HAYAKAWA KYUKEI, FROM THE PREFACE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR AND HELMETS
From the tip of his pigtail to the soles of his sandals the samurai warrior is indeed an impressive sight, but there is no chance element in this, because in his selection of weapons and costume the samurai is guided and garbed by tradition.
Samurai Swords – Handle With Care
Among his many weapons, none is more important to a warrior than the one that will be closest to him for the rest of his life – his samurai sword. No weapon in the entire world excels it. It is said that a good sword can do two remarkable things. First, when held in a stream with the blade facing the running current, it will sever a lotus flower floated downstream the moment that the bloom touches the cutting edge of the sword. Second, it will cut through seven corpses piled on top of each other above a bed of sand. I have heard tell of one noble samurai who was offended by a peasant, and struck him with his sword so sharply and with a blow so fierce that he cut the man cleanly from his neck to his groin. Yet so rapidly and keenly was the blow delivered that the man walked on for six paces before falling in two.
Whatever his prowess in other martial arts, a samurai is known by his skills with the famous samurai sword. Made by craftsmen and hallowed by tradition, it is the finest cutting weapon in the entire world.
Your sword will have been created by a master craftsman, who, should society ever permit it, must surely deserve the title of samurai in spite of his apparently vulgar position. Such men are characteristically modest, referring to themselves as blacksmiths rather than sword-makers or swordsmiths. Beginning with iron-sand taken from the riverbeds of Japan, these miracle workers, dressed in white robes that would befit a priest, first create iron itself, which is then heated, beaten and reheated to make steel. They then take this unshaped steel and beat it, bend it and beat it again, all the while stretching the metal into a shape that begins to resemble the final blade.
The finished sword consists of a number of different parts, all of which fit together to make a complete whole, just as is the case with the samurai – for as we all have our own role to play in the order of things, so we are very like parts of sword. The blade fits into a wooden handle that is covered with the skin of the giant ray and bound with cord to give a secure grip. It slips into a scabbard, on either side of which are kept concealed two sharp knives. The sword takes no chances. Good samurai are like that.
Throughout history the badge of the samurai has been his sword. In this picture we see the sword tied around the waist in tachi style, rather than in katana style with the sword thrust through the belt, cutting side uppermost.
What the Well-Dressed Samurai is Wearing
When not actually wearing armour, you will still be magnificently attired in a costume that varies little from one lord to another except in the colour of the cloth and the family crest that is sewn on to it. Over the top of your long kimono you will wear wide trousers called hakama, into which are tucked the ends of your kataginu, a small, winged jacket with stiffened shoulders. This elegant combination is called a kamishimo. When riding or marching you will replace your hakama with tighter trousers, and wear a loose haori jacket instead of the kataginu.
Ceremonial Clothes and How Not to Fall Over in Them
Problems may arise when you are received in audience at the court of His Most Excellent Highness, for there you will be required to wear nagabakama, which represent the greatest sartorial trap for the unprepared samurai. As you will guess from the name, these are long trousers (very long trousers!), indeed the legs extend right over your feet. The idea is, I am assured by those closer to His Most Excellent Highness, that no one wearing nagabakama could carry out an assassination. This is a conclusion with which I am broadly in agreement. In fact someone wearing nagabakama can hardly move at all, except by dragging each leg behind him in turn like two enormous elephants’ trunks. At least His Most Excellent Highness is safe from being murdered, which is the most important thing. As far as you are concerned, when attending an audience at court (which is a nerve-wracking ordeal at the best of times) the last thing you should have to worry about is falling over your own trousers. Make sure you obtain a pair at least a month beforehand and practise in the privacy of your own home. It can be done – just take it very gently.
Your Hair and When You Should Let it Down
Foreigners often remark on the care a samurai takes over his hair. It is customary, as you know, to shave off the front portion of one’s hair and tie the remainder back in a doubled-over pigtail. Alternatively it is quite acceptable to leave all the hair intact and tie it back in a single pigtail, rather like a tea whisk. One’s hair should always look immaculate, and the field of battle is the only time when you can let your hair down.
Needless to say, preparation is as essential on the field of war as it is on any occasion. One’s hair is not merely allowed to lie casually beneath one’s helmet. You must remove the cords binding the pigtail, comb the hair straight and then tie a white headband across your forehead. The white colour signals your determination to die. Your hair will naturally become dishevelled when you are fighting, but don’t worry, because some young lady will be given the job of making sure that your hair is neat and tidy after your head has been cut off. It will then be presented to the enemy general, and you will look very proud.
To add the finishing touch to the excellence of your coiffure, why not burn a little incense inside your helmet before putting it on? That way, when your head is cut off, your hair will bear a pleasant odour and people will be sure to remark on your good taste.
