Many modern myths and legends depict Japanese ninjas as a secretive clan of warriors who were masters of war and, at times, the clan of assassins. But this is more of a 20th-century image created by fantasy literature and comics. Read on to know the real ninja story.
Shinobi Mono, the authentic name for Ninjas.
The correct name is ‘sinobi-no mono’ according to old documents. The word ‘ninja’ is a Chinese reading of a Japanese ideogram that was really trendy in the 20th century. Furthermore, Ninja was first stated in 1375 in ‘Taiheiki’, a military chronicle.
The Golden Era of Ninja.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Japan was torn apart by civil wars, and it was during that time that ninjas flourished. Post-1600s, as peace dawned upon the country, the ninjas started declining. ‘Bansensukai’, also known as the ‘Ninja bible’ written in 1676, is the most famous and accurate guide to ninjutsu, elaborating on their ways and skills.
Samurai vs. Ninja, the never-ending debate.
Popular media has always projected samurai and Ninja as sworn enemies. In reality, many a time, Ninjas would come from the samurai class or other people in the society. Also, many samurai were often trained in the art of ninjutsu. However, after the 1600s, ninjas were often considered lower in status though higher than most peasants.
Shurikens, the propellant stars often associated with Ninjas.
The connection exists, thanks to 20th-century comics and animated movies. The truth is that these have no historical connection with the ninjas. In reality, it was a part of many secret weapons used and taught about in the samurai schools.
Masters of delusion.
Another popular illustration of a ninja is as someone with black clothes and a face mask. In reality, when working in groups, they wore white bandages to be easily identified in the moon night. Also, there is no mention of any face mask; however, when an opponent was nearby, they used their long sleeves to cover their faces. They wore traditional Japanese clothing to merge with the crowd.
Kuji has nothing to do with Ninjas.
It is alleged that ninjas would know spells which they crafted using hand gestures known as ‘kuji’. But in reality, this had nothing to do with Ninjas; an ‘kuji’ originated in India and later was adopted in China and Japan. It’s a chain of gestures used to ward off evil spirits or evil eyes.
Now you know ninjas were not always hired to kill but also engaged in observe, gather information or sabotage an operation.
