History of Japanese Bow

A brief history of Japanese bows and arrows

Bows in the world are similar, mainly divided into long bows and short bows. According to different regions and nationalities, the types of bows used are also different. Longbows are mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia. In the history of our country, short bows were mainly used, especially by ethnic minorities riding horses. Before the Yayoi era, Japan used bows and arrows of various lengths with a boundary of 160 cm. Most of the cultural relics unearthed in the early rope writing period were short bows 70 cm long. By the end of rope writing, the length of the bow was between 130- 170 cm. After the era of ancient tombs, long bows of about 200 cm were mainly used, but the opening angle became very small. Most of the bows and arrows in Nara era collected by Masakura Research Institute in Japan are longbows over 200 cm. After modern times, Japanese bows are basically based on the length of 227 cm, which is slightly different according to people's height, infantry and cavalry.

The most striking feature of Japanese bows and arrows is "short at the bottom and long at the top", and the grip part is generally two-thirds from top to bottom, forming the characteristics of weak at the top and strong at the bottom. Therefore, the use of Japanese bows and arrows requires skilled skills, which may be one of the reasons why Japanese bows have been spread to this day.

The difference is that although the crossbow was once the longest-range combat equipment in the cold weapon era, it was not taken seriously in Japan. According to records, crossbows were introduced to Japan from China in the Tang Dynasty, and were only used from Nara period to middle Heian period, and then gradually eliminated.

In addition to the crossbow, another long-range weapon in Japanese history is the slingshot, which was introduced from our country in the Nara era. However, as a game product, slingshots are acceptable. Because of its low lethality, it has not been popularized as a weapon in Japan.

As a country advocating force, many weapons in Japan have unique symbolic significance, and bows and arrows once occupied an important position in Japanese history. After the Middle Ages, archery became a necessary skill for Japanese samurai. Since the ancient tomb era, the main weapons used by Japanese samurai in combat include bows and arrows and swords. In the Kamakura era, bows and arrows used to be the symbol of samurai, and martial arts meant the way of bows and arrows. At that time, bows and arrows were also the main weapons on the battlefield. Outstanding achievements are awarded the reputation of bows and arrows, and the best warriors are also called "bows and arrows". For example, Imagawa Yoshimoto and Tokugawa Ieyasu, famous samurai in Japanese history, are both called "Tokaido, a bow and an arrow". The samurai house handed down from generation to generation is also known as the home of the bow and horse. At that time, as a military commander, you should always practice your bow and arrow. Giving up, wearing and chasing dogs were three training methods that Japanese samurai had to carry out frequently at that time, which respectively referred to shooting magpies (targets), shooting hats and shooting dogs on horseback. Now in the worship activities in Kamakura Hachiba Palace and other places, riding and shooting activities such as Yabusame are also needed. In addition to the routine bow and arrow exercises, the warriors will also carry out various hunting and hunting activities, which also improves the archery level of the warriors to some extent.

Besides being used as weapons, bows and arrows also play an important role in various ceremonies held by the royal family. For example, when the prince of the royal family is born, he will hold a string-singing ceremony to pray for disaster relief. There are many bow and arrow ceremonies in Japan, such as shooting ceremony in the first month, gambling on bows, riding and shooting on the Dragon Boat Festival, and bow and horse primary activities in October. In Japan, people also hang magic bows and evil bows to ward off evil spirits.

After the Warring States period, Japan began to popularize iron cannon weapons, and the status of bows and arrows gradually declined, but many warriors were still unwilling to give up bows and arrows. In the Edo period, archery began to be combined with Zen, and practicing archery became a part of the warrior's self-cultivation. Archery is also officially called the bow road. In recent years, Japanese archery has risen quietly, and some countries in Europe and America have also begun to practice Japanese archery. Some middle schools in the United States list archery as a course, so that students can receive oriental psychological training.

