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The (literally "metal stick" or "metal club") is a spiked or studded two-handed war club used in
File:Oni no kanabo.JPG, A ''kanabō''.
File:Oni.jpg, A
The (literally "metal stick" or "metal club") is a spiked or studded two-handed war club used in feudal Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to Japanese Paleolithic, prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millenni ...
by samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
. Other related weapons of this type are the ''nyoibo'', ''konsaibo'', , and ''ararebo''.Mol, Serge (2003). ''Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts''. Kodansha International. p. 91. Related solid iron weapons with no spikes or studs are the ''kanemuchi'' (or ''kanamuchi'') and the ''aribo'' (also known as a ''gojo'' or ''kirikobo'').
Description
''Kanabō'' and other related club-like weapons were constructed out of heavywood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
or made entirely from iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
, with iron spikes or studs on one end. For wooden ''kanabō'', one or both ends could be covered with iron caps. ''Kanabō''-type weapons came in all manner of shapes and sizes, with the largest ones being two-handed and as tall as a man, while smaller ones were primarily one-handed and the length of a forearm.
Their shape could be similar to that of a baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although histor ...
, with a thicker outer end tapering towards a slender handle with a pommel, or they could be straight all the way from the handle to the end. The shaft cross-section could be round (as in a baseball bat) or polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
al; that is, multi-faceted with flat surfaces arrayed around the central axis.
Mythology
The ''kanabō'' was also amythical weapon
Mythological objects encompass a variety of items (e.g. weapons, armor, clothing) found in mythology, legend, folklore, tall tale, fable, religion, spirituality, superstition, paranormal, and pseudoscience from across the world. This list will ...
, often used in tales by ''oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...
'', who reputedly possessed superhuman strength
Superhuman strength is a superpower commonly invoked in fiction and other literary works such as mythology. A fictionalized representation of the phenomenon of hysterical strength, it is the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is ...
. This is alluded to by the Japanese saying
A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows:
* Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth".
** Adage ...
"like giving a ''kanabō'' to an ''oni''—meaning to give an extra advantage to someone who already has the advantage (i.e. the strong made stronger).''The netsuke handbook''. Reikichi Ueda. p. 175.
Gallery
statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
of an oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...
armed with a ''kanabō''.
File:Kanabo-tetsubo 2.JPG, A close-up of the iron spikes of a ''tetsubō''.
File:Kanabo with handle.jpg, A Japanese ''kanabō''.
File:Kanabo tetsubo.jpg, A small antique Japanese wooden club with iron-covered ends and iron studs (''ararebō'').
File:Kanabo tetsubo 2.JPG, An old Japanese wood club with iron spikes (a ''kanabō'' or ''tetsubō''), 4′ 9″ long and in weight.
File:Small tetsubo.JPG, A small ''tetsubō''.
File:Kanabo-tetsubo 3.JPG, A close-up of the iron studs on an antique Japanese ''ararebō'', a small version of the ''kanabō''.
See also
* Ararebo * Bō *Hanbō
The ''hanbō'' (半棒, "half-staff") is a staff used in martial arts. Traditionally, the ''hanbō'' was approximately three ''shaku'' or about long, half the length of the usual staff, the '' rokushakubō'' ("six ''shaku'' staff"). Diameter was ...
* Tanbō
The is a short staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan. Today the is used by various martial arts schools.
Description
The is a short hardwood staff that is used in the same way as the approximately 1-meter-long hanbō. Short staffs s ...
* Jō
* List of martial arts weapons
Weapons used in the world's martial arts can be classified either by type of weapon or by the martial arts school using them.
By weapon type Melee weapons
*List of melee weapons
**Bladed weapons
***Swords: see Types of swords
***Knife, Knives
*** ...
* Mace (bludgeon)
A mace is a blunt weapon, a type of club or virge that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful strikes. A mace typically consists of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal shaft, often reinforced with metal, featuring a head made ...
* War hammer
A war hammer (French: ''martel-de-fer'', "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both foot soldiers and cavalry. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century BC Jewish rebel, and to Cha ...
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanabo Clubs and truncheons of Japan Samurai clubs and truncheons