Names of African Swords

[Pertinax]

I propose to discuss the remarkable work of Joseph P. Smaldone "Warfare in the Sokoto Caliphate".

In the public domain: https://vk.com/doc358527_346946191?h...rsnDNweNlK5tHg

In chapter 3 the author gives a description of the weapons:

The heavy cavalry - a variety of swords (s. takobi; kansakali), war clubs (s. kulki; gulme; gwarmi; gwama), and battle-axes (s. gantama; gatari; gafiya; masari) were also used by the heavy cavalry when fighting at close quarters.

The light cavalry - the lance and sword were the principal weapons for close combat. Swords (s. takobi) were slung over the shoulder by the hamila, or sling, and daggers carried in a sheath affixed to the left forearm.

Infantry:

The archers (yam baka or masu baka) - some carried small shields (s. kunkeli) and swords (s. takobi).

Warriors armed with swords and shields were also organized as light and heavy infantry forces. The size, shape, and quality of both shields and swords varied widely. The most common type of sword, used by cavalry and infantry alike, was the broad-bladed two-edged straight fate-fate; other swords were modifications of the straight pattern or of the curved saber type.58

58Other straight swords included the dunhu, a plain unmarked weapon; the tamogas or tamogashi, a sword with three lines cut along the blade; the tama, a cheap sword; and the zabo. Muffett also lists the lafaranji, a single-edged weapon: "Nigeria - Sokoto Caliphate," p. 297, n. 20. Scimitars, or slightly curved one-edged swords, were less common and used principally by the cavalry. Swords of this type were first used in the Islamic world in the early fourteenth century, and reached North Africa by the early sixteenth century: Bivar, Nigerian Panoply, pp. 15-16, 27. Among the sabers used by the Hausa were the bisalami or almulku; the hindi was probably of Indian origin, and the hankatilo was Kanuri (Bornu). See Bivar, pp. 13-27, for a detailed discussion of some examples of these straight and curved swords, and his photographs, figures 1-11, pp. 45-55.

Also of interest is A Glossary of Hausa Military Terminology:

almulku - single-edged saber (= bisalami)
bisalami - curved one-edged sword (= almulku)
dungi - giraffe-hide shield
hankatilo - scimitar of Kanuri origin (= almulku = bisalami) sword sling (= hamila)
kansakali, kansakula - any sword (= takobi)
lafaranji - single-edged sword
takobi, takuba - any sword (= kansakali)
tama - type of cheap sword
tamogas or tamogashi - sword with three lines running parallel along the blade
zabo - type of sword.

Among all the names of the swords published in this work, only Takuba is widely known. What is characteristic is that the names of Kaskara, Mandinka, etc. are missing.

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by Pertinax

I propose to discuss the remarkable work of Joseph P. Smaldone "Warfare in the Sokoto Caliphate".

In the public domain: https://vk.com/doc358527_346946191?h...rsnDNweNlK5tHg

In chapter 3 the author gives a description of the weapons:

The heavy cavalry - a variety of swords (s. takobi; kansakali), war clubs (s. kulki; gulme; gwarmi; gwama), and battle-axes (s. gantama; gatari; gafiya; masari) were also used by the heavy cavalry when fighting at close quarters.

The light cavalry - the lance and sword were the principal weapons for close combat. Swords (s. takobi) were slung over the shoulder by the hamila, or sling, and daggers carried in a sheath affixed to the left forearm.

Infantry:

The archers (yam baka or masu baka) - some carried small shields (s. kunkeli) and swords (s. takobi).

Warriors armed with swords and shields were also organized as light and heavy infantry forces. The size, shape, and quality of both shields and swords varied widely. The most common type of sword, used by cavalry and infantry alike, was the broad-bladed two-edged straight fate-fate; other swords were modifications of the straight pattern or of the curved saber type.58

58Other straight swords included the dunhu, a plain unmarked weapon; the tamogas or tamogashi, a sword with three lines cut along the blade; the tama, a cheap sword; and the zabo. Muffett also lists the lafaranji, a single-edged weapon: "Nigeria - Sokoto Caliphate," p. 297, n. 20. Scimitars, or slightly curved one-edged swords, were less common and used principally by the cavalry. Swords of this type were first used in the Islamic world in the early fourteenth century, and reached North Africa by the early sixteenth century: Bivar, Nigerian Panoply, pp. 15-16, 27. Among the sabers used by the Hausa were the bisalami or almulku; the hindi was probably of Indian origin, and the hankatilo was Kanuri (Bornu). See Bivar, pp. 13-27, for a detailed discussion of some examples of these straight and curved swords, and his photographs, figures 1-11, pp. 45-55.

