Odachi (Two Handed Sword)

Our Odachi, with its great blade, and laqued scabbard. The blade has a grove blood on it	Detail of handle, and wrapped	Perspective view

ODACHI OR TWO HANDED KATANA

An ōdachi , meaning "great big sword", was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of nōdachi. It is historically known as ōtachi.

The character for ō means "big" or "great". The characters for da and chi are the same as tachi (lit. "big sword"), the older style of sword/mounts that predate the katana. The chi is also the same character as katana and the tō in nihontō ("Japanese sword"), originally from the Chinese character for a knife, dāo.

To qualify as a ōdachi, the sword in question must have a blade length over 3 shaku (a little under a metre). Regardless of size, most ōdachi have religious inscriptions on the tang. However, as with most terms in Japanese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an ōdachi.

Purpose

The purpose of the ōdachi can be categorized as follows:

* As an offering to a shrine or gods. Some ōdachi were dedicated with prayer to win a war, others were placed in shrines as legendary swords from mythology.
* Since your average ōdachi is apx. 65–70 inches long (165–178 centimeters) they could not be used in close quarters combat (at times the Katana was too long). But they were found to be effective on horse back. With the extended reach that surpass the Katana or the Jintachi (another variation on the Katana) it was easier to strike a target, though it was harder to use due to its weight. Once mastered it became a valued weapon on the field.
* As a trend during a certain period. Some swords were also used for ceremonies.
* To show the swordsmith's skill.