The Taois Ritual Swords 法剑

Those who studied Taoism in ancient times all carried a fine sword with them. Because precious swords were difficult to forge, and their blades were as swift as flying arrows, they were said to possess divine and extraordinary powers.

Regarding the forging of ritual swords, Dongxuan Lingbao Xue Keyi (Scriptures on the Disciplines and Rituals of the Mysterious and Numinous Treasures) states: "One must observe fasting and abstinence for a hundred days, then have a blacksmith use high-quality steel or fine iron to forge an exquisite and sharp sword on the Gengshen day of the seventh lunar month or the Xinyou day of the eighth lunar month. The hilt ring should be two inches and six fen in diameter, the handle one foot one inch and seven fen long, and the blade two feet four inches and seven fen long, making the total length three feet nine inches."

The left and right sides of the blade and the back of the hilt ring were all inscribed with gold and silver characters. It was required that "this sword should always be placed between the comb, bedding, and quilt on one's bed, so as to keep oneself away from harm." When sleeping, one should chant the name of the sword, praying: "O divine gold, shining with spiritual light, command the hundred spirits, grant me longevity, protect me from all evil, and let heaven and earth stand firm."

Ritual swords are often used in Taoist rituals to summon and dispatch divine generals.