Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

...The point about Japanese influence is one I have thought of only on passing..It's perhaps a bit of a stretch... The Portuguese part of the design may have introduced the basic hilt shape and cutlass fashion popular in Portuguese/Spanish Jinetta forms whilst the main theme came from the Sri Lankan design taken from Buddhist structures in history encompassing Makara, supporting Deities and Buddhist ritual-item related Quillons (as at #115). ...

Talking of (quoting you) a bit of stretch; i would consider such fusion thesis also a long shot. Would rather bet in one "one or another" influence.
And by the way, i wouldn’t include the jineta in this championship. This wouldn’t be the origin for the (false) quillons on the Kastane. Such sword already had its characteristic form when the Nasrid brought it to Al Andaluz by the XIII century; their fallen “arriaces” were born like that and would be nothing but a decor, or in the least with no practical use . Neither could we call it Portuguese or Spanish, although it became later christianized, with its production ceasing in Toledo by the XV century. Whether its consequent variants were the reason for the appearing of the actual (finger) defense quillons is another issue; but the sword that was brought by (Portuguese) navigators to Ceylon had actual functional ample curved quillons, those to protect fingers holding the ricasso which, according to some opinion sources, were ‘shrunk’ by Cingalese smiths in their sword (Kastane) models, as not intended for their fencing (handling) techniques.
But don't take my perspective in such worthwhile position; i am just trying to help maintaining the (hypo)thesis contradictory .


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