is a type of Japanese arrow used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Kabura-ya were arrows which whistled when shot and were used in ritual archery exchanges before formal medieval battles. Like a

wind instrument A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch ...

, the sound was created by a specially carved or perforated bulb of deer horn or wood attached to the tip. In English, these are often called "whistling-bulb arrows", "messenger arrows", or "signal arrows." ''Kabura'' literally translates to "

turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties a ...

", and thus the Japanese term technically means 'turnip shapedarrows'. The Chinese ''xiangjian'' (sometimes pronounced and written ''mingdi'') was quite similar, and until the end of the

Warlord Era The Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1928, when control of the country was divided between rival Warlord, military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions. It began after the de ...

were commonly used by bandits to announce the gang's approach. In

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

, the sound made by the ''kabura-ya'' arrow in mid-flight is thought to ward off evil influences. Hence, it is used in Shinto rites to purify locations such as shrine grounds and parks. Other sacred bows similarly used in Shinto rituals are the '' hama yumi'' and the '' azusa yumi''.

Use

In battle, particularly around the time of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, ''kabura-ya'' would be shot before a battle, to alert the enemy. The whistling sound was also believed to chase away evil spirits, and to alert friendly ''

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

'' to lend their support. It was not uncommon for archery exchanges to be performed for quite some time, and in the 1183

battle of Kurikara The , also known as the battle of Tonamiyama (砺波山), was a crucial engagement in Japan's Genpei War; in this battle the tide of the war turned in the favour of the Minamoto clan. "Yoshinaka won by a clever strategy; under cover of nightfal ...

, for example, fifteen arrows were shot by each side, then thirty, then fifty, then one hundred, before these hundred samurai on each side actually engaged one another in battle.Turnbull, Stephen (1987). 'Battles of the Samurai'. London: Arms and Armour Press. It was also not uncommon for messages to be tied to these arrows, which could be shot into fortresses, battle camps or the like. This practice of the formal archery exchange likely died out gradually following the end of the Heian period, as war became less and less ritualized. The arrows would also be sold at Shintō shrines as good luck charms, particularly around

New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...

; simply carrying a ''kabura-ya'', like a ''Hama Ya'', is meant to serve as a ward against evil spirits.

References

Sources

*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. *Billingsley, Phil (1988). "Bandits in Republican China" Stanford University Press

External links

Archery Gallery
Samurai weapons and equipment Archery equipment of Japan Arrow types Amulets Talismans Shinto in Japan Exorcism in Shinto Shinto religious objects Magic items Religious objects {{archery-stub

Use

See also

References

Sources

External links