Also of interest is A Glossary of Hausa Military Terminology:

almulku - single-edged saber (= bisalami)
bisalami - curved one-edged sword (= almulku)
dungi - giraffe-hide shield
hankatilo - scimitar of Kanuri origin (= almulku = bisalami) sword sling (= hamila)
kansakali, kansakula - any sword (= takobi)
lafaranji - single-edged sword
takobi, takuba - any sword (= kansakali)
tama - type of cheap sword
tamogas or tamogashi - sword with three lines running parallel along the blade
zabo - type of sword.

Among all the names of the swords published in this work, only Takuba is widely known. What is characteristic is that the names of Kaskara, Mandinka, etc. are missing.

Kaskara is a designation invented in the past by Western researchers/collectors. Saif is the name for the sword we know as kaskara. The forum has a lot of info on it.
Regards
Marc

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by Marc M.

Kaskara is a designation invented in the past by Western researchers/collectors. Saif is the name for the sword we know as kaskara. The forum has a lot of info on it.
Regards
Marc

Thank you, Marc.
I raised this topic because the current names of African swords and daggers are mostly invented by researchers/collectors or taken, for example, from the name of the people or tribe where this or that item was discovered/made. But in reality they had other names.

P.S. There is a mistake in the first post:
dungi - plain sword, without markings

Regards,
Yuri

[Changdao]

Originally Posted by Pertinax

Thank you, Marc.
I raised this topic because the current names of African swords and daggers are mostly invented by researchers/collectors or taken, for example, from the name of the people or tribe where this or that item was discovered/made. But in reality they had other names.

P.S. There is a mistake in the first post:
dungi - plain sword, without markings

Regards,
Yuri

It is a frequent phenomenon. Many of the names that stick really are just "sword" in the native language. Sometimes they can be useful, and other times they absolutely flatten the nuances that there are, especially if what is taken as the name is actually that of the people (or part of) using them.

"Mandinka" sabres are absolutely one example. These were used by the Mandinka, the Wolof, the Fulani (many branches of them: Toucouleurs, in Futa Djallon, in coastal Senegambia, etc), but it is rather common to see them attributed only to Mandinka when it is actually unknown. I actually believe that they originated within the Mandinka, just that it happened way back in the XV-XVIth century and it gave way to a rather large weapon family

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by Changdao

It is a frequent phenomenon. Many of the names that stick really are just "sword" in the native language. Sometimes they can be useful, and other times they absolutely flatten the nuances that there are, especially if what is taken as the name is actually that of the people (or part of) using them.

"Mandinka" sabres are absolutely one example. These were used by the Mandinka, the Wolof, the Fulani (many branches of them: Toucouleurs, in Futa Djallon, in coastal Senegambia, etc), but it is rather common to see them attributed only to Mandinka when it is actually unknown. I actually believe that they originated within the Mandinka, just that it happened way back in the XV-XVIth century and it gave way to a rather large weapon family

In House, "Mandinka" was apparently called bisalami, almulku.

The author provides interesting data in the note to chapter 3:

19 Leather- and metal-crafts were important native industries. Although many sword blades (s. ruwan takobi) were made locally by the cire-perdue, or "lost wax," method, imported tempered blades were superior and preferred to the more brittle domestic variety. Barth estimated that Kano imported annually about 50,000 sword blades, mostly from Solingen. These were mounted and sheathed by native craftsmen and sold throughout the Sudan: Travels and Discoveries,
I, 519-20.

[Tim Simmons]

You might find this dagger interesting. Scroll down to figure 8 in the link you provided. Although the scabbard is different you see the same weapon. This is obviously 20th century and pristine. It could be "earlyish" having been well kept all its life outside of Africa , who knows, but who cares as it is as I said in pristine condition.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Changdao

It is a frequent phenomenon. Many of the names that stick really are just "sword" in the native language. Sometimes they can be useful, and other times they absolutely flatten the nuances that there are, especially if what is taken as the name is actually that of the people (or part of) using them.

"Mandinka" sabres are absolutely one example. These were used by the Mandinka, the Wolof, the Fulani (many branches of them: Toucouleurs, in Futa Djallon, in coastal Senegambia, etc), but it is rather common to see them attributed only to Mandinka when it is actually unknown. I actually believe that they originated within the Mandinka, just that it happened way back in the XV-XVIth century and it gave way to a rather large weapon family

To add to my previous soliloquy;
The 'Mandinka' sabers are as noted typically regarded as from this tribe and from Mali, but obviously there are not distinct geographic boundaries to their regional presence. As far as I have known, there has never been a term for these sabers distinctly assigned, nor a distinct regional categorization...simply that it is a Mandinka saber.

The Mandinka tribes as I have understood were keenly in control of Trans Saharan trade routes which of course went through the important hub of Timbuktu in Mali. This alone would account for the diffusion of these type sabers, and the distinct leather work which seems to come from the west.
It is notable that the flared scabbard tip which is a distinctly Sudanese feature from the kaskara is present on these Mandinka sabers.

