If there is one type of historical warrior that has reached mythical dimensions, it is the Japanese one. The figure of the samurai has been excessively mythologized, probably due to cinema, to the point of acquiring an aura of invincibility that doesn’t quite match reality. Samurai were human, and as such, they accomplished great deeds… just as they were also capable of less admirable actions. This reflection arises because of a curious element of their armor that we’ll explore next: the horo, which served to protect their backs and sides, leading some to interpret it as a feature also intended for defense during retreat.

Etymologically, the word samurai comes from Old Japanese and means “one who serves,” as it was initially used to refer to servants. It wasn’t associated with the military world until the late 12th century, when the elite warriors who had emerged as a caste two hundred years earlier rose to prominence at the end of the Genpei Wars. This was a civil war between the two most powerful clans of the time, Taira and Minamoto, with the latter emerging victorious and establishing the Kamakura shogunate, the first in history.

The shōgun’s power supplanted the imperial authority, marking the start of Japan’s feudal period. This power, which endured until the ascension of Emperor Meiji in the 19th century, was built on the samurai’s skills. However, what we’ll focus on here is not their history but rather their equipment—or, more specifically, a very special part of it. Of course, their gear wasn’t exactly affordable, highlighting the aristocratic nature of this warrior class from its inception. This is underscored by the fact that they began as mounted archers and didn’t consolidate as infantry until much later.

Horo samurai
The Genpei War in a 12th-century panel. Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

In reality, their evolution and diversification were logical outcomes of changing times, followed by specialization. Thus, they gradually abandoned bows and arrows to focus on other weapons used in hand-to-hand combat, such as swords, the naginata, and even firearms. This continued until the daimyō (feudal lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi enacted laws to distinguish samurai from ordinary ashigaru (foot soldiers). Later, under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu, samurai experienced a certain decline as their power was curbed. Many chose to adopt the status of ronin (masterless samurai) and turn to mercenary work or piracy rather than becoming farmers.

Armor, or protective combat gear, dates back to early antiquity and was almost always associated with an elitist socioeconomic level, as users were typically responsible for its cost. Every corner of the world developed its own model of armor, naturally, though over the centuries, contact and trade relations allowed elements from one region to be incorporated into another. Because Japan’s insular geography allowed it to remain isolated for a long time, its armor developed unique characteristics until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century introduced some novelties.

The earliest Japanese armor was called tanko and was made of iron plates lacquered to protect against the elements, held together with cords (which could be braided silk in the finest cases). The plates didn’t cover the entire body due to the excessive weight, which could reach up to thirty kilograms. Over time, the tanko evolved and became progressively lighter, leading to the most well-known model during the Heian period (classical era), the , which replaced metal with hardened leather and provided integral protection.

Later, in the aforementioned 16th century, European elements like the morion helmet and breastplate were adopted, resulting in the so-called tōsei gusoku, a curious combination of native and foreign characteristics. Metal returned to prominence, now in the form of steel, to protect the samurai from firearms. The so-called bulletproof armor (tameshi gusoku) was capable of withstanding a musket shot.

Horo samurai
Armor type ō-yoroi, from the feudal period. Credit: Ian Armstrong / Wikimedia Commons

As with European armor, each piece of Japanese armor had its own name. The most well-known are the (a cuirass that gave its name to a type of armor, as we’ve seen), the kabuto (a helmet that, in turn, consisted of several parts to enhance protection), the mengu (the typical mask covering the face), the haidate (thigh protectors equivalent to tassets), and so on. However, the armor was complemented by a series of accessories. Among them, of course, was clothing, but also the striking sashimono (a banner affixed to the back to identify which side the samurai belonged to).

There was more, and today we will focus on the horo for its fascinating concept. Essentially, it was a cloak worn on the back by high-ranking samurai, but it wasn’t just a simple piece of silk. Rather, it consisted of strips sewn together and tied to an internal framework, called oikago, made of lightweight materials such as wicker, bamboo, or whalebone, resembling a crinoline. Its function was truly peculiar: when the wearer galloped on horseback, the horo inflated like a balloon, enveloping the samurai, and the oikago helped maintain its shape.

Under such circumstances, the samurai’s appearance must have been quite striking, like carrying a rear-facing airbag. However, this wasn’t the primary purpose of the horo; or at least, not the only one. In fact, it served as extra protection against enemy arrows coming from behind, with the structure absorbing the impact and preventing the arrows from reaching the body. There was even a front version reportedly used to shield the horse’s head during charges. The horo measured nearly two meters, fastening at the top to the helmet or the upper part of the armor and at the bottom to the waist, in both cases with cords.

Moreover, the mon—the clan’s emblem—was painted or embroidered on its surface. This helped identify allies and foes amidst the chaos of battle, functioning as a kind of banner. Similarly, it was used to signal surrender by attaching its cords to a ring on the helmet and another on a stirrup. Thus, it was both a symbolic and practical element. Special, in any case.

Horo samurai
Samurai with Horo Cloak. Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

As such, it was reserved for individuals of certain stature or for a tsukai-ban, an aide or messenger tasked with delivering instructions to troops in the heat of battle. Incidentally, whether in one role or the other, it is recorded that when the bearer of a horo was defeated, it was customary to decapitate him and wrap his head in the silk cloak, mirroring the practice for lower-ranking samurai, whose heads were wrapped in the fabric of the sashimono.

It is often said that the horo was created by Hatakeyama Masanaga, a daimyō who fought in the Ōnin War, the civil conflict between the brother and son of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa over his succession. The war began in 1467 and lasted eleven years, paving the way for the Sengoku period, the Era of Warring States, during which the most powerful lords fought for the title of shōgun. The two contenders for Yoshimasa’s shogunate exhausted themselves in a ceaseless slaughter with no clear victor, and Hatakeyama Masanaga was one of the pawns in that bloody game.

However, it seems Masanaga was merely a particularly notable user of the horo, which was already in use at the start of the feudal era, during the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333). This was precisely when the most iconic characteristics of traditional Japan were established, including the samurai, seppuku, the tea ceremony, and the spread of Zen Buddhism.

In short, the horo served both to stand out amid the chaos of the battlefield and to protect the sides and back of the samurai wearing it. Perhaps it was needed for an extra edge in that maelstrom of blades and shouts where it was impossible to predict from where a fatal blow might strike. Perhaps, too, as some suggest, to shield exposed areas during a possible retreat, since the image of samurai fighting to the death or victory stems more from literature that portrayed certain famous battles in epic tones—especially the Battle of Shiroyama, where they charged, swords in hand, against Gatling guns.


This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on October 16, 2018: Horo, la capa hinchable que envolvía a los samuráis protegiéndoles la espalda

SOURCES

Oscar Ratti y Adele Westbrook, Secretos de los samurái

Stephen Turnbull, Samurai Commanders (2): 1577–1638

Stephen Turnbull, Samurai Heraldry

Thomas Louis, Tommy Ito, Samurai: The Code of the Warrior

Anthony J Bryant, Angus McBride, Samurai 1550–1600


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