Why is Janna Getting a "Sacred Sword" skin?

Eedat·Sep 13, 2017·5 votes·5,219 views

Is it just me or does a sword themed skin not suit her? Like not even a little bit?

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-veic0MNc8/Wbg7G59wBdI/AAAAAAAAuHk/SFrm77E3YKgR1PbYgm7McyDbbFsmJbDGwCLcBGAs/s1600/janna.jpg

I'm really confused. Janna is the epitome of pacifism from a gameplay perspective

13 Comments

SEKAISep 13, 20178 votes

There are many reasons for this:

Typically Xian Xia or Wu Xia genre depicts the capable people being able to achieve supernatural feats through martial prowess, such as being able to hop great distances across the air, able to telekinetically wield their weapons, can to different extent command the natural elements such as wind for their stronger techniques and many times come with other-worldly results (such as buffing), and all sorts of crazy stuff. Janna's kit somewhat fits the image of a supporting Wu Xia of some sort who specialises in helping people.
Chinese people do not think a sword is just a tool to kill and stab people with, as it over time has also gained the association to healthiness and vitality, which fits with the whole deal with immortals and demi-gods (in traditional Chinese beliefs, if you stay healthy and better your mind, it's possible for humans to reach the status of being demi-gods).
Traditionally, Chinese's pacifism is a little different to how we might see the term here and now. This is probably influenced by the thinking of Sun Tzu's The Art of War where Sun Tzu was actually an anti-war person and a pacifist, who wrote the book not to promote violence but to encourage lesser use of violence in wars through efficient use of war strategies and diplomatic means. Pacifists in a traditional Chinese sense seems to not be someone who refuse to kill, but rather someone who has a distaste with the idea of killing; the difference is that a pacifist in this mindset would still kill if they believe it is necessary, they just strife to keep the bloodshed to the absolute minimum. This makes it so that a pacifist wielding a sword in this context isn't all that big of a deal.
It's just testing the water, I would say. Xian Xia is a new skin that they're trying to make a franchise out of, so they are perhaps just trying it first on a champ that is more popular and can be fitted into the theme, before moving it onto other champs if they can see potential out of it.

Beyond LegendsSep 13, 20171 votes

Great explanition, I'm going to add a bit more with regard of sword

First we have to clearify their is no direct translatation for sword in chinese. China spit sword into two catergories the jian( a double blade sword) and the dao(a single edged sword)

China usually view the jian as the sword of elgance and moral. This is the variamt which is often use as the symbol of “peace” elgance and royalty

The dao is view as more savage and more warlike. It's more raw and agressive compare the jian.

SEKAISep 13, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Beyond Legends,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=j3AE5Mvs,comment-id=00030000,timestamp=2017-09-13T04:19:36.767+0000)

Great explanition, I'm going to add a bit more with regard of sword

First we have to clearify their is no direct translatation for sword in chinese. China spit sword into two catergories the jian( a double blade sword) and the dao(a single edged sword)

China usually view the jian as the sword of elgance and moral. This is the variamt which is often use as the symbol of “peace” elgance and royalty

The dao is view as more savage and more warlike. It's more raw and agressive compare the jian.

This is correct.

To add to this, the distinction in their views are mostly due to

Jian looks more balanced than Dao, since the former is double bladed while Dao sports single blade and is often curved to make use of its single blade property. So visually, Jian is more "even", "fair", "moral", so to speak.
The difference in their purpose and subsequently the discipline of using them. Jian is typically used as a thrusting weapon that while can be used to slash, it's usually used with stabbing motions. Dao is the opposite, while can still be used to stab, its purpose is to hack and to slash. Jian may be more viewed as more elegant for some due to it being more precision focused and Dao is more momentum focused; that's not to say those are just how it is "...period", but that's the gist of it.
Jian has been used as a status symbol among the royalties, partly because they needed some kind of self defence given the common sights of assassination and other horrible things like that back in those days, and that bodyguards could only do so much especially in the times when technologies were limited. Royalties typically prefer a more balanced blade weapon for both practical and aesthetic reasons, hence Jian became their common choice and thus gained an association with higher social class, and thus themes like elegance get tagged on as well.
China has had problems with Mongols up north throughout most of its history, as the latter never ceased to try and conquer the land of China in those days. While the Mongols were historically known for their immense prowess in bows and horse-riding skills, but Chinese didn't get to see that much after the construction and various additions to the Great Wall, as it invalidates the horseriding and archery skills of the Mongols and forced them into doing siege warfares and melees which they were not too good at initially (hence how Chinese managed to repel the Mongol invasion for so long). Chinese people thus knew Mongols mostly by the curved blade they they brandished, which are more or less Scimitars but Chinese people just called them Dao, and thus the weapon got their "savage" and "barbaric" association tagged on.

Beyond LegendsSep 13, 20171 votes

You means the northen normanic tribe, the mongols weren't a thing till the end of the Song dynasty. There were many nomadic tribe that invaded china and not all these tribes are mongols.

But other than that it's a pretty good explanation.

SEKAISep 13, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Beyond Legends,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=j3AE5Mvs,comment-id=0003000000000000,timestamp=2017-09-13T05:36:25.497+0000)

You means the northen normanic tribe, the mongols weren't a thing till the end of the Song dynasty. There were many nomadic tribe that invaded china and not all these tribes are mongols.

But other than that it's a pretty good explanation.

Yeah I must admit I used the term loosely because I didn't know what kind of general phrase I should use.

Thanks for correcting that.