THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOROCCAN AND A ZANZIBARI NIMCHA.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

I MAY BE REACHING A BIT FAR HERE BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THE LONG CURVED SWORDS EVOLVED IN COUNTRIES AND SOCIETY'S WHERE HORSES WERE USED FOR WAR. TO SHOW YOU WERE A SUCCESSFUL , POWERFUL MAN YOU NEEDED MANY THINGS. SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WERE A GOOD WAR HORSE, GOOD WEAPONS, GOOD CLOTHES AND PERHAPS ARMOR AND OF COURSE A WELL FITTED OUT GUARD OR ARMY. MUCH ATTENTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAID TO ESTABLISHING THIS IMAGE AND IT IS NECESSARY FOR A LEADER TO HAVE THESE THINGS TO LEAD MAKE ALLIES AND INTIMIDATE ENEMY'S. THIS HAS LED TO THE BREEDING OF THE ARABIAN HORSES, BEAUTIFUL WORKMANSHIP ON SADDLES, WEAPONS, CLOTHES AND ART. FIGHTING FROM HORSEBACK MADE A LONGER SWORD WITH A CURVE PRACTICAL AS THE CURVE ALLOWED A DRAW CUT FROM ABOVE ON HORSE BACK RATHER THAN A CHOP OR THRUST. THE CURVED BLADE BOTH INSIDE CURVE AS IN THE KOPESH AND OUTSIDE IN SAIF, IS FOUND ON MANY OTHER SWORDS HAVING NO CONNECTION TO HORSEMEN. BUT I WONDER WHERE AND WHY THE OUTSIDE CURVE EVOLVED ORIGINALLY AS IT IS IDEAL FOR SLICING DOWNWARD AT SPEED AS ON HORSEBACK.

Certainly this is true of Morocco regarding horses ...and there's a great addition to the subject in Saddles and Horses in the region. I did a thread on Camels previously and noted how much the Horse held sway as an important combat vehicle up til even recently... and extensively in WW1 and before.