P1+Swords,+Armor+and+Bows

P1 Swords, Armor, and Bows

Samurai Swords and Armor By Karsen O. & Riya T. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword. The sword was the most powerful, deadliest of all of the weapons. There were still other weapons used commonly besides swords. Fighting was one thing, but armor was the most important because swords and archery were forms of weaponry that could cause great injury to anyone who was fighting. Besides specific weapons, it had a history behind it about how it started a trend. Even though the Samurai used traditional weapons, they also used newer weapons like guns. No matter what new or old weapon came up, most Samurai stuck with the traditional swords. Samurai swords were the most commonly used weapons. What made swords most common was its variety. The Samurai culture used different types of swords depending on what they were using it for. Some of them had sharp blades that could cut easily and others had blunt edges that couldn’t cut deep. Even some swords put together were more powerful than just one. The Naginta sword had a pole arm and had a long curved blade. The Nodachi sword was extra-long, had a large handle, and was very strong. Then the Katana blade was mounted to a wooden handle bounded with //same. Same// was the skin of a giant ray. There were still plenty of other swords all used for different purposes. In the 16th century the sword smiths began to make firearms. Only master craftsmen were specially trained to make swords. Not only in Japan but Samurai swords were also the deadliest in Europe. Swords of all kind were used with great honor in the Samurai culture but there were also other pieces of weapons that helped. In conclusion, swords were the most honorable weapons used by Samurai and have continuous history behind them. Besides having swords as the Samurai’s weapons there was also archery which was another familiar form of weaponry in Japan. Archery was the weapon most closely associated with warriors and was in common use by the end of the prehistoric era. //Kyujutsu// was described as the archery in the age of the Samurai. Like different types of swords there were different techniques of archery in Japan. In the earliest Japanese literary sources, military figures relied on horse and arrow. Archery was mostly used to bring enemies strength to a low level. In the Samurai culture, what makes it so interesting is that they don’t have only one form of something. When it comes to weaponry, the Samurai have a large variety. Without different forms of weaponry, the Samurai wouldn’t be at the stage that they were. With all the fighting and wars, the Samurai had to have some protective armor. Their armor was protective yet traditional. The Samurai wore somewhat simple armor. It was usually made of different animal skins (Hagakure) like badger. They wore big helmets that covered both sides of the Samurai’s head. They also wore specially made battledresses which were embroidered with yoroi-hitatare. They also wore a //do// which was more body armor. The Samurai had to be entirely protected in every part of their body so they also wore a Suneate which were shin guards and a Nodwa which was a throat protector.The heavily detailed armor mainly consists of a metal breastplate that came in pieces to be tightly laced together in order to keep the armor from falling apart. They use lacquer on the metal armor to prevent it from rusting. The lacing of the armor was found to be an artistic ability in order to lace up warrior’s armor.This type of armor was called a tanko which is known as a short armor because of it consisted of just the breastplate. Throughout the centuries they continued to evolve and create better armor for the constant wars the Japanese warriors were a part of. The full suit of Japanese armor was known to have over 20 components to ensure full protection for the warrior’s body. Samurai armor was not just for protection but it was also traditional for all of it had a traditional Japanese design. The Samurai had many traditional weapons but newer things like guns helped them prosper for the future. In about 1560, lords began to arm samurai and soldiers with muskets. In 1600 Tokugawa shogunate unified japan. Strict laws were passed to restrict the production and ownership of guns an limit their use in battle. The gurkhas may be renowned for their kukris and the Vikings for their axes. Guns don’t have as much history behind them as other weapons like swords and archery because they were new during that time. A sword was considered such a crucial part of a samurai's life that when a young samurai was about to be born, a sword was brought into the bedchamber during the delivery. When the time came for an old samurai to die, his honored sword was placed by his side. Even after death, a //daimyo,// or nobleman, believed he could count on his samurai who had followed him into the next world to use their keen blades to guard him against any demons, just as they had wielded their trusty weapons to defend him against flesh-and-blood enemies in this life.

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Bryant, Anthony J. The Samurai. London: Osprey Publishing, 1989. Print.
 * Citations**

Deal, William E. Handbook to life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 2006. Print.

Turnbull, Stephen. "Samurai Armour." Warriors of Medieval Japan. New York: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2005. Print.

Turnbull, Stephen R. //Samurai: The World of the Warrior//. Oxford: Osprey. 2003. Print.