Help wanted for my Khanjar!

[Dom]

Originally Posted by David

Frankly, you have left me a bit confused by your answer as well. You state 'with roughly the same form, an A.E.U. dagger will be a khangar, when in Yemen, we will talk about "jambiya"' Firstly, can i assume that you mean the U.A.E.(United Arab Emirate) here, because i do not know what the A.E.U. is otherwise? If this is what you did mean how does this apply to a Kurdish Dagger? Kurdistan covers parts of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria so it is neither A.E.U. or Yemen and does not fall neatly into this "rule".

Hi David
again, a difficulty to express my thought,
Arabian Peninsula is constituted as you know of ;
- KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
- Yemen
- and the other countries who form .... Arabian Peninsula

it's these countries that I grouped under the (wrong) term of;
- A.E.U. (by extension) it's because in a very "tiny" territory, you have
- not less than of 7 Emirates, not counting Kuwait and Oman
the nestings are very numerous,
sometimes even for a similar weapon, we can find them under different labels,
or for different daggers, found them under the same name
and all these countries, are using Arabic language

as far as what I should like to explain, the subject is a little bit confuse,
not easy to give a very "square" description; because not possible to enter in writing,
the experience of 6 years in Saudi, one year in Sharjah, and around 2 years in Kuwait
I learned that, what we call "Jambiya" for a Kurdish dagger is, as well as, the long wahhabite dagger ...
I learned also, that in A.E.U. as well as in Saudi, they call "Khanjar" what looks more or less the same in Yemen,
but they know under the name of "Jambiya"

at that moment, we know it, because on spot we learn how it's named
but then to know why, here and there, not the same weapons,
even if it has the same name ... it's too much to ask for

I speak of course of general,
and if we refer to "Ibrahiim al Balooshi" posts, who are very well documented and explicit,
we should approach of a revelation

best regards

à +

Dom

[David]

Thanks for your further explanation Dom.
Are we sure then that the Kurds use the term "jambiya", or do they, perhaps, have a completely different term altogether for this weapon?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all ~ Thankyou Dom.

The question of Jambiyya and Khanjar is a long convoluted and often emotional rollercoaster frankly best put in the locker marked "interesting" and left pending. It certainly is not worth arguing about ...

What is a Tulvar what is a Pulvar what is ?...Honestly whilst not saying who cares? it really doesnt matter provided we use the accepted country term in each case otherwise it gets badly confusing...

Jambiyya / Khanjar. In discussion and debate it is a conundrum still unfolding. In general terms in the Oman and UAE (at one time all one country, loosely speaking) they have a Khanjar which can be defined as (Khanjar; An Arabic word. It may be a word which was adopted by the Persians and transmitted to India..the Indian Khanjar appeared in the early 16th Century.)

In Oman it is A National Iconic Emblem being a broad curved dagger, with two cutting edges and a central strengthening spine ending at a sharp point with a 45 degree right sweep on a hilt of horn and /or silver or wood, inside a curved scabbard of about 90 degree right turn (the precise significance of which is as yet unknown) possibly denoting balace and ancient design. The entire ensemble rigged to sit front and centre but naturally slightly tilted and on a decorated traditional exclusively Omani or UAE belt. Silver content; high. Blade; steel. See my thread The Omani Khanjar for details

The Jambiyya(Janbiyya) upon which I know little; is a word used in Yemen, Saudia and other countries and could be an Arabic word or Hemyaritic or Swahili and ancient. No one, as yet, is sure. Whereas probably everyone in Oman and Yemen knows both terms, they each use the in country word to describe what are quite different but obscurely also similar weapons. After all they are both similar curved daggers and both sit in fairly monumental scabbards at the front of the body..on a traditional belt.

What has to be realised is that these two nations have been virtually almost shut off from the world and each other until relatively recently. Thus they achieved techno-lock especially with weapons, jewellery, architecture, dress, dialect and a host of other cultural and traditional areas.

As I have indicated research is ongoing on this difficult "shrouded in time" subject of word useage Khanjar and Jambiyya but it will take time and actually it may never be solved. Please be patient and try not to implode !

Simply put... Oman has the Khanjar as Yemen has the Jambiyya.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[chregu]

hello together
ibrahim Thanks for your detailed explanation!
now I understand. I was just confused. I've always thought that I speak what I am desolate, I read a lot and I own many books, but I never stop learning! and that's good!
It never pays to argue such a thing!
Thank you again.
and yet to Dom, I do not speak French well!
i redä schwizerdütsch, leider gets höchschtwarschiendlech e kes öbersezigsprogramm dezue! aber macht nüt.
so and now I want to hear from you that I have a great collection!! laughing


I wish you a pleasant evening

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by chregu

hello together
ibrahim Thanks for your detailed explanation!
now I understand. I was just confused. I've always thought that I speak what I am desolate, I read a lot and I own many books, but I never stop learning! and that's good!
It never pays to argue such a thing!
Thank you again.
and yet to Dom, I do not speak French well!
i redä schwizerdütsch, leider gets höchschtwarschiendlech e kes öbersezigsprogramm dezue! aber macht nüt.
so and now I want to hear from you that I have a great collection!! laughing


I wish you a pleasant evening

Salaams chregu . Indeed that is a great collection and I note the Omani Khanjar #7 bottom left. Baatina Coast Oman. Whereas the dagger to its right is Habbaabi Saudia. Shukran..
Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi.