Forum - View topicSeppuku, Harakiri, HELP
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Kanna no Mai
 Posts: 164 |
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When I read mangas, there are some that mention Seppuku or Harakiri. Both are ritual suicide, but what's the difference between Seppuku and Harakiri?
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gnollman
 Posts: 535 Location: Richmond, KY |
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Pretty much the same thing. The characters are the same, but arranged differently in both spellings. 切腹 (seppuku) vs. 腹切り (harakiri)... Of course, unless ANN supports double byte characters (which I believe it does) and your browser supports Japanese, you won't see the Japanese....
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LordShishio
 Posts: 150 |
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My japanese dictionary says their the same thing.
Don't know what kind of suicide either or all are. |
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gnollman
Posts: 535 Location: Richmond, KY |
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Self-disembowelment. Insert blade at left side of belly, pull across to the right side, and then up to meet the sternum. That's the form commonly thought of....
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Kanna no Mai
Posts: 164 |
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So they are the same thing, including how it's perfomed. For example, everyone wears white and there is a second who is going to chop the person's head off.
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gnollman
Posts: 535 Location: Richmond, KY |
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More or less... neither white nor the second is required, however.... but they are for an actual ceremony, but that's not necessary either.
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Rebecca
 Posts: 57 |
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Actually the two are different. Harakiri only the person who's committing suicide, while seppuku involves a second. I'm not exactly sure why one is chosen over the other, though. With harakiri, if you make any noise during the ritual, you're unable to reclaim your honor. With seppuku, the head is cut off immediately after the blade enters the belly, but the second person has to cut the head in such a way so that it falls forward without falling off the neck completely (a bit of flesh is left to hold the head on). If the head doesn't fall forward, or if the head completely falls off and hits the ground, then the second person must immediately commit harakiri for dishonoring the first person. I've only read about this from one source, so hopefully this is all correct.
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LordShishio
Posts: 150 |
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Disembowlment ay sounds cool.
*picks up kitchen knife a runs to teather's house* |
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InfernalSpawnOfEvil
 Posts: 6 Location: The closet |
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For some reason I though that seppuku also involved getting cut in half at the belly.
But then again... I was quite young when I was told this. How I remember it I'll never know. |
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Arkard
 Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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I am studying alot about japanese culture (because I am going to have the damn thing on my college entrance exam) + my gf is japanese and I can confirm you are technically right. And also. Harakiri (done alone) was usually commited on the battle field - VERY QUICKLY - ALONE. But... if it was an order from the shogun (or high rank person) then it is called seppuku. It was a very formal ceremony, requiring certain etiquette, witnesses and considerable preparation. And of course - the secodn person. Actually you are also right about the head (I`m little immpressed because it is not a well know fact). But also it was a great honour for YOURSELf if you did cut off the head correctly. |
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Rebecca
Posts: 57 |
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I think the reason that the belly cut isn't in seppuku is because it's a slightly different ritual. I've also heard that the head is cut off to make sure a person doesn't make any noise before they die. It's possible that seppuku was reserved for higher officials/samurai. To respect their authority and/or service in life, they're given a better chance to reclaim their honor.
Ahh that explains it, thanks! Heh I could never figure out why one was chosen over the other. The only thing that I've never figured out about seppuku is how the second person is able to cut off the head correctly. Do they practice, and if they do, on what? Or who? ^^; |
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Kidotai
 Posts: 138 Location: one of those islands in the pacific |
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R. Lee Ermry's hated enemy....watermelons. 
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westsidemack
Posts: 2 |
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My guess they would have to swing the sword from the side of the neck and have perfect depth perception as far as how far in they cut. It would be extremely diffulcult to do it from the back of the neck and not fully cut off the head.
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Kidotai
Posts: 138 Location: one of those islands in the pacific |
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The problem with cutting into someone's neck is that you have to cut thru bone (mainly the spinal cord), muscle, nerves, a windpipe, vocal cords (if your aim is bad), and skin.
The Executioners Axe, prefered as "the honorable way to die" by European Nobility, actually slammed it's way to chop the head off. It took maybe 2 or 3 swings just to cut the head. Hanging, which was atrocious and left for commoners, was quick and to the point, rather than the blunt force of the axe, which meant that you could die in agony rather than a quick and painless death. Also, during the beginings of the French Revolution, executioners in france complained that the number of prisoners that they had to "process" overwhemed the supply of swords that could be reasonably made. Each sword only could cut thru two people before becoming dull. This arguement was the reason why we now have the Guillotine in the history books. |
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space clam
Posts: 636 |
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Hmm... a suicide thread... now I've seen 4/7 of it all. Sure hope some parents don't find this, with such violence and everything. Could a learned individual point me in the direction of where they found such information? I'm looking in to studying Japanese culture seriously as an amateur. (Oxymoron, I know)
"Suicidal thoughts, running through my head. I can't believe it all, I want to see them dead!" |
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