P1+Swords,+Armor+and+Bows

=SWORDS, BOWS AND ARMOR= by Ian and Lindsay

INTRODUCTION In this essay, you will learn about swords, how swords and bows are made, bows, and armor. You will also learn how samurai shoot their bows and how samurai fought.

SWORDS The samurai carried 2 swords. One sword was the main long sword and the other was the secondary short sword. The long sword weighs less than three pounds. The short sword was used as a secondary sword or mainly to commit seppuku if the samurai was defeated. When they first started making swords, they were made of unvarnished boxwood and selkowa. A kozuka, a small knife, and skewer were carried on either side of the long swords sheath. Samurai also carried daggers called tanto.

BOWS Bows are made from bamboo. The bow is taller than its user. It is 6 1/2 feet tall. Samurai bows are made to teach balance. Bows were developed in the 3rd and 6th centuries. Bows were held in tubular bags tied at both ends. A samurai’s bow had a long recurve. The hand grip was low on the bow. Bows are carved from bamboo and covered in lacquer. Arrows were made of bamboo. The fins on the arrow were made from eagle, hawk, crane or pheasant feathers. Samurai bows were usually shot at horses at war. They were also shot from the side not strait in front. The samurai would raise the bow and release it when he reached the target. He would hold the arrow to the left of the bow.

HOW SWORDS AND BOWS ARE MADE Swords are made from two types of steel and bows were made of bamboo. Swords are made of steel with high carbon content and one with low carbon content. The one with low carbon content is more flexible and the one with high carbon content is harder. Both of the steels are heated up. The one with lower carbon content is hammered into a thin block of steel. The steel with the higher carbon content is folded once and the steel with the lower carbon content is inserted into the fold. The two steels are hammered flat and folded 12 times and flattened into a sword shape. The sword is heated to 15000o exactly and dipped into cool water. This cooling process gives the sword its characteristic shape. Bows are carved from bamboo and covered in lacquer. Arrows were made of bamboo. The fins on the arrow were made from eagle, hawk, crane or pheasant feathers.

SAMURAI ARCHERY Samurai bows were usually shot off horses. The samurai shot from their side not straight in front of their body. The samurai would raise the bow and release it when he reached the target. He would hold the arrow to the left of the bow. Bows were held in tubular bags tied at both ends. A samurai’s bow had a long recurve. The hand grip was low on the bow.

ARMOR Samurai armor was very flexible and could deflect sword blow. It was made from bamboo, silk, iron and leather. Armor was made of interlocking plates. These plates were held together by dried monkey skin. It took over a year to make. Samurai also wore masks to scare the enemy away and secure the helmet to the head. Each kabuto helmet had its own distinct design. The kabuto helmet had a crest on the top to identify the warrior and symbolize his bravery. The kabuto helmet was very complex. The samurai were very deadly with their arsenal of weaponry and thick, flexible armor.

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Citations: "Knights in Central Park". Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2005 [] "Knights in Central Park". Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2005 [] Department of Arms and Armor. "The Japanese Blade: Technology and Manufacture". In // Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History //. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. [] (October 2003) "Knights in Central Park". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000-2010 [] Shea, Lisa. "Bow Weapons in Japan". Minerva WebWorks LLC. 2010 []