relegated to the LiDiex Chapel where we recovered them. The five crystal skulls were dressed in a separate ceremony in the LiDiex Chapel Room. ~!~ But Back to the Gems Our own research revealed zircon is used to protect the mind and body from harmful energy emitted by celestial bodies in our solar system. It is also believed to carry certain characteristics which act in a positive manner to attract the vibrations of wealth, self confidence, self esteem and wisdom. It is associated with love and happiness and it is believed to cure some diseases including epilepsy, fever and insanity. It is also believed that the wearer should maintain the shine on the gems because without it the gem's power will change from good to negative. Natural zircon is valued for its high refractive index and excellent fire. It has a higher refractive index than sapphire, ruby, spinel or tanzanite and also has impressive fire, with a dispersion rating nearly as high as diamond. Zircon is a gemstone found in many colors which are caused by impurities that are incorporated in the mineral during the formation of the gem . They are semi precious and brittle meaning they can get damaged easily. Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, which was a glowing tree covered with gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. In the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honour and wisdom in its owner. According to some, Zircon relieves pain and is said to whet one's appetite, prevent nightmares and ensure a deep tranquil sleep. Some have found it helps one be more at peace with oneself. Zircon is believed to provide the wearer with wisdom, honor and riches. The loss of luster on a Zircon stone is said to warn of danger. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-colored' although zircon comes in a wide range of different colors. The minerals jargon, hyacinth, and jacinth also contain zircon and these have been known since biblical times and are mentioned in the bible in several places. The existence of a new element within these minerals was not suspected until studies by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in the late 18th. century who isolated Zircon in 1789. In antiquity zircon was often called Hyacinth or Jacinth, the legend tells of a mythological character named Hyacinthus, a youth accidentally slain by Apollo who was jealous of the young man?s beauty. His blood produced the hyacinth flower, whose beauty is said to be reflected in red zircon as well. Red zircon is believed to drive away evil spirits, nightmares, and protect its wearer from enchantment and lightning. ~!~ Her journals tell us. "its colour is advantageous to healing sound sleep and useful in the higher meditative states," "This hard red gemstone is quite robust and able to withstand long bouts of high vibrational energy produced in sex and murder magic." "Few can connect and control this energy as it is a stone of Venus, yet it is quite responsive as a healer of the terminally ill." "It is a stone of high vibrational energy with many uses, aside from its aesthetics. It is a metaphysical and recuperative stone with the fiery red hue of happiness and prosperity." ~!~ Examination and comparison to her inventory leads us to determine they are flawless stones that measure approximately 25.4 x 15.875 x 6.35 mm, 23.81 ct. each, 47.62 tcw. Thy have been mounted with an unidentified, clear silicone like adhesive on the back of the stones which appear as inclusions when viewed from the front. They are not. Red zircon typically ranges in price from $75 to $125 per carat, These have a combined value between $3571.50 to $5952.50. ~!~ Some of My Own Experiences with Spelled Blades or Uncle Waddy's Tales of Violence Some would say I was a tough kid and others might add a tough old man now, although that is not how I perceive myself. When we moved from Virginia to New Jersey I had been trained by my father and uncles to defend those being preyed upon hence my early practice bouts consisted of preying on and beating up my share of bullies. Even when I lost, they did not seek a rematch although I must say that I did. One such group of New Jersey high school bullies dropped out of school to further their career in armed robbery. Unfortunately I was not there when they came into the park to rob my friends that hung out there. They then did the same thing at a friends party, only this time they accidentally shot and killed an eighteen year old friend of mine. I had bought a Puma Game Warden which was an expensive knife @ $30 at the time and I swore a blood oath of vengeance upon the blade. This was done with my own blood and hours of meditative stropping which is very similar in practice to the LiDiex instructions for charging a blade. Through no fault of my own I was never able to put steel to any of them. When they saw me, they ran, such was my own reputation at the time. It must have been the third time that this happened when I pulled my knife and sighted down the blade at them, uttering intent for their death. Within a month all three were dead. One died of a drug overdose, another tried unsuccessfully to swim the Hudson River high on heroine, pills and cough medicine and the other was killed by a gas station attendant during a robbery attempt. The swimmer's brother and father, a homicide detective, went on to become life-long friends, but that is another story. Interesting, Ya think? I am not kidding when I say I have led a colorful life. This was not the last of such experiences for me, but lest you think me blood thirsty I will end with that tale. Tales such as these, using these charged blades as a sighted wand like device, abound in their journals. There were also a small number of live blades found that were alleged to be enhanced as such. They are also common folklore among the Samurai of Japan and in Indonesia where the Keris is popular. I have also found such reference among the native tribes of the Americas and Africa. ~!~ As stated above, nine of us who were assembled are all blade culture practitioners. Eighteen modern virgin blades were chosen, one for each of the blood and blade crystal skulls chosen from this estate. Each was paired according to our feeling and intuitions. The last time we did this was thirteen years ago to the day and we sold the last of those, I dare say reluctantly, eight years ago. Some of you already know the documented (as much as possible) incidents, in which the practitioners in possession of these items claim to have used them successfully. An interesting note of these incidents was each of them involved a trusted, but not blood kin who had sexually molested the now adult in possession of these items and the knowledge of how to use them. In each of the incidents, the molester dies of a brain aneurysm and the caster, in their now excited state, cuts themselves without realizing. Coincidently(?), similar magic revenge techniques and the tools to perform them were recovered from this estate with the pi disc and poisons being used in lieu of steel. So, over thirteen years later, let?s see what we?ve learned. ~!