Horo - The Archers Foe
Horo is an interesting form of a armor used by the feudal lords of ancient Japan to protect themselves from the arrows of pursuing archers. It is made of of a lightweight cloth, presumably silk and is worn like a cape at the back of the warrior. The Horo is usually worn by messengers of nobility and is strategically designed with large colorful emblems to make it stand out in the battle field. This way the messengers are easily visible when they arrive.
In English, Horo means arrow catcher or arrow entangler. A lot of scholars are suspicious of the Horo's capability of stopping a speeding arrow in its tracks and it's reputation as a life saver. Because the cloak is made of sheer cloth, it is hard to imagine it being able to halt a speeding dart. Furthermore, the large colorful print makes the wearer a very easy target on the field.
I was watching a show on the History Channel a few weeks back and the episode was about the Horo. Like the many people with doubts, the researchers were quite suspicious of the capes ability. Based on their research, they recreated a cape made of silk and printed on it a large colorful emblem. They tied it to a dummy, and stood it against a fan to simulate a warrior riding a horse.
The scenes that followed were quite amazing. In contrast to what was thought would make the wearer an easy target was just the exact opposite. When the wind blew against the cape, it made the emblem look like it was dancing. It was a confusing sight and I could imagine that pursuing archers would have had a very hard time hitting the wearer.
The next step then would be finding out if the cape or what looks like a cloak could really stop an arrow. When they tried to shoot the dummy with sharp arrows, amazingly the darts where entangled in the dancing cloak and were actually stopped. The arrow looses speed as soon as it gets entangled on the Horo and falls off to the ground.
With the results they have gathered, the researchers wondered if warriors did really feel confident to entrust their life on a piece of cloth. They wanted to test it themselves and feel what it would be like to be pursued by enemy archers. They simulated a war scenario, with one of the researchers wearing the Horo and several professional archers pursuing him shooting real arrows. All of them were on horseback and the arrows were dulled to protect the horse. Amazingly the cape wearer came out of it unscathed.
After the simulation, the wearer related that he could actually hear the arrows hit the cloak but he can also feel them loose their speed and just drop dead to the ground without touching him. With the results they have gathered, they concluded that the cape's ability was no myth at all and they would trust their life on it if they were in battle.
Even though it has been proven that the Horo's ability is not a myth, it will just remain to be a reminder of Japan's rich history. Bows and arrows are no longer part of modern warfare. They are no longer considered nor used in modern battle so there is no need for an arrow catcher anymore. Although archery is not employed in battle, the art of shooting arrows is still far from dying.
Today archery is considered a serious sport exercising skills of discipline and precision. Not only is it a sport, it is also a means of recreation. I guess people would always want and will always try to hit a target.
In English, Horo means arrow catcher or arrow entangler. A lot of scholars are suspicious of the Horo's capability of stopping a speeding arrow in its tracks and it's reputation as a life saver. Because the cloak is made of sheer cloth, it is hard to imagine it being able to halt a speeding dart. Furthermore, the large colorful print makes the wearer a very easy target on the field.
I was watching a show on the History Channel a few weeks back and the episode was about the Horo. Like the many people with doubts, the researchers were quite suspicious of the capes ability. Based on their research, they recreated a cape made of silk and printed on it a large colorful emblem. They tied it to a dummy, and stood it against a fan to simulate a warrior riding a horse.
The scenes that followed were quite amazing. In contrast to what was thought would make the wearer an easy target was just the exact opposite. When the wind blew against the cape, it made the emblem look like it was dancing. It was a confusing sight and I could imagine that pursuing archers would have had a very hard time hitting the wearer.
The next step then would be finding out if the cape or what looks like a cloak could really stop an arrow. When they tried to shoot the dummy with sharp arrows, amazingly the darts where entangled in the dancing cloak and were actually stopped. The arrow looses speed as soon as it gets entangled on the Horo and falls off to the ground.
With the results they have gathered, the researchers wondered if warriors did really feel confident to entrust their life on a piece of cloth. They wanted to test it themselves and feel what it would be like to be pursued by enemy archers. They simulated a war scenario, with one of the researchers wearing the Horo and several professional archers pursuing him shooting real arrows. All of them were on horseback and the arrows were dulled to protect the horse. Amazingly the cape wearer came out of it unscathed.
After the simulation, the wearer related that he could actually hear the arrows hit the cloak but he can also feel them loose their speed and just drop dead to the ground without touching him. With the results they have gathered, they concluded that the cape's ability was no myth at all and they would trust their life on it if they were in battle.
Even though it has been proven that the Horo's ability is not a myth, it will just remain to be a reminder of Japan's rich history. Bows and arrows are no longer part of modern warfare. They are no longer considered nor used in modern battle so there is no need for an arrow catcher anymore. Although archery is not employed in battle, the art of shooting arrows is still far from dying.
Today archery is considered a serious sport exercising skills of discipline and precision. Not only is it a sport, it is also a means of recreation. I guess people would always want and will always try to hit a target.
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