My First Yataghan - Translation request
 

Hello All,

I splurged a bit bought myself an early birthday present.
I think this can be called a Balkan belosapce handjar (or yataghan/yatagan/handyar/handschar, etc.). It's outside my normal area of collecting, but I've wanted one for decades, and I found one I could in my price range, so I pulled the trigger.

I think this is might be from the mid-19th century, but that's a bit of a guess based on the carved decoration looking similar to these three in the Croatian History Museum catalogue:
http://jatagani.hismus.hr/webe/hld/Listici/b000101h.htm
http://jatagani.hismus.hr/webe/hld/Listici/b000209h.htm
http://jatagani.hismus.hr/webe/hld/Listici/b000116h.htm

I'd love to see a translation of the inscription and hear anything and everything people have to say on this.

Have fun,
Leif

It looks like a nice yatagan, balkan maybe. I really like the big ears in walrus bone, often I see them chipped but this one looks to be in very nice condition.

Very nice yataghan, agreed, and Western Balkan from the 19th century for sure.

About the inscription. I may be wrong, but its possible the text is just gibberish.
I dont read arabic but the text in the circles dont look like it to me. If the maker was illiterate they may just have written something that to them look like an arabic text. I have had some balkan pistols with this kind of gibberish text one them.

Nice yatagan!Presumably made in Bosnia.
Belosapce handjar is a translation of Serbo-Croatian and is not called that way anywhere in the world.(the literal translation is a dagger with a white handle):)
Are you able to measure the length?

Hej Drabant,

These ridiculously large ears are one of the main things that I love about it.

I thought that might be the case, but I figure it was worth asking.

Ha det bra,
Leif

A yes, I pulled this term from another member's write up on the collection in the Croatian History Museum. That is the danger of playing the name game, you may simply be saying "knife" in another language ;-)


Overall the yataghan in 27" (~69cm) in total. I suspect the tip was broken off, as most are at least 3" longer. Also the tip profile seems a bit blunted.

Here's a pic, it also shows that the blade has a bend in it, and the edge is a bit crinkled.

Thanks,
Leif

for those who can read Arabic, during the Ottoman Empire the scripture was Arabic ....obviously, but as for the Balkans (specially the former Yu(goslavia; Bosnia, Serbia, Herzegovina, Montenegro and partially Makedonia) again the Slavic language had its own way on the writting as the enclosed shows. Still due to illiteracy but also trying to "fancy up"a weapon, some indeed used their fantasy and just did write something or nonsensicle

small addition: in the former Yu(goslavia) you had several names for cold weapons:

cakija - knife ( sometimes also called noz)
kama - dagger
handschar or like you wrote hanjar - small sword but also used for a yataghan.
to add to the confussion: a yataghan they also later called jatagan

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...&postcount=301

see post # 62 and next
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...har#post270932

also post # 24 & 25

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=kama