Japanese Armour and Why It is Superior to All Others
Some samurai have been known to gaze upon a suit of European armour, such as the one once presented to His Most Illustrious Highness by the Portuguese viceroy of the Indies, and exclaim ‘I’d like one like that.’ How misguided they are! Only a coward would wish to be encased from head to foot in steel, with just narrow slits for his eyes. Who would ever want to see arrows bouncing off his suit of armour when they could remain embedded in it to show the warrior’s bravery? Besides, who would want to wear a suit of armour in which the only way to commit ritual disembowelment would be to stick a dagger up his unhinged codpiece? How ridiculous! No, for the valiant samurai the Japanese suit of armour is without peer.
Why should this be? Well, a Japanese suit of armour is constructed in a very different way from European armours. Ours are not made from large steel plates, but are instead referred to as being ‘lamellar’, which means that they consist of a large number of small metal plates that are lacquered and then tied together, thus making a suit of Japanese armour a highly complex object. Let us examine one from the inside out by imagining a samurai getting dressed for battle.
Putting on Your Armour
The first things you will have put on will be your loincloth and your shirt. Above the shirt you will wear an armour robe. This is like an ordinary kimono but much simpler in design. A pair of trousers go on top of that. The ensemble is then secured using a belt, and gaiters are tied round the calves. Now refer to the accompanying illustrations, because along come the first pieces of armour, which are the suneate (shin-guards) that will also protect your calves. The samurai then puts on his haidate (thigh-guards), an article that looks rather like an armoured apron. Two kote (sleeves) will protect your arms, and on top of these is worn the do (body armour), from which are suspended the kusazuri (tassets), rather like little armoured skirts. Two sode (shoulder-guards) will be attached to the outside of the shoulder straps of the do, while round your waist will be tied your sword-belt.
The first pieces of armour to be put on over the armour robe are the suneate. They consist of a series of iron plates sewn on to a cloth backing.
The armoured haidate, protection for the thigh area, is fastened around the waist.
The kote consists of a pair of cloth sleeves to which plates and chain mail are attached at vulnerable points. Sometimes, as in this case, the sleeves are made as one.
The largest section of a samurai’s armour consists of the do, to which the kusazuri are attached. The do is usually hinged at one side and tied using shoulder-straps that also take its weight. It is secured at the waist using a belt.
The sode are a pair of shoulder-protectors made like small composite armour plates. They are suspended from the shoulder-straps of the do.
The mempo (face mask) is one of the most characteristic features of a Japanese suit of armour. Although originally intended simply as a safe anchorage for the cords of the helmet, it has become customary to decorate the face mask with moustaches and teeth to intimidate enemy warriors during battle.
Your face and throat will be protected by a shikoro (neck-guard) and a face mask, and it is the fashion nowadays to ornament the mask with horse-hair moustaches and silver teeth. The original idea of the face mask was to provide a secure surface for tying the helmet cords, but its further utility in war was soon appreciated: when your enemy sees you approaching he may well flee in terror from the devilish being that you have become.
Choosing the Correct Helmet
The final illustration in the accompanying set of pictures shows a simple battledress helmet, which is really all you need to protect your skull, although you may be tempted to embellish your suit of armour by buying a magnificent design. Here I must sound a note of caution. If you are a general then it is fine to wear a helmet that sports gigantic buffalo horns, peacock-tail plumes or Chinese sword-blades, or even to choose a helmet shaped like the head of a monkey. What is frequently forgotten is that generals have helmet-bearers to carry their headgear for them, because these elaborate items are donned only when the battle is over and the general has the leisure and the security to indulge in post-battle rituals, such as head viewing. At other times the helmet bearer, who stands next to the general, carries the helmet on a spear-shaft. In short, these helmets are not suitable for combat. Besides, simply to wear a general’s style of helmet will cause resentment among your comrades, who will accuse you of ostentation, which is not in accordance with the Way of the Warrior.
The final item of samurai armour is the vital kabuto (helmet). Generals wear very elaborate helmets, but a simple and sturdy battledress helmet is best for fighting in.
This is an example of the old style of helmet, made for the type of armour known as a yoroi. Note the wide neck-guard and the decorative kuwagata (antlers). These splendid objects are still worn centuries later by high-ranking samurai.
Accessories – The Finishing Touch
Many are the accessories available to go with your chosen suit of armour. Some are fairly obvious, such as a water bottle, spare sandals, a medicine kit and a bag for carrying severed heads in, but don’t clutter up your person with unnecessary items – what do you think servants are for? Lastly, please don’t neglect your horse. Suits of armour are now available for horses in a wide range of styles and fittings. Many consist of jackets of plate and cloth, some with very appealing chamfrons that will make your horse look like a dragon.
What Not to Wear
I know this will annoy some people, but I have to say something about embossed armour. Yes, to have a phoenix engraved upon your breastplate and picked out in gold lacquer looks nice; but it weakens the armour. Ask yourself, what do you really want: something that looks fancy or something that is guaranteed to stop a bullet? I know which I would choose! Also, please try to avoid a suit of armour that is basically a mongrel. If the design of the breastplate and the sleeves don’t match up, then the discrepancy will quickly be noticed. Try to have a suit of armour made that has your family crest lacquered on every plate, then you will not be tempted to pick and mix. Oh, and another thing, heavy shin-guards and bearskin boots – no! They are just SO Kamakura period.