What caused Taoist priests to carry swords instead of knives? What's the use?

Taoist priests in ancient times usually carried three-foot swords, such as Lv Dongbin, and Taoist priests in Jin Yong's works also held swords one by one, so the problem came. As a monk who wants nothing, why should he carry a sword? If it is used for self-defense, why not use other weapons such as knives and guns?

In ancient times, there were two kinds of people who carried swords every day, one was a Taoist and the other was a general with troops. Everyone can understand that the general carries weapons, and the general's sword will also be used as a token of dispatching troops. For example, Zhuge Liang dispatched troops with Liu Bei's sword seal in Xinye.

Sword is also the standard of Taoist priests, and the token of Taoist inheritance is Master's sword. For example, Zhang Tianshi Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han Dynasty passed his sword as a token to his next heir before his death. Since then, this sword has become a symbol of Shi Tianjia.

As for why Taoist priests wear swords, we have to start from the origin of Taoism. In the early days, Taoism was actually a paramilitary organization. Friends who are slightly familiar with history should know that Tianshidao became a warlord under the leadership of Zhang Lu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Tianshidao members are all monks, monks and soldiers, so it is natural to be equipped with weapons.

So let's go back to the original question. Why do Taoist priests wear swords instead of other weapons? In fact, there are only four words: "Your sword is expensive, your knife is cheap". Bamboo slips of Han Dynasty unearthed in Juyan recorded that the value of an ordinary sword was between 650 yuan and 700 yuan, and a knife was only 30 yuan.

For the sword with the same length, the cost of iron is almost the same, and the casting knife even needs more iron. However, the different forging processes lead to the different prices of swords. A sword needs a double-edged blade, symmetry and a straight and tough middle ridge, which is much more difficult than forging a simple knife.

So in ancient times, knives were often mass-produced, but swords were not. For example, Sun Quan once made ten swords and ten thousand knives at a time. This sword is naturally for senior generals, and the knife is a soldier's weapon.

After the rise of the sword, the sword gradually withdrew from the actual combat stage, but the status of the sword not only did not decline but also rose to the top of the hundred soldiers again, and the sword gradually became a symbol of the rights of senior officers. Taoist priests do justice for heaven, punish evil and eliminate evil, and naturally wear swords representing rights.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Taoism gradually erased its military color, but it still had the habit of wearing swords. But at this time, the sword has become a symbol of the Taoist priest, so until now, the Taoist priest is still holding a three-foot green front, but at this time, the sword is probably more to cut off distractions and concentrate on practice.