Greek Daggers for ID + Translation pls.

[Atlantia]

Can anyone shed any light on these Ka'mas please?
Notice that one is left and one is right handed?
My Greek is nil, so if anyone could help with a translation please?

Thanks
Gene

[pakana]

So, in the first picture the first knife writes:

Mitilini, May of 1916 (Mitilini is a Greek island in the northwest of Greece)

The second knife writes:

Kydonia, March of 1916 (Kydonia is the old name of the town of Chania in the island of Crete in the south of Greece). Unless it is another Kydonia in another part of Greece

Now, in the second picture the writings are in poet form which is not traslated so good in English, but I'll try my best.

First knife: My poor chest has become a library, and inside it has been printed lots of grief and sorrow

second knife: I was born in pain, I will die in suffering, and suffering will be writen on my tombstone

Hope that helps


George

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by pakana

So, in the first picture the first knife writes:

Mitilini, May of 1916 (Mitilini is a Greek island in the northwest of Greece)

The second knife writes:

Kydonia, March of 1916 (Kydonia is the old name of the town of Chania in the island of Crete in the south of Greece). Unless it is another Kydonia in another part of Greece

Now, in the second picture the writings are in poet form which is not traslated so good in English, but I'll try my best.

First knife: My poor chest has become a library, and inside it has been printed lots of grief and sorrow

second knife: I was born in pain, I will die in suffering, and suffering will be writen on my tombstone

Hope that helps


George

Hi George,

Thats amazing thank you.
Why are the inscriptions so dark? I'm really suprised!
Thank you so much for your help.
Best Regards
Gene

[pakana]

Hi Gene,

You are most welcome.

BTW very good knifes you got there. Beautiful stuff!!!

Regards

George

[pakana]

So, after a quick search on the net, I found out that Kydonia is also a village in Mytilini. So, both knifes belonged probably to the same man, given the fact that they are identical, with the same hand writing on both.

Maybe the bearer was very good at knifefighting, holding a knife in each hand??

Regards

George

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by pakana

So, after a quick search on the net, I found out that Kydonia is also a village in Mytilini. So, both knifes belonged probably to the same man, given the fact that they are identical, with the same hand writing on both.

Maybe the bearer was very good at knifefighting, holding a knife in each hand??

Regards

George

Ahh, I see.
Is there significance to the two greek flags beside the shield and crown do you know?

Best
Gene

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by pakana

Hi Gene,

You are most welcome.

BTW very good knifes you got there. Beautiful stuff!!!

Regards

George

Hi George,

I'm really pleased with them. Even more pleased now that I can understand their 'message'.

I have to echo Ariels question, were such 'fatalistic' inscriptions usual?
I've never seen ones quite like this before.

Best
Gene

[ariel]

Interesting... Based on the form of handles and the crude manner of decorations, I would have thought of Syria, or shibria-type .
But the inscriptions..... Was it in vogue to sound so bathetic? I guess Prozac was not yet invented, otherwise the general outlook of the owners would have been more cheerful.

[pakana]

Originally Posted by ariel

Interesting... Based on the form of handles and the crude manner of decorations, I would have thought of Syria, or shibria-type .
But the inscriptions..... Was it in vogue to sound so bathetic? I guess Prozac was not yet invented, otherwise the general outlook of the owners would have been more cheerful.

Hey Ariel, you forget that Greece gave birth to drama? It's in the nature of Greek to be, sometimes, a little more dramatic


George

[pakana]

Usually, this kind of poetry written on knifes is seen on Cretan knifes, and it resembles to Cretan "mantinada", which is poetry in two lines, usually with a variety of themes, most of them with a dramatic tone.

George