Kaskara for Comment.

Edster · 4th November 2010, 04:17 PM

Hi Iain,

Islam didn't get a good foothold in Sudan until the 14-15 Century. Also, Popular Islam as practiced by most folks in the countryside retained a lot of pre-Islamic elements and also tended toward Sufi mysticism. People did a lot of symbolic things to gain "baraka" or Allah's blessing including Koranic inscriptions and amulets to protect from this and that. Anything to reduce risk and increase self confidence in a highly uncertain environment, especially in war or just being out and about in a socially unpredictible environment. Also, if it were publically known that you had a sword with a silver wrapped handle your religo-magic protection would be greater than a potential attacker with just a leather wrapped one.

When I was there I carried an amulet or two myself and have always given money to begger women just to increase my chances of avoiding misfortune. In Islam to give money to the poor increases baraka or blessing.

Religo-magic isn't only popular in rural Islam. I have a replica of a cast bronze 700 B. C. Late Bronze - Early Iron Age axe head from the South Russia Steppes. It has two 1/8 inch iron rod serpentine inlayes on each face in form of snakes. Snake Cults were popular in the area at the time and in the period iron was more valuable than gold. Also, on the axe head are eight crudely engraved small fish. Fish represent the Underworld in the cosmology of the time and place.

There seems to me to be a parallel between the use of rare metals and religious inscriptions to protect one in battle. It may be rewarding to examine other weapons from other places/times to find and identify what talismen may be incorporated into the design. Items of material culture usually reflect some component of social culture as well.

Best regards,
Ed

4th November 2010, 04:17 PM	#40
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 415	Hi Iain, Islam didn't get a good foothold in Sudan until the 14-15 Century. Also, Popular Islam as practiced by most folks in the countryside retained a lot of pre-Islamic elements and also tended toward Sufi mysticism. People did a lot of symbolic things to gain "baraka" or Allah's blessing including Koranic inscriptions and amulets to protect from this and that. Anything to reduce risk and increase self confidence in a highly uncertain environment, especially in war or just being out and about in a socially unpredictible environment. Also, if it were publically known that you had a sword with a silver wrapped handle your religo-magic protection would be greater than a potential attacker with just a leather wrapped one. When I was there I carried an amulet or two myself and have always given money to begger women just to increase my chances of avoiding misfortune. In Islam to give money to the poor increases baraka or blessing. Religo-magic isn't only popular in rural Islam. I have a replica of a cast bronze 700 B. C. Late Bronze - Early Iron Age axe head from the South Russia Steppes. It has two 1/8 inch iron rod serpentine inlayes on each face in form of snakes. Snake Cults were popular in the area at the time and in the period iron was more valuable than gold. Also, on the axe head are eight crudely engraved small fish. Fish represent the Underworld in the cosmology of the time and place. There seems to me to be a parallel between the use of rare metals and religious inscriptions to protect one in battle. It may be rewarding to examine other weapons from other places/times to find and identify what talismen may be incorporated into the design. Items of material culture usually reflect some component of social culture as well. Best regards, Ed