Cow Hunting

A martial art in which a person shoots at cattle with a bow and arrow from horseback. Minamoto no Yoritomo held an event in Kanaaraizawa in April 1182 (Juei 1), and in Yuinoura in June of the same year (Azuma Kagami). There is also an article in the Kokonchomonju about Minamoto no Yorimitsu's party shooting at wild cattle in a cattle chase, and although this was not a legally based sport held in a riding arena, it does suggest the original form of the so-called chase archery. However, it seems to have died out after that due to the popularity of dog chases. As a result, very little is known about the specific details of the ritual, but according to historical documents from the Muromachi period, it is said that the priest would chase the calf's tracks on horseback, and when the calf turned to stand up, he would shoot arrows with frog eyes, four-eyed arrows, or god's head arrows at its flat neck and flat thighs.

[Takayoshi Miyazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

馬上から弓矢で牛を射る武技。源頼朝(よりとも)が1182年（寿永1）4月に金洗沢で、また同年6月には由比(ゆい)の浦で催している（『吾妻鏡(あづまかがみ)』）。このほか『古今著聞集(ここんちょもんじゅう)』に、源頼光(よりみつ)の一行が野飼いの牛を牛追物に射たとの記事がみえ、これは法式に基づいた馬場での競技ではないが、いわゆる追物射としての本来の姿がうかがわれる。しかし、その後は犬追物の流行によって絶えたようである。そのため具体的な内容もほとんど伝わっていないが、室町時代の故実書に拠(よ)ると、小牛の走る跡（さぐり）を馬で追い、追われた小牛が立ち向かうところを、その平頸(ひらくび)や平股(また)を目標に蟇目(ひきめ)、四目、神頭(じんどう)などの矢で射るという。

［宮崎隆旨］

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