Guduf sword

[Iain]

I was fortunate enough to not only acquire this piece but also receive a positive ID from a fellow collector with the ID being based on the work of Wente-Lukas.

This is a Guduf sword, a people living the in Mandara mountains region on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Numbering about only 30,000 they are a small group, as are many in this region.

These have often been refered to as Kirdi - but that is a general label for pagan/animist peoples of the Mandara region and not a precise ethnic term.

Interestingly the Guduf believe that the takouba of the Fulbe/Fulani was based on their sword design. While likely not entirely true, this may reflect the probable origin of the takouba in older pagan sword designs, many of which were preserved in the Mandara region due to the isolation of the peoples who largely fled there to escape the Islamic kingdoms of the Sahel.

I do not have the sword in hand yet and will not until August due travelling on another continent, but the seller pictures were good enough to share I think.

The blade should be iron and relatively heavy, flatter on one side with the incised decoration being reserved for the presentation face of the blade (a fairly common occurance in African weapons). The hilt is cow horn.

[Tim Simmons]

Not as fancy fullering but the same thing.

[Iain]

Hi Tim, I thought you might find this interesting. If I recall you at least have a scabbard which I sadly did not get. I don't recall the Guduf aspect being mentioned on the forum before (and I believe only yours and one from Lew were ever posted), so I thought that might be of interest. I'm beginning to really like all things from the Mandara region.

[katana]

Hi Iain,
Mandara was in fact a 'centre' of weapon/tool manufacture and attrached many diverse tribes....this I believe created a 'centre of cross pollination of weapon forms'
Here is a copied posting from another topic that I posted before.......

"Reading some more about the Mandara Hills I have found that many tribes relocated there due to the iron ore deposits. Either as smelters or smiths, almost a 'Solingen of Africa', although weapons were not their 'exclusive' wares.

Because of the numbers of differing tribes that inhabited the Mandara Hills, that smelted the iron and 'worked' the metal. Fortifications were built as the population increased. The smelting technology used was more advanced than many other areas of Africa. I get the impression that the smelted iron was of good quality and 'in demand' from neighbouring tribes whom would either trade for it ......or 'raid' for it. Also, as mentioned before, Mandara was often 'plundered' for slaves.

A 'slideshow' of some excavated fortifications, use the 'top' arrow to see the next pic.....and so on.


http://www.mandaras.info/StrongholdsNCameroon/fv1.htm

As a footnote ... AFAIK weapon forms in Africa have been said to have 'spread' via trade routes and conflict. It is quite likely that in an area such as Mandara the 'intermingling' of tribal smiths also created an 'intermingling' of ideas and weapon forms, as well......"

Kind Regards David

[Iain]

Hi David,

Thanks for the detailed reply. If you don't mind I'll make a few counter points.

I wouldn't personally term it an African Soligen persay, although iron certainly had something to do with the settlement of the area. But just for contrast most Hausa centers on the Nigerian plain were also built around iron ore deposits and had far better agricultural conditions. I'd probably frame the importance of the region a little differently.

I think the main factors behind Mandara ethnic diversity are brought about by the historic relationship between the Muslim emirates and the pagan peoples. Many groups moved into the hills to escape religious pressure and slaving, many were small groups that lacked the military ability to contest the rising power of the Bornu or Hausa emirates (later of course the Fulani as well). Slaving was one of the main commercial ventures of the Islamic rulers (for a sample of this the translated diary of HAMMAN YAJI, D.H. MADAGALI is particularly interesting). The area was marked as a naturally defensible position for groups forced to migrate and move from the easier to cultivate areas in the Sahel and around Lake Chad. The episode when Denham accompanied a slaving trip out of Bornu into the Mandara highlands also gives a good feel for the relationship between the emirates and the Mandara peoples. This constant threat then was I think a more likely reason for the diversity and high population density in the region than the iron smelting and smithing industry.

With that said, the level of ironworking is obviously high in the region and there are unique smelting techniques in place, but I seem to have misplaced a link that showed one. I will try to dig it out.

Thanks for the link, I'm pretty familiar with the author of the Mandara website and recall having leafed through this presentation before. Recently I've been lucky enough to open communications with a few Nigerian academics in the north who I am hoping will also open up contacts inside north Cameroon. There may or may not be some at least graduation level work based on the history of the region which has yet to be widely published.

I certainly agree about cross pollination of forms and in such a small space one would assume a lot of cross influence. However from the one scanned page I have of Wente-Lukas (sadly my German isn't up to digesting the entire book and I haven't found a reasonably priced copy either) showing different forms, different groups seem to have kept rather distinct designs. Certain groups did however adopt the takouba form, although shorter blades seem to have been in vogue (among the Lamang and Bana for example). This should date partially to the Fulani Jihad that attempted to conquer the Mandara region with only partial success.

