Phaedra,

Did not the practice require not only that one ceremoniously knife
onself in the abdomen, but the knife had to be drawn through the
entrails, slicing as it went through a specific pattern and then
somewhere near the end a close friend was to chop off the head with a
sword before death occured via the knife???

Seems like I saw a representation of this in the movie "Shogun" and then
later in a very old b&w Japanese art film.  Grusome!!

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

PSavage wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rachel Cogent <cogent@GNTECH.NET>
> > > Seppuku?
> > Please translate.
>
> Seppuku is an anchient Japanese suicide custom, still practiced
> today, appropriate when one is judged dishonorable or to have
> failed in some important pursuit that involves shame or loss of face.
> One commits seppuku by knifing one's self in the abdomen.
> Ouch!
> Phaedra