The term oath breaker was used to refer to a European trouble maker. They broke the peace, forswore their oaths to the church and to the people who sought to live at peace with the church who instead chose to go underground rather than challenge authority. The other word for oath breaker was warlock. They also became very unpopular as their efforts led to bloodshed on both sides.

I thought warlocks were warriors who used magic to give them luck in battle with talismans and whatever methods they knew. In one etymology, but yes, before the age of strife they were exactly that. Tattoos, a variety of things, wearing totem items, animal skulls, things like that. The tradition would later give rise to the concept of the black knight who challenged the Christian knight not for malicious reasons, but because of their belief in the Christians knights hypocrisy, lack of genuine virtue.

Did this really happen? Warlocks challenging knights for being hypocrites? Yes. A parallel happened in Japanese culture.

So the black knight was a warlock? Yes, they were, even to the point of preserving older totems in their heraldry.

But yes, in Japanese culture a “fallen” samurai would often seek sanctuary with the yamabushi, mountain monks, and while receiving sanctuary and training there, would grow in their mastery of bushido coming to be the kensai of sword saints so often painted as heroes in Japanese legend.

The shugenja lived up there too. Yes, shugenja = yamabushi. A different stage of the same tradition, shugenja just being the more contemporary students. Chinese monks would in time seek the shugenja out, importing both Buddhism and their countries arts of stealth and covert warfare. This is what gave rise to the ninja clans we hear of today. The popular design of the ninja star is actually symbolic of the Buddhist eightfold path, and unlike shown in cheesy movies, rather than killing people with them, the weapon served as a warning. They were determined to be acting dishonourably.

Is there a relationship between the shamans who followed the sky god Tengri (and wore wings on their backs) with the Tengu of Japan (depicted as sages and sword masters with wings on their backs)? Direct relationship as the yamabushi societies were diverse originally. The word tengu was also derived from the Chinese word taigau, a demonic dog, also a mountain spirit.

To bring this back west, the cynics were a school of philosophers that believed that humanity was meant to live in harmony with nature. The word cynic was derived from the Greek word for dog. They believed that human social conventions were if anything a source of evil, that the world and the things in it belonged to everyone. It was a strong school of thought if not a popular one.

So as I have mentioned often, there is a spirit behind all this that runs through our entire world, and as spooky as people may think it to be, it is worth understanding.

Jesus sometimes used the language methods of the cynics – or so it is said.

No doubt my neighbour will agree when I tell him that his car belongs to me. In a sense, that is said in a back handed sort of way with the making of traffic laws, or the practice of the government taxing us on land we supposedly own even reserving the right to legally take it from us. Our being caught up on our taxes not influencing that last at all.

So perhaps if there are people still inclined, we could use some more dark shamanism in today’s world. I guess as with all things, we will see.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~