African curved sword for discussion/comment ?

[Iain]

Hi Darren,

Others can doubtless add more, but for a start I can at least ID what you've got. A rather nice Ethiopian shotel.

[Martin Lubojacky]

There is nothing more to add. Classical, nice shotel.
Martin

[Iain]

I would add I have always found these swords particularly interesting of the weaponry from Ethiopia as they feature native made blades and are a very old design.

I find this a nice contrast to the gurade and saif which usually feature imported blades.

[Taffjones]

Thanks for the help so far, It would be interesting to know whether there was any migration of this type of weapon to any of the Arabian countries across the red sea. As quite a lot of the images showing up on this site and others seem to have Arab type filigree work and other types of embelishments.

Thanks
Darren

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Darren,
Which type of embellishments and filigree work are you referring to? I know there is a great deal of silvered openwork on Abyssinian shields, but have not seen same on these shotels.
The shotel you have shown seems to be one from latter 19th century most likely, and these deeply parabolic sickle type swords were traditionally favored by many of the Abyssinian tribes. Apparantly they continued to be used though the Italian occupation (ending with Battle of Adwa 1898) and as late as 1936-41 with the Italian-Abyssian war.

During the early 20th century these type blades were often produced by both Germany and Wilkinson of England in this traditional form, many of these supplied to forces of Haile Selassie I. More familiar in these times were the gurade, a stirrup hilted military type sabre, and shotels with military type sabre blades but the same rhino horn hilt. As far as I have known there was no diffusion of these Abyssinian swords into other regions, though reasonable similarities are seen in hilts of certain other African edged weapons and sickle type blades on Ngombe sabres (much heavier and shallower).
It does appear numbers of shotels were entered into Red Sea trade and into Arabia, as I understand primarily to obtain the rhino horn hilts, extremely desired in Arabia for thier janbiyya/ khanjhar daggers. Some of the more straight and shallow curved blades of these swords appear to have been rehilted in San'aa in the Yemen in some degree, but none were of the parabolic blade shotel form.

There is a great deal of debate on the use of these sickle blades, which were looked upon disdainfully by Sir Richard Burton as being entirely useless, but many sources insist these were used gainfully in combat by reaching cuts around the opponents shield. These double edged 'sickles' are believed to have the focus of thier cut to the point, with the impetus of thier slashing cut in the momentum of the dramatically curved blade.

Most attractive swords, and seem to be getting somewhat harder to find. Thier long use by Ethiopian warriors, even contemporary to the other forms described, suggest they were indeed deadly in the hands of these warriors.

All best regards,
Jim

[Taffjones]

Hi Jim,
I notice that the pommel caps of particularly the rhino hilted shotels have the Arab type filigree work which I know is also found on weapons of the Beja Hadendoa and the Jile type daggers and swords from surrounding countries.
Thanks
Darren

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Taffjones

Hi Jim,
I notice that the pommel caps of particularly the rhino hilted shotels have the Arab type filigree work which I know is also found on weapons of the Beja Hadendoa and the Jile type daggers and swords from surrounding countries.
Thanks
Darren

I wouldn't classify this as an Arab style particularly. As Jim said, there is a long history of detailed metal work in Ethiopia including jewelry and church items like elaborate crosses. Here's a particularly fancy shotel and scabbard: http://oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=4693