View source for Ōyumi

{{Short description|Ancient Japanese artillery piece}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
'''''Ōyumi''''' were ancient [[Japanese language|Japanese]] [[artillery pieces]] that first appeared in the seventh century (during the [[Asuka period|Asuka Period]]). It is unknown exactly what kind of weapon the Oyumi was or how it looked, as there are no surviving examples or illustrations, but the Oyumi is thought to have been a type of [[crossbow|siege crossbow]].<ref name=":0">[https://books.google.com/books?id=U02pzwXNxBIC&dq=o-yumi&pg=PA49 ''Japanese Castles AD 250--1540'']{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Stephen Turnbull, Peter Dennis, Illustrated by Peter Dennis, Osprey Publishing, 2008 {{ISBN|9781846032530}} P.49</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2019/01/dokyu-japanese-crossbow.html?m=1 | title=Shudo (手弩) and Ōyumi (大弓) - Japanese Crossbows }}</ref>
==History and use==
According to Japanese records, the Oyumi was different from the hand held crossbow also in use during the same time period. A quote from a seventh-century source seems to suggest that the Oyumi may have able to fire multiple arrows at once: "the Oyumi were lined up and fired at random, the arrows fell like rain".<ref name=":0" /> A ninth century Japanese artisan named Shimaki no Fubito claimed to have improved on a version of the weapon used by the Chinese; his version could rotate and fire projectiles in multiple directions.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wExlaM1ov0sC&q=Shimaki+no+Fubito&pg=PA120|title=Samurai: The Code of the Warrior|isbn=9781402763120|last1=Louis|first1=Thomas|last2=Ito|first2=Tommy|date=August 2008}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iNc89Xvh-D0C&dq=oyumi&pg=PA42 ''Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan''], By [[Karl Friday]], Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1992 P.42</ref> The last recorded use of the Oyumi was in 1189.<ref name=":0" />
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment}}
{{Ancient mechanical artillery and hand-held missile weapons|state=collapsed}}
{{Medieval mechanical artillery and hand-held missile weapons|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Samurai weapons and equipment]]
[[Category:Archery equipment of Japan]]
[[Category:Crossbows]]
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