As the annual series of gifts from quarterbacks to their locker rooms unfolds across the NFLCincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gave his offensive line authentic Japanese katana swords for Christmas, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of Athletics. Not only did Burrow give each of his offensive linemen one of Japan’s most famous swords, but he also went the extra step to make the gift as authentic as possible.
Each katana offered by Burrow would be unique, either coming from a certain city or having been used in a certain battle. This gift is also inspired by history, since katanas were often given between daimyo and samurai during the Edo period in Japan. Katanas are most commonly associated with samurai and are considered one of the best edged weapons in the world.
“Joe does a great job buying extremely meaningful gifts,” Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown said. “The fact that he bought me a sword, that’s the oldest form of respect.”
While katanas are most commonly associated with the Edo period (1603-1868), the history of the single-edged sword dates back as far as the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the term was used for the first time to describe a distinct long sword. of the tachi, which was previously the sword of choice of the Japanese. The oldest existing katana – the Hishizukuri uchigatana – dates back to the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392).
Although the story has moved well beyond feudal Japan and the samurai era, and Joe Burrow has little in common with Tokugawa Ieyasu or any other shogun of the era, his gift of katanas will nevertheless arouse the gratitude of his players lineman at a critical time in the NFL. season. With three games left in the regular season, the Bengals are 6-8 and clinging to their playoff hopes heading into an AFC North showdown against the Browns in Week 16.
