Hindu Armour and the Katar?

B.I · 30th April 2006, 11:03 PM

hi jens,
there is a fantastic stone sculpture of durga in its classic pose of slaying the buffulo demon in the british museum. it is dated to the 13thC and hails from orissa. durga holds an array of weapons (many hands did these old hindu dieties have) including a strange spike attached to a rectangular shield. the shield is held by a clear fist, and the spike (definately not a blade) projects down quite far, and into the demons chest.
this statue has not been published (as far as i know) and i have always thought this 'weapon' to be a possible forerunner of the pata. i wonder if instead, it can be classed as a fist dagger, although the fact that it is attached to a shield is a major factor (not mentioned by oppert in his classification of a maustika).
another unknown hindu weapon then?
hi jim,
robert does mention the maustika in his glossary, but only a very brief description, in which he cites his reference as burton.

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30th April 2006, 11:03 PM	#10
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	hi jens, there is a fantastic stone sculpture of durga in its classic pose of slaying the buffulo demon in the british museum. it is dated to the 13thC and hails from orissa. durga holds an array of weapons (many hands did these old hindu dieties have) including a strange spike attached to a rectangular shield. the shield is held by a clear fist, and the spike (definately not a blade) projects down quite far, and into the demons chest. this statue has not been published (as far as i know) and i have always thought this 'weapon' to be a possible forerunner of the pata. i wonder if instead, it can be classed as a fist dagger, although the fact that it is attached to a shield is a major factor (not mentioned by oppert in his classification of a maustika). another unknown hindu weapon then? hi jim, robert does mention the maustika in his glossary, but only a very brief description, in which he cites his reference as burton.