Also notable is that these typically have European saber blades, which is atypical for the preference of straight broadsword blades from Sahara to Sudan with the takouba and kaskara. Here I would note that some Tuareg swords with takouba type hilts have such saber blades and are known as ALJUINAR in Taureg parlance.

As far as the MANDINKA saber, I was once discussing these with a Fulani man from Guinea and showed him photos of one of these.
He immediately recognized it and called it KOTA........and pointed out the scabbard as called HOLGA (= house, apparently).

The study of the diffusion of these sabers is far more complex, but of course reflects the importance of the trade routes and how they carried not only goods but many cultural influences far and wide.

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

The study of the diffusion of these sabers is far more complex, but of course reflects the importance of the trade routes and how they carried not only goods but many cultural influences far and wide.

The same example is in the neighboring topic Helleri "Cane knife".

Collectors call this type of blades from South Africa - Shona. However, in the territory of modern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia live different ethnic groups and it is very possible that they have different names for these swords.

[Changdao]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

To add to my previous soliloquy;
The 'Mandinka' sabers are as noted typically regarded as from this tribe and from Mali, but obviously there are not distinct geographic boundaries to their regional presence. As far as I have known, there has never been a term for these sabers distinctly assigned, nor a distinct regional categorization...simply that it is a Mandinka saber.

The Mandinka tribes as I have understood were keenly in control of Trans Saharan trade routes which of course went through the important hub of Timbuktu in Mali. This alone would account for the diffusion of these type sabers, and the distinct leather work which seems to come from the west.
It is notable that the flared scabbard tip which is a distinctly Sudanese feature from the kaskara is present on these Mandinka sabers.

Also notable is that these typically have European saber blades, which is atypical for the preference of straight broadsword blades from Sahara to Sudan with the takouba and kaskara. Here I would note that some Tuareg swords with takouba type hilts have such saber blades and are known as ALJUINAR in Taureg parlance.

As far as the MANDINKA saber, I was once discussing these with a Fulani man from Guinea and showed him photos of one of these.
He immediately recognized it and called it KOTA........and pointed out the scabbard as called HOLGA (= house, apparently).

The study of the diffusion of these sabers is far more complex, but of course reflects the importance of the trade routes and how they carried not only goods but many cultural influences far and wide.

Not only there aren't distinct geographical borders, but ethnical as well. These were used in a very wide area from the Atlantic coast by a wide range of ethnicities, from Mandinka to Wolof and various varieties of Fulani (Tukulors, those in the kingdom of Kaabu, those in Futa Djallon, etc.).

The Mandinka, particularly Dyula, were indeed in control of many trade routes, but these were internal ones, which we know were pretty intense. Mali lost control of the various terminus cities of Trans-Saharan trade in the 1430's to the Magsharan Tuareg, and never recovered them. However, Mandinka traders were present all over west Africa, from the coast to the interior, and traded a high volume of various things. One of these was metal implements forged by skilled Mandinka blacksmiths.

Particularly relevant to these sabers, the Portuguese confirm the presence of sabers all over modern Senegal in the 1450's (from the south bank of the Senegal river to the river Gambia, from where they specifically came and where they were likely forged by Mandinka smiths and exported). Obviously we don't know how these sabers were (or the 80 cm long doubled edged shortswords described also by the Portuguese in the 1600's), but I don't believe that it is a very far-fetched idea to at least suppose they were related to the "Mandinka" sabers and shortswords/daggers. Particularly interesting is the fact that there are notable similarities in the abstract shape of the hilt of both types, especially in the metallic knob in the pommel.

The widespread of the basic idea but with so many regional variations, particularly seen in weapons from Sierra Leone at the edge of the distribution range speaks of the deep roots in history of the weapon family, especialy given the profound Mandinka influence in the history of the region and local ethnogenesis before and as a consequence of the Mane invasion around 1550 (especially because their panoply was apparently identical to the Mande-speaking Susu and to Mandinka caravan guards in the river Gambia!)

The takouba likely has a similarly deep history in West Africa, with its wide range of distribution and regionalised styles. Particularly intriguing is that Leo Africanus c.1510 states that European blades were imported to the Songhay Empire and sold at Gao, for a pretty high price, presumably to be mounted in the local style. Given that we have extant takouba blades from the XVIIth century, at the very least it gives evidence that the practice goes at least a century before that. Without much in the way of solid evidence, but again a reasonable inference in my view, I would say that the takouba style hilt was also present in some form by that date.

I would not overemphasize the European blades. Probably what there is at play is survivor bias, in that most "mandinka" sabers that have survived were captured at the tail end of the 19th century, at a time when Africa (and the rest of the world) was flooded by European-made industrial blades. That's not to say that the imports were not significative, though.