The Armor of the Samurai
Classification and Division Essay
English 100A
Professor Terhorst
Picture yourself as a farmer in 12th century feudal Japan. You are going about your typical day
on the farm when you are distracted by a slight rumbling noise in the distance. Although you are
curious about the sound, you dismiss it as a herd of animals moving across the farmland. As the sound
gradually becomes more intense, however, you realize that there is something about it that is quite
unnatural. You decide the sound is coming from the woods beside your farm and consider checking it
out for yourself, but before you have time to think you find yourself running as fast as you can from the
shrouded dark figures perched atop fierce war horses that are now emerging from the hazed woods.
You look over your shoulder as you frantically run to see that their clothes are made of iron, with their
faces fixed in expressions that cause you to flee even faster. You now realize that these must be the
fabled Samurai, part of the elite warrior group that serve in close allegiance with the nobility. As they
close in on you at a blinding pace, you fall in terror as you realize that there is no hope for escape. You
find yourself paralyzed in fear as the trampling footsteps of a hundred horses slam around you, and as
your world fades to black you find yourself wondering if your family back at home has any chance of
escaping the same fate as yourself.
Such was the unfortunate fate shared by many an enemy of the Samurai over their multicentury existence. The notoriously efficient and dedicated warriors of feudal Japan were known to be
part of the fighting elite that were proud to make the ultimate sacrifice for their cause. In addition to
their admirable fighting skills, a large part of their success can be attributed to their ability to strike fear
into all of those they faced. With their fierce reputations at hand, the Samurai harnessed the power of
imagery and symbolism within their armor designs as a means of intimidating their opponents. While
using the same principles to create armor that are still adhered to today, they crafted all of what they
wore with function as a main priority. All of the shapes and colors utilized served a purpose that
collectively emphasized the immense power of the Samurai.
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Size of course means power, which in turn contributed a large part to the intimidation factor
caused by this particular piece of armor. The inflated chest plate and gaping head piece make the armor
appear larger than it really is. When worn by a Samurai, this factor would come into play and would
make the Samurai appear much larger and more powerful than he really might physically be. This
causes the wearer to look as if he has the ability to inflict a much greater amount of damage, which in
turn leads to the opposition to becoming more fearful. In addition to such physical features, the
symbolic ones are crucial as well. The large size of the emblem painted onto the center of the chest
plate suggests that the Samurai is of great power and in high standing with the divine. The size ensures
that the symbol will in fact be seen and as a result ensures that it will work to some effect, especially
since it suggests that the warrior has a higher power working in his favor. The Samurai intentionally
exaggerated the physical and symbolic features of their appearance as a means of displaying the
amount of power they potentially had on their side.
The size of the physical features may be important, but the color that armor is painted is vital to
its effectiveness as well. While some Samurai were known to have worn gold armor, most Samurai
exclusively displayed darker colors such as black and red for the bulk of what they wore. The Samurai
knew that the color of their armor sent a message, and that adorning darker tones was much more
intimidating than attacking their enemies in hot pink robes. As a result, black, the color associated with
death and darkness among other things, was widely used as the message it sends was one many
warriors wanted to become synonymous with. On this particular piece of armor, the black coloring is
left untouched save for the blue rope holding the various pieces of metal together and the two gold
features. One of the reasons gold is implemented is due to the fact that it is a practical means of
causing the desired features to stick out against the dark background it is painted upon. More
importantly however it holds a deeper meaning in the sense that gold was what could be considered a
color of divine associations. With this, the gold color of the crest on the center of the armor and crown
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atop of the helmet leave no mistake that the bearer of the armor is a force to be reckoned with. The
gold intensifies the symbolism of the meaningful objects already strong in their own right. The usage of
the black and gold colors add to the fear and intimidation induced by the Samurai in that they magnify
the messages of power, divinity, mystery, and darkness while displaying no apparent signs of weakness.
Building off of the symbolism behind black and gold, the Samurai were sure to craft their armor
in such a way that every feature held some kind of meaning. Two of the big features that were already
mentioned are the crown atop of the head and the crest on the armor that suggest the warrior was in
touch with a greater being. But the messages go beyond that. The design of the helmet and mask of
the Samurai's face were detailed in such a way that would further the themes carried by other parts of
the armor, such as the color. While the color black is one of mystery and potentially fear, the expression
molded into the facemask is one of a gaping mouth. This would fall under the most common
interpretation that the Samurai is howling his battle cry. In addition to this, the shape of the helmet was
intentionally made in a way that causes the wearer's eyes to be constantly shrouded in darkness. This
continues the theme of mystery, but more importantly it doesn't allow the enemy to peer into the eyes
of the warrior wearing the armor. Without being able to see his eyes, an enemy would potentially
become even more fearful as the eyes are an important part of not only analyzing your opponent but
understanding them as well. Upon having no eye contact, an enemy would be unable to see the true
emotions of the Samurai and as such would have no real way of assessing his position. Other features,
such as the protruding "ears" on the helmet and the mustache on the facemask were important parts of
how the wearer wanted to be seen in battle. The mustache on the facemask, along with its expression,
held different meanings special to the Samurai culture and vary from Samurai to Samurai depending on
his beliefs.
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Due in large part to their intricate armor, Samurais were as lethal on the battlefield as they were
feared. Through the implementation of knowledge and principles that are still in use today, they were
able to create some of the most purpose-driven armor known to man for a millennium. Every single
component of each armor was designed with the intent to strike a sense of fear and intimidation into
those their creators fought. Through the use of symbolic features, exaggerated shapes, and specific
colors, the Samurai were able to convey the power they wielded to convince enemies that they were
dead before a battle even started. Their ability to harness facts of nature and the human psych was one
that proved utterly lethal and was one that proved they deserved their warrior reputation that they had
earned.
This is a fine CD essay XXXX. You analyze the elements of the armor with precision and close attention to
detail! I especially like your thorough exploration of the various elements. Well done!
Only a few suggestions for revision: the essay is a touch short. Another paragraph about the dragon
symbol would be excellent. Also, consider using literary present when discussing a work of art (including
the armor). The present tense sounds smoother and more direct.
Fine classification and division essay here.
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