The grisly act typically involved stabbing oneself in the belly with a short sword, slicing open the stomach and then turning the blade upwards to ensure a fatal wound. The entire process was accompanied by great ceremony. Seppuku first developed in the 12th century as a means for samurai to achieve an honorable death.
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What Was the Gordian Knot?
It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor but was also practised by other Japanese people later on to restore honour for themselves or for their families. As a samurai practice, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies and likely be tortured , as a form of capital punishment for samurai who had committed serious offenses, or performed because they had brought shame to themselves. In Japanese, the more formal seppuku , a Chinese on'yomi reading, is typically used in writing, while harakiri , a native kun'yomi reading, is used in speech. Ross notes,.
What was the sword of Damocles?
The proper method for committing the act—developed over several centuries—was to plunge a short sword into the left side of the abdomen, draw the blade laterally across to the right, and then turn it upward. Women of the samurai class also committed ritual suicide, called jigai , but, instead of slicing the abdomen, they slashed their throats with a short sword or dagger. There were two forms of seppuku: voluntary and obligatory.
Seppuku , also known less formally as harakiri , is a form of ritual suicide that was practiced by the samurai and daimyo of Japan. In many cases, a friend or servant would serve as a second, and would ritually decapitate the samurai to provide release from the terrible pain of the abdominal cuts. Samurai committed seppuku for a number of reasons, in accordance with bushido , the samurai code of conduct. Motivations could include personal shame due to cowardice in battle, shame over a dishonest act, or loss of sponsorship from a daimyo. Often times samurai who were defeated but not killed in battle would be allowed to commit suicide in order to regain their honor. Seppuku was an important act not only for the reputation of the samurai himself but also for his entire family's honor and standing in society. Sometimes, particularly during the Tokugawa shogunate , seppuku was used as a judicial punishment. Daimyo could order their samurai to commit suicide for real or perceived infractions.
