Additional information... 1. Before showing to the warlord, all the heads were cleaned, put on makeup by samurai wives. 2. Most samurais burned incense into their helmets. If they fall down and beheaded, keeping good fragrance was a manner. 3. There was a fortune-telling by checking the heads' eyes.

"Damn, so no head?" -random ashigaru at the night attack

This really interests me. Here in England, the display of heads was similarly ritual, but there was a higher emphasis on shaming the decapitated figure. It's fascinating that the Japanese did this in such a gentlemanly fashion.

A Chosogabe retainer is said to have taken 100+ heads in his life. Since no one bothers to take an Ashigaru’s head, (only kabuto-kubi=helmet head is rewarded), he must have killed prolly a few hundred in his life. Wow.

So no head? Aight imma head out

"no Jin, we don't do that!" "Hell yes we do, uncle"

Head hunting has been pretty standard fare in most Warrior cultures at some point in their history. Never knew this about the Japanese.

This reminds me on my favourite quote of the Hagakure „always make sure your helmet is proper polished, because it‘ll accompany your head to the enemy camp“. (Loosly quoted).

I think I read a book in my college days that had a list of expressions the severed head made and what the meaning of it was like some expressions would mean a bad omen so the Samurai would not take the head. These expressions ranged from one eye being closed to a look of terror upon death.

Another good video! Some historians argue that the Japanese religion was head taking? The comment on them making their appearance more appealing for their enemy when the head was taken? That was taken from a book written during the Edo period on the way a samurai was to conduct himself. In the book it states to burn incense in their helmet to make it pleasing have ruse or make up on them to make their appearance more appealing. Also you were correct that the head taking ceremony took too long, there was a time they started taking noses and mustaches as trophies to take to their Lord

No wonder in ghost of tsushima, they never stop talking about “mount their heads”, “demands a head”, head this head that.

I really enjoy stuff like this. I like learning about different cultures and heritage. Without people like you we wont have these stories in the near future. Thanks

All of your videos are excellent. I have watches almost all 3 chapters of your series on the civil war and have learned so much. Thank you.

7:18 that horse is having the time of his life

I honestly clicked this misreading as "Talking Heads"

Very interesting information. I'm curious, how did the relatives or friend of the beheaded person saw this act? Were they angry, shame, or accept the fate of the beheaded person?. Did vengeance a common thing in samurai culture?

wow, so samurai just gained a lot more respect then i originally had. freakin' metal

"The heads. You're looking at the heads. Sometimes he goes too far. ...He's the first one to admit it!"

Bundori (by Laura Rowland) was a medieval murder mystery set in Japan and my first introduction to the formalized practice of “head trophies” by the samurai. Thanks for adding more context.

Keep grinding brother your channel is growing

The shogun will demand a head! It does not have to be yours.

You're awesome! This is just an image that even Japanese people have never seen.

These videos are awesome! How about some episodes on the stories of different Samurai

I love how the Samurai embraced the honor system. Even heard story's of samurai dropping his sword and the other samurai picking it up and throwing it back to him. Awesome stuff

Wonderful videos. Excellent artwork, music, and research!

- What are those things in your wall? - Eh, some former enemies

I’m gonna binge watch your channel! Just wanted to give you a heads up.

I was trying to find sources on how long the Japanese would take heads after the period of the samurai, but I couldn't find any except from this video.Very appreciated

Sengoku Jidai era, Trophy Head and Getting Reward by Capturing Enemy General Head.

Verry interesting video, thanks for great content and presentation, just subscribed to your channel 👍

Kind of late to your channel my man, but I’m very glad I stumbled upon it. This is fantastic information.

The taking of heads during battle is common in many cultures around the world, including the Celts, who loved nothing more than collecting the heads of their slain enemies, although it was only regarded as an "achievement" if the head was attained during a one-on-one 'duel', often between two warriors of a certain reputation and rank, and in some cases, as a settlement of scores, settling some conflict, avoiding a full scale war where many more people would die, hence the victorious warrior would be entitled to collecting the head "trophy" - the exact same system would hold sway in the very Eastern culture of medieval Japan, they would fight in one-on-one battles, and the victorious samurai would take the head as a symbolic gesture. If for instance, in the immediate aftermath of a large engagement of opposing forces, a scavenger looking on from a distance, scoured the battlefield after military hostilities, the hiding hyenas could potentially, find a fallen knight or samurai, perhaps wedged in an embankment, and then cut-off the head of the already dead warrior, he could then theoretically proceed to the "Daiymo" or the feudal Lord of his territory, present the head of a warrior, in some rare case, it could be the the head of a famous warrior, claiming to have slain the famous warrior in battle, but the Daiymo, together with his generals and Lieutenants would just ridicule such claims, knowing that the spirit of Bushido, the culture & customs of their code has been cheated, the Daiymo orders the vulture, who had scavenged the head, trying to claim some recognition, to a ceremonial beheading of his own, little did the vulture know, the head showing, would be his own, such is the business of collecting heads, in medieval times, you had to earn it.

The time when head taking is a fashion.. and the Samurai who present it is a celeb..