Although you've probably seen it there's a decent overview of the Guduf here: http://www.mandaras.info/Guduf.html

While a different ethnic group and topic entirely, PBS did have a NOVA program on the Mafa and the use of fire ants which gives some nice views into at least one Mandara culture: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ants/ With a little searching I think you can find the parts on youtube.

Cheers,

Iain

[Iain]

This came while I was away on a trip, but I got around to snapping a few pictures of my own today.

It has a neat feel in the hand, almost rapier like, very agile, also very sharp! I'm quite impressed by the forging skills on display. A pity I don't have the scabbard, that and a Guduf shield and I'd be a very happy man.

The cow horn actually makes a really attractive guard and hilt with good balance and to be honest I think it's no more likely to come apart than many takouba hilts I've seen.

[Tim Simmons]

I think your blade is far more attractive than the one I have. My blade alone is just under 18 inches long. That appears to be a couple of inches short of yours. Interesting that in a similar fashion to your example, my blade has only the most subtle lightly forged midrib on one side however the other is not flat like yours but slightly rounded. The tip to my example is not a point but rounded, like many tabouka? The forged edge on opposite sides is interesting reminding me of work far from the region. Only this top section of the blade has the cutting edges


I forgot to add that I will be spending a few days is in Prauge this November. Are there enthno collections to see other than this link?
http://www.nm.cz/sluzby-detail.php?f_id=32

[Iain]

Hi Tim,

I guess yours is probably a little later. The blade material also seems a little different? Is it steel or iron? The edge on my is very well forged, I've often wondered if in these smaller village oriented societies you see less harshly ground and sharpened edges because the chap that made it was around to fix it when you needed it. The presentation side and flat side on mine seems to echo a lot of work from these regions, including takouba where the guards almost invariably have a presentation face.

In terms of the tip, I think yours follows mine fairly closely - I don't have an acute tip, but a rounded tip as well. Although it's certainly a bit more pointy looking. But nothing like a Tebu sword for example.

I'll PM you about Prague. :-)

[Tim Simmons]

Is it steel or iron? thats a hard one. Well it is steel and well tempered allowing the blade to flex. The edges "top half" have been worked to a higher carbon content and display a brittleness as can be seen by the chips. I am not an expert but I suspect under the simple appearance there is considerable skill.

[Iain]

Right, I was asking because mine is fairly inflexible and I think has a relatively low carbon content - I'm not going to push it to find out! I've had a few other iron blades form the area as well.

I've looked on mine for any signs of differential edge hardening, but can't see any, perhaps the blades are work hardened on the edge.

Agree completely on the considerable skill involved.

[Tim Simmons]

Found this site. Great pictures, reminds me of Great Zimbabwe without the 19th early 20th century eththnographic ego colonial muddle? Click on the green arrows to navigate.

http://www.mandaras.info/StrongholdsNCameroon/fv40.htm

[Luc LEFEBVRE]

I had this one in my collection a few time ago.

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Tim,
There is big and interesting collection of African weapons in "Náprstkovo muzeum" in Prague, nevertheless and unforunately - this collection is in deposits. But you can see, I think, Pacific collection and others there now. There is also a very small museum (I have not visited it yet) in Holice village, birthplace of Emil Holub (but majority of his collections is in museum in Vienna - as well as of other Austro-Hungarian travellers of Czech origin). I am not 100 % sure, but I think National Museum is closed because of reconstruction, now. Maybe you could visit "Pelého villa", but they only have masks and statues. I would visit also "Vojenské muzeum" (Army Museum). Nearly each castle or chateau has its collection of weapons, but mostly Austro Hungarian (but I saw also some Ethiopian ant others). And do not forget a few pubs in Prague (I would suggest "U zubatýho psa").

Hi Iain,
I do not want to discuss with old authorities, but, just for piquancy or for fun: You can find this kind of sword more easily on Cameroonian side (than in Nigeria), especially in Maroua market. I discussed it with one fellow - "antique dealer" from Borno State selling in Abuja market. He was of the opinion (I just repeat what he said) that it is possible to find this sword in Guoza Local Government Area where Guduf allegedly lives (I did not verify it on internet), nevertheles he was of the opinion this was mostly Matakam sword.
Regards,
Martin

[Iain]

thanks for posting your example Luc, seems like a much better decorated example, I don't imagine the iron spike would have a practical function?

Martin,

Thanks for the good info on museums, few things I didn't know, I was in Prague a few weeks ago and the main building of the national museum was still closed.

About the sword, interesting that the antique seller thought it was more Matakam (Mafa). I guess there is a lot of cross over influence between groups in these small areas. The attribution from Wente-Lukas sounds like it was correct, but perhaps too limited and the type sees wider use in Mandara. I agree about not seeing this on the Nigeria side very much, I don't think the Guduf or the Matakam have much range on the Nigeria side of the border.

Cheers,

Iain