Maruko bow was mainly used in Japan from the ancient grave era to the early days of heian period. Marubeni bow is generally made of natural wood, and the cross section of the bow body is round without bowstring, so it is called Marubeni, and the materials are generally catalpa, ebony, beech and so on. In the early days, it was very simple to make marble bows. After soaking a round stick in oil, make a bow tire and tie it with bowstring. The bow is painted with red or black paint. In order to increase strength, the bow is wrapped with a belt to increase strength. The inner side of the lower half of the bow is engraved with a shallow groove, which can not only adjust the elasticity of the bow string, but also prevent the bow from twisting.

The length of the ball bow is between 170-260 cm, generally 220 cm. The short ones are for riding and the long ones are for walking. The range of the meatball bow is about 300 meters, which is closely related to the strength of the bow material. Marubeni bow is a single bow with a close range, but its power is not worse than that of a synthetic bow within 70 meters.

In addition to being used as a weapon on the battlefield, Marubeni bow was also used in many ceremonial occasions after the innovation of Japan Dahua. Maruko bow is used in court etiquette activities popular in Nara and Heian period. At that time, there were also families specializing in salute shooting, such as the companion family and the Ji family.

Synthetic bow

From the mid-Heian period, with the appearance of samurai, the fighting form began to change from walking to bow and horse fighting, marble bows with poor range and power were gradually eliminated, and powerful synthetic bows such as bamboo bows and three bows began to become the mainstream. According to the different combinations of bamboo and wood, synthetic bows can be divided into four types: bamboo bow, three bows, four bows and square bamboo bow. From the appearance, the difference between synthetic bow and marble bow lies in the bending of the bow body. The two ends of the synthetic bow bend forward, which is called wrapping. After installing the bowstring, the bow is called zhangyan when it is opened, and it is called drawing when it is opened. The maximum range of synthetic bow is 350-400 meters, and the effective range is about 180-200 meters.

Zhu Fu Bow is mainly made of bamboo and wood, the wood is generally cedar, and a layer of bamboo is attached to the outside of the bow, so it is called Zhu Fu. The bamboo chips pasted on it are generally dry, and the bamboo chips and wood are bonded together with glue. Glue is extracted from animal skin and fish viscera, and the bonding effect is very good.

On the basis of the three bows, in order to increase the strength of the bow, the Japanese put a layer of bamboo on the outside of the bow and a layer of bamboo on the inside. After multi-layer composite, the strength of the bow is greatly improved, but the bow body is easy to crack and be affected by temperature and humidity. In order to prevent the bow from cracking due to moisture, paint is applied to the bow, which is called painting, and the unpainted bow is called white wooden bow. Painted bow body is rolled up with white fine rattan, which is called heavy rattan bow. Generally, different rolling methods also indicate that military commanders have different positions and different uses of bows. According to the different position and turning point of rattan on the bow, the rattan bow has other names, such as Benzhong rattan, Lizhong rattan, Erzhong rattan and Triple rattan.

Four bamboos are the products of early bamboo bows. Two bamboo pieces are sandwiched between inner bamboo and outer bamboo, and the bamboo pieces are stuck together.

The square bamboo bow appeared in the early Miyamachi era. The bow body was made of square wood with four pieces of bamboo attached on all sides. Four bamboo bows and square bamboo bows have good elasticity besides the strength of marble bows. The choice of bamboo is also very particular. Two years' bamboo is too soft, five years' bamboo is too hard, and six years' bamboo will be much less tough after launching bows and arrows. Therefore, generally, three-year bamboo is selected for the outer bamboo and four-year bamboo for the inner bamboo, so that the inner bamboo has high strength and the outer bamboo is soft and elastic.

Bowed fetal arch

Bow-fetal bow is actually a kind of synthetic bow, which began to appear in the middle of Muromachi. Now all the bow tires are used in Japanese bow halls. Mainly refers to the bamboo arch longitudinally arranged between the inner bamboo and the outer bamboo. According to the number of archways, the names of archways are also called three archways and four archways. On both sides of the archway are side trees. With the increase of the number of bow tires, the stronger the rebound of the bow, the greater the amplitude. The maximum shooting distance can reach 400-450m, and the effective shooting distance is about 200-250m. In the archery competition held in the Edo period, archers used carefully made bow tires in order to get good results.

arrow

The total length of ancient Japanese arrows was about 70-90 cm, which was about 70 cm from Nara era to the middle of heian period. In the Kamakura era, large and powerful arrows were used, about 86 cm long. The arrow above the arrow began to thicken, and its weight and strength increased. The vector weight used in combat at that time was usually 50-70 grams. At that time, the Ming army suffered greatly in the battle with the enemy. In fact, in the Kamakura era, Japanese arrows were divided into two types: the target vector was slightly light, which was used to shoot ordinary soldiers, and the upper difference vector was large, which was used to shoot enemy generals.