In Island of Borneo, the Dayaks aka Indigenous and native Borneo's people also pratice Head Taking. One of them was Iban people, they are one of the famous Headhunters in Borneo. Head Taking offen done went Bride parents demanded there enemies head as trophies and proved to the groom was an suitable man. Eventually, this practice made it's way during WWII went Iban people lead by Australian troops in special operations against the Japanese and they cuts many of the Japanese army head. The Iban was also sent to Malay Peninsula to fight against Communist insurgency in 1948 and done very well jobs with slaughtering the Communist and decapitated there head as trophies. This pratice continued until 1970s after end of fighting against Communist insurgency in Sabah and Sarawak

Can you imagine living in those days ?

very interesting! never thought to find this in my recommendations while searching for reviews for way of the samurai games! i'll check your channel. this looks interesting! i like history telling!

Reminds me of the Aztecs.....

Head taking doesn't seem barbaric if you consider the body is empty once the spirit has departed and in the days of the Samurai, trophies were probably necessary to prove both prowess and loyalty and to collect rewards possibly.

This is a great tradition!

Yes, good! More about the hierarchy of the Samurai society!

I wonder... How many soldiers were killed while in the process of taking a head of an opponent during a battle?

I heard that the samurai would examine the severed head on a display if it was dead corpse or beheaded during battle.

You tell us there story like they were so kind and there were no bad people

Japanese history are brutal and beauty

That''s one way to get a head in life

Love this🤘Feudal japan was savages back then🥷💀

where can one find these illustrations as they are fantastic

This is so fascinating

I've heard that they all had their head long and put in a knot for the reason so you could easily carry a head if taken

headhunters, but with fabulous fabrics.

Everyone goes on about how the Norse liked to clean themselves and comb their beards and so on. No one talks about how samurai made sure they were pretty and smelled good on the off chance they got killed and decapitated and their head had to be shown to someone's lord.

Really cool 😎

Whole new meaning with the phrase now

this is amazing i watch your samurai videos so helpful thank you.

I had a dream once of a samurai warrior. In my dream he was fighting against a Chinese warrior with a black warrior suit a big man about 7 ft tall thick and huge. He grab his wife and cut her head. Then his son and decapitated him. Then he pick up the man with one arm from the forehead as he drop him on the floor and spit on him. Young hero drag himself to shrine and such was his pain that he committed seppuku.

To be fair, without photography, how else would you know you got the right man but take the head?

Ancient Rome did this too - though it was often like English tradition, to disfigure and dishonor the dead person as a failure

Sounds like it was pretty brutal to get ahead in life...

I enjoyed this.

Some people might think that it stains the samurai reputation of honor, but I think it just makes them more badass

With all the fighting going on at that time, most Samurais must have known there was a very good chance they'd lose their head one day. Pretty disturbing.

Awesome vídeo

This channel is so cool

Amazing content.

SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!

Scary how you can make someone do gruesome things in exchange for money.

Veri good work!

What is the name of the song you used in this video?

Sounds like 2013, 2014, 2015, till this day Mexico. I remember when one day I went to school, when suddenly I saw a decapitated head on top of a parked taxi the police were just arriving, it was a disgusting image I will never forget that I was only 15. I avoided seeing the newspapers because there was no censorship and they had images of mutilated people I'm 20 now and still avoiding the newspaper.

Damn even cutting someone’s head off was treated with respect... those people were sophisticated bro...

Great and interesting

So you need to get a head to get ahead in feudal Japan...

Nice Imagawa burn :D

Very interesting!

Daimyo: Ok, listen up, today, we’ll implement a fee system for every enemy that you behead in battle. If you behead a no name jobber, you only get 50 cash, if you kill a general, you’ll get 100 cash and if you behead a rival daimyo, it’s a 100,000 cash. If you can’t get a chance to behead somebody, you’ll get a penalty like confinement, demotion, confiscation of property or death!

It's funny how a method meant to show battlefield prowess, respect, & devotion became a means of fast-tracking the corporate ladder, to the point where it actually hampered productivity.

I wonder who took Sanada Yukimura's head. That would be so awesome.

I also saw this as 'talking heads' and was incredulous for a secod as I imagined samurai, unwilling to die, struggling to talk as their heads rolled.

They were taking head's to show that they were putting in work

Great video. Finally subscribed. Perhaps that means you have taken my head? 💆‍♂️

This is the same voice as star wars theory!!!

I've scrolled through this video so many times thinking it said "talking beads"

Toei says Fate version of Shimazu Toyohisa?

How To Get Ahead in Japan by Nottakai Myheado

'Oh no........ MY SWORD!'

i subscribed, i want to more about shinsengumi

Ohhh I thought it said talking heads and I was like whaaaaaaaaat

Brutal times

Everyone should read "The Knights of Bushido"

I’m here cuz I’ve been playing Ghost of Tsushima

One way to get a head in life.

Cletus : _”I caught a head!”_ Also Cletus : _”dang, its been scooped out”_

"There can be only one." 😂

they was given tea sets to in the later years

I clicked cuz of the shogun 2 thumbnail

This Was Everywhere in the old world in Europe and Asia.

So who else read this as, "Head talking" and I was like w0t

I thought it said head talking and the thumb nail made me think they would use the heads as puppets

What happens to a samurais sword once killed, I understand some of these swords have been passed down family's for generations. does this mean that the sword is returned to the family or that they simply didn't die in battle?

Did they only take one head per battle or did they carry them around while fighting, somehow?