tie the white headcowl to cover more of their head, or would substitute a hachimaki headband. Finally, many warrior monks would wear some form of samurai armor. The sōhei employed a variety of weapons. The obi, or belt, of the kimono would often be supplemented with a heavier sash, so a sword could be slung from it. The long tachi was probably the most common sword, though many monks may have carried tantō as well. Many monks were also accomplished archers, and used bamboo-and-rattan bows, called daikyū, with bamboo arrows. The most traditional weapon of the monk, however, was the naginata, a weapon much like the Chinese guandao or podao, European glaive or the Russian sovnya. The sōhei were also trained to use the heavy kanabō, which was a large club forged of solid iron. Although deadly, this weapon was generally used to defeat an opponent without bloodshed. The Ikkō-ikki monks of the 16th century, due largely to their origins as countryside mobs, were far more varied in their armor and armament. Many wore the more traditional monk robes, with varying degrees and types of armor. Many wore various sorts of helmets, while many others opted for the straw hat and cloak of a peasant. Naginata remained very common, along with a variety of swords and daggers, and a limited number of arquebuses (with the Saika Ikki being a notable exception, as they are mainly composed of musketeers and gunsmiths as per Suzuki Magoichi's standard of having an all-musketeer army). Finally, while not truly armor nor armament, a very common item wielded by the mobs of Ikkō-ikki monk warriors was a banner with a Buddhist slogan written upon it. One of the more common slogans was the nenbutsu, "Hail Amitābha!" (Namu Amida Butsu). See also Shaolin Monk Yamabushi Benkei Gochi-in no Tajima Hōzōin In'ei Ichirai Tsutsui Jōmyō Meishū References Further reading Japanese warriors Obsolete occupations Warfare of the Middle Ages Tendai Combat occupations Armed priests Japanese warrior monks History of Buddhism in Japan Military orders (monastic society)