also: やたけび
battle cry of archers; yell when shooting arrows
Historical term for the shout made by archers when releasing a volley of arrows, or the yell that signals the start of a battle. Rare in modern usage; encountered mainly in historical or literary contexts.
On the battlefield, the soldiers let out a battle cry and released their arrows all at once.
In ancient documents, there are descriptions of the arrow-shout that signaled the start of a battle.
Standard kanji spelling for the reading やさけび.
Alternate reading やたけび; less common.
Compound of 矢 (arrow) and 叫び (shout). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it refers to a specific shout used in archery warfare.