Jukun arms & armour

Iain · 9th May 2014, 11:15 AM

I thought this might be an interesting topic, mainly because I have tried to find some information and come up with very little!

The Jukun are an ethnic group in the Benue and Adamawa states of Nigeria and formed the Kwararafa kingdom, a powerful state in the 15-18th centuries.

Like many other states at the time they made use of cavalry, lances and other forms of weapons. However, I have not been able to find anything in terms of spears, swords, daggers etc. attributed to the Jukun.

Does anyone out there have anything?

colin henshaw · 11th May 2014, 11:13 AM

Hi Iain

I can't personally remember seeing arms & armour specific to the Jukun, (which doesn't mean they don't exist !). However, there is a book written by the anthropologist C K Meek in 1931, "A Sudanese Kingdom : An ethnographic study of the Jukun-speaking peoples of Nigeria". Regret I don't have a copy, but suggest it would make a suitable starting point for research.

Regards.

Iain · 11th May 2014, 11:53 AM

Hi Colin,

Thanks taking an interest.

I was hoping someone would have the book on the forum. Unfortunately it's quite expensive (over $100) and not something I want to invest in without knowing how well it covers weaponry. Most of the journal reviews I could find don't mention this, rather the ethnic history and religious elements covered.

Andreas · 11th May 2014, 07:02 PM

A Jukun dagger from the Met collection (B&W). This type seems fairly typical of the Benue- Adamawa region, with lost-wax cast brass hilts. The colour pic is from the Quai Branly Museum, Paris, a Benue dagger.
Regards,
Andreas

Iain · 11th May 2014, 07:27 PM

Hi Andreas,

Very interesting, thanks for posting the Met example. I'd looked through the British Museum collections but had forgotten to check the Met!

These daggers do indeed appear very typical for the Benue region. They seem to extend into Cameroon as well with similar cast hilts.

9th May 2014, 11:15 AM	#1
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Jukun arms & armour I thought this might be an interesting topic, mainly because I have tried to find some information and come up with very little! The Jukun are an ethnic group in the Benue and Adamawa states of Nigeria and formed the Kwararafa kingdom, a powerful state in the 15-18th centuries. Like many other states at the time they made use of cavalry, lances and other forms of weapons. However, I have not been able to find anything in terms of spears, swords, daggers etc. attributed to the Jukun. Does anyone out there have anything?

11th May 2014, 07:02 PM	#4
Andreas Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Ionian Islands, Greece Posts: 96	A Jukun dagger from the Met collection (B&W). This type seems fairly typical of the Benue- Adamawa region, with lost-wax cast brass hilts. The colour pic is from the Quai Branly Museum, Paris, a Benue dagger. Regards, Andreas Attached Images

11th May 2014, 11:13 AM	#2
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Hi Iain I can't personally remember seeing arms & armour specific to the Jukun, (which doesn't mean they don't exist !). However, there is a book written by the anthropologist C K Meek in 1931, "A Sudanese Kingdom : An ethnographic study of the Jukun-speaking peoples of Nigeria". Regret I don't have a copy, but suggest it would make a suitable starting point for research. Regards.

11th May 2014, 11:53 AM	#3
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Hi Colin, Thanks taking an interest. I was hoping someone would have the book on the forum. Unfortunately it's quite expensive (over $100) and not something I want to invest in without knowing how well it covers weaponry. Most of the journal reviews I could find don't mention this, rather the ethnic history and religious elements covered.

11th May 2014, 07:27 PM	#5
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Hi Andreas, Very interesting, thanks for posting the Met example. I'd looked through the British Museum collections but had forgotten to check the Met! These daggers do indeed appear very typical for the Benue region. They seem to extend into Cameroon as well with similar cast hilts.