> Japanese swords were therefore passed down rather than destroyed, as opposed to viking culture where swords were often buried
It should be noted that viking swords were often also passed down even after being buried, due to the lovely part of the viking wedding ceremony where the groom presents an ancestral sword from his family to the bride, to keep in trust until they have a son to take it [1].
That sword was often obtained by making the groom take it from the grave of an ancestor it was buried with.
That makes me wonder why the sword was buried in the first place. Most cultures that bury a person with their possessions seem to do so because they believe that the items will be needed by the person in the afterlife.
But if vikings buried your grandfather with his sword because they believed he needs it in the afterlife, it seems odd that they would later make you take it for your wedding and leave the old man defenseless against his afterlife foes.
>> That makes me wonder why the sword was buried in the first place.
That makes me wonder if the sword was ever really buried. It is a valuable object. If you think it is going to be brought out again, you don't bury it like you would body, certainly nowhere near decaying flesh. I would put it in some chamber near or above the body, more like in a safe than in a grave.
It should be noted that viking swords were often also passed down even after being buried, due to the lovely part of the viking wedding ceremony where the groom presents an ancestral sword from his family to the bride, to keep in trust until they have a son to take it [1].
That sword was often obtained by making the groom take it from the grave of an ancestor it was buried with.
That makes me wonder why the sword was buried in the first place. Most cultures that bury a person with their possessions seem to do so because they believe that the items will be needed by the person in the afterlife.
But if vikings buried your grandfather with his sword because they believed he needs it in the afterlife, it seems odd that they would later make you take it for your wedding and leave the old man defenseless against his afterlife foes.
[1] http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/wedding.shtml