2nd November 2008, 05:17 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,807
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W. African cavalry javlins.
Picked these up today. Not sure how good my pictures are. They are beautifully engraved and inlaid with brass. I will try better latter. You can see a similarity to the all metal "allarh" These are light, but with enough wieght to be delivered with force. I was surpised at the quality of a weapon that may be thrown at a line and not retrieved. I imagine that the cavalry had a status much like medievil knights, so even throw away items were made to reflect this position in life. The picture of the cavalry man with a bunch of javlins reminds me of the Bayeux tapestry depicting the Norman knights with there kite shaped shields. They used a similar tactic of worrying a line by repeated cavalry volleys of javlins. Where does the "allarh" start and finish? which culture inspired the form? is it shared and adapted for differing warfare and combat situations?
Last edited by Tim Simmons; 2nd November 2008 at 05:34 PM. |
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