Great warriors throughout history have often lived their lives by a strict moral code, whether it was the Bushido Code of ancient samurai or the code of chivalry followed more recently by the knights in England in the middle ages. These codes serve an important purpose considering the capabilities of these highly trained warriors who would often walk armed among civilians and who had regular brush ins with death. In Nordic mythology a warrior could only go to heaven, or ‘Val Halla’ (where today’s ‘valour’ comes from), if they died gloriously in battle. It all comes down to Spider-Man’s most recent reflection, that with great power, comes great responsibility.

Bushido Code is more commonly known today as ‘The Way of the Samurai’, though literally it translates as ‘Way of the Warrior’ with the suffix ‘Do’ meaning ‘Way Of’. It is the ancient code of conduct that samurai used to monitor their behaviour and a strict code of honour that they had to follow at all times. Originally published as Bushido Shoshinshu by Taira Shigesuke, it has since been translated as simply Code of the Saumrai and represents a combination of the brutality of the Samurai life and the wisdom and serenity of the Buddhist monks of the era.

Not many people know that Samurai actually literally translates as ‘to serve’ and that the highest cause for a Samurai was to serve their master or ‘Shogun’. The Bushido Code then stresses loyalty to the Shogun, to the family and to Japan as well as mastery of the martial arts. Failure in one of these areas would lead to a loss of honour on the part of the Samurai. Honour was an incredibly important concept for Samurai and essentially boiled down to reputation and the inherited reputation of the family and the predecessors. If a Samurai lost his honour however he could famously regain it through ‘Seppuku’ meaning ritual suicide (a particularly painful process involving wrenching the dirk up through the stomach).

This aspect of Samurai tradition emphasises the morbid focus that Samurai and the Bushido Code had with death. The first paragraph of Code of the Samurai begins by stating that a Samurai should have death in mind at all times. The idea here is that by anticipating one’s death and by being familiar with their mortality, they would be more attentive and conscientious during life – treating each day as their last and preparing their legacy through their actions. It also helps them to live minimalistic and peaceful lives, without materialism or petty concerns. At the same time Samurai were not to fear death but to welcome a ‘good’ death as a reward. Unlike Nordic mythology however, the Samurai did not do this for promise of a good afterlife but rather saw this good death as an end in itself.

The Bushido Code then has two main tenets – loyalty to one’s master, family and country and the constant awareness of death. How this is relevant today or not is open to discussion.

Mack LeMouse

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