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.
The name of this implement in English means arrow catcher or arrow entangler. Many people doubt that the Horo could actually stop a flying arrow dead on its tracks and save the life of the wearer. Since it is just made of cloth, a very thin one at that, it is hard to believe that it could stop a speeding projectile. Add to that the large and colorful designs that make the wearer a visible and easy target on the field.
A few weeks back, I was watching a show on the History Channel. It was a show about past warfare tactics and weapons. This episode talked mainly about the Horo. Like the doubtful lot, the researchers were also in doubt about the cloak's ability. They modeled a cape according to studies made, and printed a large colorful logo on it. The researchers tied it to a dummy and stood it against a blowing fan to simulate a messenger atop a horse.
The following clips were quite surprising. What was thought of as an easy target was the exact opposite. The large colorful design danced in the air as the fan blew against it making it quite confusing and very difficult to judge where behind the cape the rider really was. It was a dizzying vision and I imagine it would be a really difficult target to hit.
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.
After gathering the results, the next question was if a cape wearer would actually entrust her life on a piece of silk. They wanted to test how it would feel like to be atop a horse wearing a Horo and be pursued by enemy archers. They simulated the scenario but they dulled the arrows to protect the horse. They used professional archers and you could see the arrows raining on the cape wearer. Amazingly, the wearer came out of it unscathed.
When it was over, the rider said that he could actually hear the arrows hitting his cloak but he could feel them stop and just feel them fall. After all their research, they have concluded that the myth of the arrow catcher was no myth at all and if they were actual Japanese warriors, they would trust their life on the Horo.
Although the Horos capabilities have been proven, still it is only just a piece of history these days. Arrows and bows are no longer weapons of war. They are no longer seen as a threat to lives so the Horo has lost its significance. Although archery has long been dismissed as a tool of warfare, archery is far from dead.
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. - 30215
The name of this implement in English means arrow catcher or arrow entangler. Many people doubt that the Horo could actually stop a flying arrow dead on its tracks and save the life of the wearer. Since it is just made of cloth, a very thin one at that, it is hard to believe that it could stop a speeding projectile. Add to that the large and colorful designs that make the wearer a visible and easy target on the field.
A few weeks back, I was watching a show on the History Channel. It was a show about past warfare tactics and weapons. This episode talked mainly about the Horo. Like the doubtful lot, the researchers were also in doubt about the cloak's ability. They modeled a cape according to studies made, and printed a large colorful logo on it. The researchers tied it to a dummy and stood it against a blowing fan to simulate a messenger atop a horse.
The following clips were quite surprising. What was thought of as an easy target was the exact opposite. The large colorful design danced in the air as the fan blew against it making it quite confusing and very difficult to judge where behind the cape the rider really was. It was a dizzying vision and I imagine it would be a really difficult target to hit.
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.
After gathering the results, the next question was if a cape wearer would actually entrust her life on a piece of silk. They wanted to test how it would feel like to be atop a horse wearing a Horo and be pursued by enemy archers. They simulated the scenario but they dulled the arrows to protect the horse. They used professional archers and you could see the arrows raining on the cape wearer. Amazingly, the wearer came out of it unscathed.
When it was over, the rider said that he could actually hear the arrows hitting his cloak but he could feel them stop and just feel them fall. After all their research, they have concluded that the myth of the arrow catcher was no myth at all and if they were actual Japanese warriors, they would trust their life on the Horo.
Although the Horos capabilities have been proven, still it is only just a piece of history these days. Arrows and bows are no longer weapons of war. They are no longer seen as a threat to lives so the Horo has lost its significance. Although archery has long been dismissed as a tool of warfare, archery is far from dead.
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. - 30215
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