Post by worldantiques on May 16, 2012 2:39:23 GMT -5
Both samurai and ashigaru used shields (tate) to hide behind both on land and sea, these were not hand held shields, they were large wood panels.
Early Japanese foot soldiers did at one time use hand shields, Dorothy Perkins notes the use of "wood and leather shields" by foot soldiers as early as the mid 6th century. The Samurai of Japan: A Chronology from Their Origin in the Heian Era (794-1185) to the Modern Era P.10
books.google.com/books?id=0Tm-BGi39rMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Dorothy+Perkins&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dFGzT9iDJIag8gSig-jXCA&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAw#v=snippet&q=shields&f=false
The Japanese government eventually started to rely quite heavily on horse mounted warriors sometime between the 700s and 800s to provide protection as the conscripted foot soldiers proved to be less than adequate against enemies who increasingly used horses. The battles with the Emishi, who were skilled at riding horses necessitated a similar horse mounted warrior to fight them.
At some point in time the hand held shield seems to have been completely abandoned in Japan, its not as if the Japanese never used hand held shields.
Here is a quote from a book by Jonathan Clements, A Brief History of the Samurai Page 24
books.google.com/books?id=gyqN0PRuoeUC&pg=PA24&dq=A+Brief+History+of+the+Samurai+By+Jonathan+Clements+shields&hl=en&ei=Qgu5TZKCLsS10QHm87DdDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=true
During the periods when bows were one of the main samurai weapons, large "sode" (shoulder armor) were attached to the armor very loosely by cords tied on top of the armor, this allowed the sode to be moved or removed easily, in later periods when the bow was no longer a primary weapon the now much smaller sode were firmly attached to the armor with toggles, the sode could not be as easily moved or removed on later armors.
Samurai armor showing the large old style sode (shoulder armor).
Samurai using shields on a boat, mongol invasion scroll, 13th century.
The samurai started to use shields mounted on the shoulders of their armor called "sode" around the 10th century, the use of sode allowed the samurai to use both hands while riding a horse, this was a significant innovation. If you look at an image of an early samurai in O-Yoroi armor riding a horse you will see how well the armor covered the vital areas. By not having to hold a shield in their hands the samurai would have had a significant advantage over a horse mounted enemy who was holding a shield. Instead of wondering why the samurai did not use hand held shields you might as well wonder why other cultures did not use sode instead of hand held shields while fighting on horse back.
This image of an early samurai riding a horse shows how well the O-Yoroi armor protected the vital areas. Note the tachi and yumi.
Samurai fighting from behind shields.
.jpg/800px-Samurai_using_shields_(tate).jpg)
Ashigaru using shields
A recreation of ancient pre-samurai Japanese soldiers carrying shields.
Early Japanese foot soldiers did at one time use hand shields, Dorothy Perkins notes the use of "wood and leather shields" by foot soldiers as early as the mid 6th century. The Samurai of Japan: A Chronology from Their Origin in the Heian Era (794-1185) to the Modern Era P.10
books.google.com/books?id=0Tm-BGi39rMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Dorothy+Perkins&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dFGzT9iDJIag8gSig-jXCA&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAw#v=snippet&q=shields&f=false
The Japanese government eventually started to rely quite heavily on horse mounted warriors sometime between the 700s and 800s to provide protection as the conscripted foot soldiers proved to be less than adequate against enemies who increasingly used horses. The battles with the Emishi, who were skilled at riding horses necessitated a similar horse mounted warrior to fight them.
At some point in time the hand held shield seems to have been completely abandoned in Japan, its not as if the Japanese never used hand held shields.
Here is a quote from a book by Jonathan Clements, A Brief History of the Samurai Page 24
books.google.com/books?id=gyqN0PRuoeUC&pg=PA24&dq=A+Brief+History+of+the+Samurai+By+Jonathan+Clements+shields&hl=en&ei=Qgu5TZKCLsS10QHm87DdDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=true
The design of warrior's armour began to reflect the increased role of mounted archery. The top of the helmet remained the toughest point of the armour suit, and its neck guard flared out even further. This afforded the maximum protection and deflection from arrows fired directly above the wearer's head. While this might seem strange at first, it suggests that when charging at their enemies, Japanese soldiers would do so with their heads low and eyes down, presenting the arrow-deflecting curves of their helmet head-on the the foe. With the need to keep both hands free for using a bow, no shield was possible. Instead Japanese warriors began to favour large, shield-like attachments that formed square pads attached to their shoulders
During the periods when bows were one of the main samurai weapons, large "sode" (shoulder armor) were attached to the armor very loosely by cords tied on top of the armor, this allowed the sode to be moved or removed easily, in later periods when the bow was no longer a primary weapon the now much smaller sode were firmly attached to the armor with toggles, the sode could not be as easily moved or removed on later armors.
Samurai armor showing the large old style sode (shoulder armor).
Samurai using shields on a boat, mongol invasion scroll, 13th century.
The samurai started to use shields mounted on the shoulders of their armor called "sode" around the 10th century, the use of sode allowed the samurai to use both hands while riding a horse, this was a significant innovation. If you look at an image of an early samurai in O-Yoroi armor riding a horse you will see how well the armor covered the vital areas. By not having to hold a shield in their hands the samurai would have had a significant advantage over a horse mounted enemy who was holding a shield. Instead of wondering why the samurai did not use hand held shields you might as well wonder why other cultures did not use sode instead of hand held shields while fighting on horse back.
This image of an early samurai riding a horse shows how well the O-Yoroi armor protected the vital areas. Note the tachi and yumi.
Samurai fighting from behind shields.
Ashigaru using shields
A recreation of ancient pre-samurai Japanese soldiers carrying shields.