~ The Katana This is one of two near identical Dojo Pro (Oni) Katana Model #14 (30 inch blade) we purchased from Ronin Katana. Ronin's dojo pro line of samurai swords is currently the largest Japanese sword line in the world. Each bears a unique tsuba which is based on an actual Japanese antique. This line of swords is extensively tested every year, with videos of the tests published on youtube having received millions of views. They have destroyed over $10,000 in swords to help educate us as to what we can expect of their blades. This is part of a line of blades based on the Dotanuki style of sword-smithing. These are swords with thick, powerful cutting blades that were so brutally effective that the style was actually banned during the peaceful Edo period of Japanese history! Dotanuki Swords aka Torso Cutters, are battlefield Katana with exceptionally effective cutting blades. Historically these were no nonsense blades favored by battle hardened warriors during the civil wars of the Sengoku Jidai, and in peace time had they had a viscous reputation for raw cutting power that caused them to be outlawed under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The name Dotanuki is often translated as a 'torso cutter' i.e. can literally bisect someone clean in half at the thickest portion of the torso, the #1 cut, often performed on the condemned to test the blade. The name actually traces its origins to a village in Higo province where the original founder of this sword making style, Oyama Kozuke no Suke, was born and operated his forge from. His swords, and all the others in the same style made by other smiths that followed were noted for an aggressive forward balance and thick, wide blade with a wide motohaba (the blade width at the habaki) to generate cutting power far beyond your regular shinogi zukuri Katana. In addition to cutting power - they also had a very thick kissaki (tip) that swelled at the yokote to give it extra strength when attempting to pierce armor and could often puncture a hole where other blades would be turned aside. This style was largely forgotten, until the 1970's when it was popularized by the manga, and later the TV series (and movie) Lone Wolf and Cub, where it was the hunted Ronin outlaw protagonists weapon of choice. Ogami Itto and his infant son Daigoro first introduced the Dotanuki Katana to the West To quote wikipedia.. Dotanuki swords quickly gained great popularity among the warrior class due to their superior cutting ability. The Dotanuki smiths cared little for aesthetics, but instead focused on strength, sharpness, and durability in the field. They were renowned for producing blades which would endure the harshest conditions, the most difficult battle field situations and survive to return to battle day after day, year after year. - Wikipedia We wholeheartedly agree with their claims of producing safe and reliable workhorse swords that are welcome in dojos worldwide. Ronin is a global brand with retailers based in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The Specs; Steel: Through hardened 1060 steel samurai sword Saya: Hand cut and polished buffalo horn Kurikata, Koguchi and Kojiri. Weight: 2.65 pounds Point of Balance: 4 3/4 - 5 inches Length in saya: 44 inches Tsuka: 11 inches Blade: 30 inches Habaki to tip: 29 inches Ito: Silk Sageo: Synthetic silk Fuchi: Blackened iron Kashira: Blackened iron Menuki: Brass Oni ~!~ Although no longer published in the description of this sword, which is still in their catalog, priced at $335.00, we read and were told that the makers had successfully invoked the spirits of Oni into these blades during the forge. This is what caused Uncle Waddy to buy them. ~!~ Oni From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, for the most part... An oni is a kind of yokai, demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess intriguingly complex aspects that cannot be brushed away simply as evil. They are typically portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads. Stereotypically, they are conceived of as red, blue, black, yellow, or white-colored, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and carrying iron kanabo clubs. They are creatures which instill fear and feelings of danger due to their grotesque outward appearance, their wild and sometimes strange behavior and their powers. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature, and theater and appear as stock villains in the well-known fairy tales of Momotaro (Peach Boy), Issun-boshi, and Kobutori Jisan. Although Oni have been described as frightening creatures, they have become tamer in modern culture as people tell less frightening stories about them like Oni Mask and Red Oni Who Cried. Shuten-doji has been regarded as the most famous and strongest oni in Japan. The legend of Shuten-doji has been described since the 14th century in various arts, traditional performing arts and literature such as emakimono, joruri, noh and kabuki. The tachi (Japanese long sword) "Dojigiri" with which Minamoto no Yorimitsu decapitated Shuten-doji' in the legend is now designated as a National Treasure and one of the Tenka-Goken (Five Greatest Swords Under Heaven). Description Depictions of yokai oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic ogre-like creatures with a single horn or multiple horns emerging from their heads, with sharp claws, wild hair, and fang-like tusks. They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths and carrying iron clubs called kanabo. This image leads to the expression "oni with an iron club" (oni-ni-kanabo), that is, to be invincible or undefeatable. Their skin may have various colors, but red, blue, and green are particularly common. They may sometimes also be depicted as black-skinned, or yellow-skinned. They may occasionally be depicted with a third eye on their forehead, or extra fingers and toes. They are predominantly male but can be female. Females becoming oni has been attributed to them being overcome with grief or jealousy. Oni can come in many different sizes ranging in both weight and height. Origins An old etymology for "oni" is that the word derives from on, the on'yomi reading of a character meaning "to hide or conceal" due to oni having the tendency of "hiding behind things, not wishing to appear." This explanation is found in the 10th century dictionary Wamyosho, which reveals that the oni at the time had a different meaning, defined as "a soul/spirit of the dead". (description exceeds maximum possible length)