Japanese vector is divided into four parts: vector handle, arrow, feather root and width. In the process of making arrows, it is generally necessary to bake with fire, straighten the bent bamboo and then polish it. To prevent them from getting wet, it is usually necessary to paint the handle of the arrow. Sagittal handle system. When finished, insert an arrow at the front end, cut a grate at the back, and finally add a feather root at the tail, and a complete bow and arrow is completed. The early sagittal stalk was made of reed grass, wicker and bamboo. After the middle period of Ping 'an, bamboo was basically used for three years. There are three shapes of sagittal stalk, one is called "Chinese character" with the same thickness before and after, the other is called "Chinese fir" with tapering from front to back, and the other is called "wheat grain" with thick middle and thin ends.

Arrow feathers are mainly used to keep the stability of arrows in flight. It is made of the feathers of eagles, vultures and pheasants. There were mainly two in ancient times and three in modern times. In order to make the bow and arrow more stable in flight, the arrow feather generally has a curved direction, and the arrow that rotates forward is called an arrow, and vice versa. The arrow feather not only maintains the stability of the bow and arrow flight, but also is the decoration of the arrow. Japanese samurai usually draw their own family lines and symbols on the arrow feathers, and the arrows of nobles and military commanders are more beautifully decorated.

The material of samarium has also experienced the evolution of bamboo, stone, animal bones and antlers. It was not until Japan mastered the ironmaking technology that copper and iron began to become the main materials of samarium. From the ancient grave era to the middle of Nara era, the shape of the arrow has also undergone various changes. Generally speaking, the shapes of arrows can be divided into three types: one is slender and has strong penetrating ability, and is generally named as bird tongue, willow leaf and sword; One is Y-type, which is mainly used to photograph the wings and feet of birds and animals when hunting, and also performs some special tasks on the battlefield; The other is a flat-headed arrow, which is mainly used to shoot senior enemy generals on the battlefield. In addition, there is an arrow in Japan, also called sounding arrow. Arrow is a hollow sphere with several holes, which will make a noise when it is launched, which can not only deter the enemy, but also be used for communication.

Bow gear

Bow mainly refers to the appliance that carries bows and arrows. There are many kinds of bow tools in Japan, mainly including land, symbol, empty spike, shooting, string winding and so on.

Mutual aid is a popular bow and arrow carrier in Nara era, including Pinghu and Tribal Tiger. Originated in China, it is a vertical arrow that can hold 265,438+0 bows. Tribal tiger is inherent in Japan. It is actually an arrow barrel hanging around the waist and can hold seven bows. Mutual assistance was changed from mutual assistance and began to be used after the Kamakura era. In fact, it is an arrow box added for carrying. Tobacco carries many arrows, usually 16, 20, 36 arrows. According to records, tobacco in Japanese history can hold up to 50 arrows. Empty spike refers to the plant spike hollowed out in the middle as an arrow bag, usually containing 15 arrows, which became popular during the Warring States period. In fact, the number of arrows is also related to the evolution of Japanese arrows. In the early days, Japanese arrows were very light, so samurai carried a lot of arrows. After the Middle Ages, the weight of arrows increased, and the number of arrows carried was much less. By the Warring States period, the arrows carried by the samurai were basically 1 dysprosium arrows, 22 arrows, and 1 sharp arrows, the total number of which did not exceed. Therefore, the ability of the sun arrow in the later period is much less. The rope is actually a hand protection tool. Bow strings can easily hit people when shooting arrows, so using a dish can protect your fingers. Coil, also called net bag, is used to equip thread.