A replica amappo on display

An amappo (アマッポ) is a traditional bear and deer hunters' trap of the Ainu people of the northern Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. Amappo-based traps were also used by ethnic Japanese matagi hunters.

Summary

Mechanically, the amappo is a simple crossbow of elastic yew wood set in a low post with a release mechanism actuated by a tripwire strung across a desire path.[1] When an animal traversing the path disturbs the tripwire, a loaded arrow is released. These arrows were wrapped in birchbark to protect them from rain, marked with a family symbol to indicate ownership of the kill, and coated with a paste of surku (スㇽク), a lethal poison derived from aconitum ground in a mortar and pestle specially set aside for the purpose.[1]

Use

Hunting by amappo was usually carried out in spring and autumn, when dense foliage made sighting prey more difficult and cold weather slowed the decomposition of carcasses.

The elevation of the tripwire was adjusted depending on the animal being targeted in order to improve the chance of the arrow striking the heart. For example, a tripwire for deer would be strung roughly 10 centimeters higher than that for a bear.[2]

A number of methods were developed to prevent passersby from inadvertently tripping an amappo. For one, the tripwire was typically allowed a degree of slack so that the trajectory of a released arrow would pass behind the thigh of a standing person.[1] Another technique was to carve images of bows and arrows into nearby tree trunks to warn about the presence of an amappo.

Preparation, efficacy, and handling of surku

Many recipes for surku were handed down by different Ainu villages, but aconitum was invariably the base.[3] Aconitum roots and stalks gathered in the mountains were allowed to dry for at least one month before being ground and mixed with water, whereupon the strength of the poison would be tested.

If the level of toxicity was too low, even if the arrow hit the target, the prey would escape. Conversely, if the toxicity was too strong, the poison would spread throughout the prey's body, rendering its meat inedible. Furthermore, in cases of excessive toxicity, the animal's fur would soon fall out, ruining even the pelt.[4] However, when hunters faced a man-eating bear (ウェンカムイ, wenkamuy), the greatest possible level of toxicity was used as the meat and pelts of such bears were taboo.

According to information obtained by the surgeon Sekiba Fujihiko from the Ainu of the Saru River and Hidaka Mountains, brown bears poisoned with surku initially react violently but gradually become quiet, stiffening their limbs and foaming at the mouth before dying after about two hours. If the surku was formulated to have stronger toxicity, it will kill within one hour.[4]

The meat of animals killed by surku could be eaten as long as "a fistful" of tissue was gouged out from around the site of the arrow impact and discarded.[5] However, even the remaining meat could never be eaten raw, and needed to be cooked.

References

  1. 1 2 3 萱野 Kayano, 茂 Shigeru (January 1, 1978). アイヌの民具 Ainu no mingu (1st ed.). Japan: すずさわ書店 Suzusawa Shoten. ISBN 978-4795404014.
  2. ↑ 更科 Sarashina, 源蔵 Genzō (1968). 歴史と民族・アイヌ Rekishi to Minzoku - Ainu. Japan: 社会思想社 Shakai Shisō Sha.
  3. ↑ Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances: Foods, Fungi, Medicinal Herbs, Plants, and Venomous Animals. John Wiley & Sons. p. 1785. ISBN 978-1-11838-276-9.
  4. 1 2 門崎 Kadosaki, 允昭 Masaaki. "アイヌとトリカブト Ainu to torikabuto" (PDF). アイヌ民族文化財団 Foundation for Ainu Culture. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  5. ↑ 犬飼 Inukai, 哲夫 Tetsuo (2000). ヒグマ・増補改訂版 Higuma - Zōho kaichōban. Japan: 北海道新聞社 Hokkaidō Shinbunsha.
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