Afar gile
 

Greeting

Bought my first gile, a bit more bling than usual, metal is silver i think.
Blade thinner than expected, 2,7 mm, some decorations in the fullers.
I saw similar ones on the forum, but had better blades.
Comments are very welcome.

Regards
Marc

Interesting. What are your thoughts? What brought you to get one of these distinct swords? Have you begun any research that might specify what is unique about this one?

Hi Jim

I have a lot of Ethiopian objects in my collection, a gile or bilao is on my wish list. Found this one for a small price, since it was different than usually, i searched on the forum and found other examples concidered a higher status gile. Don't know of its old but it's well made. Blade is hard to draw from the scabbard. The blade is thin but stiff. Very satisfied with it.

Regards
Marc

This is a most attractive example, and I think while it is of course distinctly a form specific to people of the people of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia it always seems to me more associated with the Afar.

With ethnographic weapons it is not necessarily age, but trying to associate with the people who used them, and often examples are commemorative or representing long standing traditions.

As typically these kinds of weapons are important tribal status symbols, and sometimes represent office or standing, often decoration and motif might offer clues. The star and moon on the chape fixture of the scabbard are interesting, and the fixture at the end I think is the 'thum' as seen on Arab janbiyya and khanjhars.

The Afar follow Sunni Islam, and there is a degree of Sufi Following so sometimes these elements in motif might have symbolic associations.

I add the map for the benefit of readers interested in locations where these might be found.

More pictures

Hi Jim

I have a book about Ethiopian objects where the gile is mentioned.
The knife's name is called gile hite and the scabbard kormali, also the scabbard end was passed on from father to son and was different in design from family to family.

regards
Marc

Thats excellent Marc, it seems of course the weapon form and its decoration are established, so finding some references on the tribal particulars of the Afar and the contiguous tribes will likely say more on traditions and protocols.
The notes on the designs on the scabbard chape are consistent with these traditions in many tribal groups.
I'm sure you have "African Arms & Armor" by Christopher Spring. In it he has great observations, notes and bibliography.