I've heard two mentions of Japanese warriors carrying very long swords (variously named as no-dachi, odachi, or choken) in scabbards slung on their backs, one in Mitsuo Kure's book and another in a post by Boris in the thread about back-mounted scabbards ( http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...p;start=22 ), but I have yet to see any primary source quotations or illustrations to support this interpretation. Can anybody help me with this?

Thanks beforehand.

I wonder whether this illustration might help. Unfortunately, I don't know the exact original source of the picture.

I got this picture from http://rhinohide.cx/tousando/yoriaku/nodachi.html

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Yes, that's useful. Now I can't stop speculating about how that this is attached to the body--whether by a fairly permanent knot or a quick-release one, and whether it's worn loosely or closely.