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9th December 2009, 01:37 PM
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#1 |
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Islamic axe head - Arabic translation request
Hi
I have finished cleaning this Sudanese (Mahdist period) axe head. Would someone be able to translate the Arabic inscriptions for me ? Many thanks & regards. Colin |
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9th December 2009, 07:38 PM
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#2 |
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Location: What is still UK
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That looks nice, any dimensions? What looks like a continuous squiggle is in fact
"The conqueror, salvation unto him" some renditions of this are far more clear to recognise. I cannot read it but have learnt the shape form. I have no idea about the rest. This is the squiggle in a more formal form. It is far from standard/pure Arabic. More and more these days I do wonder that much stuff apart from the ubiquitous kaskara may well be more related to earlier Jihad into west Africa? Last edited by Tim Simmons; 9th December 2009 at 07:50 PM. |
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11th December 2009, 08:05 PM
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#3 |
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My arabic is very limited but I think this one is purely decorative script.
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13th December 2009, 01:28 PM
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#4 |
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Thanks to Tim & Michael for your input. Length of the axe head is 39cm.
Anyone else who knows Arabic and can help ? Regards Colin |
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13th December 2009, 02:24 PM
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#5 | |
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Quote:
even if you know Arabic, it's sometimes difficult to translate  here what ever we read ... not too much  but better than nothing  à + Dom |
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13th December 2009, 02:38 PM
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#6 |
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Many thanks Dom, much appreciated.
Regards Colin |
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15th December 2009, 06:54 PM
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#7 |
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Dom.
I wonder if you would be so kind as to look at the script on this axe. I realise it may be far from standard and I do not know if I show it with the correct orientation. Sorry for adding to this thread so late, I hope it comes to your attention. |
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20th December 2009, 01:18 AM
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#8 |
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Hi Tim
no bad will from us ... no news, because for time being we didn't found how to translate  à + Dom |
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20th December 2009, 05:30 PM
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#9 |
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Dom, thank you for your reply. I now know you have seen it and are working on a possible translation. I think it is not easy but I really do hope you can find something.
To illustrate the difficulty and put a cultural context into this thread I post some text, first more about my earlier reply from "Nigerian Panoply arms and armour of the Northern Region- A.D.H. Bivar- published by Dept of Antiqities Federal Republic of Nigeria 1964" {where other interpretations are admissible, I imagine is the same sentiment} showing script as a cypher. Secondly text from "A Thousand Years Of West African History, a handbook for teachers and students, Ibadan University Press" this helps show how Arabic forms may have been altered to the point that may now not be understood. I am going to suggest that many pieces viewed as "Sudan" is in the Mahdist Jihad may well not be. They could be from earlier Jihads- Usuman dan Fodio, Seku Ahmadu, and Al-Hajj 'Umar, all in what today is West Africa. A big question is, can artefacts/weapons from these Jihads be identified as different to Mahdist material? The earlier Jihads might pre-date the armoury at Omdurman and the supply of the European, notably German kaskara blades. Or is the kaskara an older weapon that has a west African origin? Last edited by Tim Simmons; 20th December 2009 at 06:10 PM. |
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