Ethiopian alternative straight swords

[stephen wood]

...the straight-bladed kaskara-like swords were associated with the Coptic priesthood which was administered from Alexandria until 1959.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by stephen wood

...the straight-bladed kaskara-like swords were associated with the Coptic priesthood which was administered from Alexandria until 1959.

Interesting, I assume you are referring to the type show in the second image at the start of this thread. A reference would be good on this apparently known association...

[Iain]

Hi Stephen, I just wanted to bump this up again in case we could get more info on the connection with the coptic priesthood you mentioned?

[Jim McDougall]

Now thats patience Iain!!!! 7 months
Im glad you brought this up again though, it would indeed be interesting to discover how these 'straight' kaskara like swords are used in the Coptic Church in thier ceremonial perspective. I am curious if there are curved types as well and if also included in such context.

[Iain]

Hehe Jim, I'm in it for the long haul I guess and still intrigued by Coptic connection. I've done a little searching through some period sources but didn't turn up anything yet.

Hopefully Stephen still stops by often enough to see this.

[Jim McDougall]

I'm with you Iain, and hope he sees this thread, possibly this information was in his presentation on the kaskara some years ago to the Arms and Armour Society in London.
I cannot fathom the connection of these notably Islamic swords with the Coptic Priesthood in Egypt, but have some information and thoughts on the unique style of these dual pommel kaskaras in the meantime.

In an exhibition titled "Sudan in the Age of the Mahdi" by Tim Kendall some years ago, he cited that kaskara with twin flattened hollow spheres filled with small beans or pebbles were common with the mounted nobility in Darfur during Mahdist times. Apparantly they would charge full gallop at captuted troops and stop short, waving thier swords with loud rattling over thier heads to frighten them.
This is sourced :
"Mahdism and the Egyptian Sudan" F.R. Wingate London, 1891, p.137
"Ten Years in the Mahdis Camp 1882-1892", same author , 1892 , on Father Ohrwalders ordeal, p.92

One of the swords in the exhibition was of this type. While the example shown here in the original post has the familiar discoid pommel with secondary disc of lesser propertion, the dual concept seems to reflect in it.

As far as the Ethiopian attribution, there was a form of kaskara type sword produced apparantly for Abyssinia or Red Sea trade which had fullered broadsword blades often with Amharic inscriptions and Lion of Judah made usually by Wilkinson. These seem to have been hilted in Yemen with a different crossguard shape and domed pommel which seems to have been repousse silverwork. Perhaps the hollowed pommel on these may have been source for the Ethiopian association. By the same token, though not directly associated there do seem to have been certain connections between the varying Christian Orthodox Copts and those in Ethiopia. Perhaps these elements may account for the associations...hopefully more definitive answer will ensue.

All the best,
Jim

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by stephen wood

...the straight-bladed kaskara-like swords were associated with the Coptic priesthood which was administered from Alexandria until 1959.

Salaams stephen wood ~ This is interesting if it is in fact the case ~ Perhaps you can elaborate ?

I was looking at the subject and discovered that The Church is ecumenical in outlook, and was a founder member of the World Council of Churches in 1948. The word 'Copt' comes from the Greek word 'Aigyptos', meaning Egyptian.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Kubur]

Hi Iain,

I have to resuscitate this old thread.
I asked recently some informations about a tabouka and a blade.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21988
Because I had something in mind.
I think your first sword is Ethiopian and the museum was right (this time).
I will post some documents tomorrow to prove it.
When I say Ethiopian I mean found in Ethiopia and used by Ethiopians,
The sword was probably captured from a battle between Sudanese and Ethiopians and refitted with a new pommel later by Ethiopians.

Best,
Kubur

[Kubur]

In fact your sword is not from the MET.
The kaskara from the MET is here.
Your drawing comes from an old French traveller book, the author drawns and collected objects from Ethiopia, objects used by Ethiopians.
Theophile Lefebvre, Voyage en Abyssinie, 1845.
Best,
Kubur

[Jim McDougall]

Kubur,
Thank you so much for that reference!
These swords have been a puzzle for some time and its great to have this additional support. Much appreciated.

Jim

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Kubur,
Thank you so much for that reference!
These swords have been a puzzle for some time and its great to have this additional support. Much appreciated.

Jim

Thank you Jim
Regard to the introduction of these swords to Ethiopia.
It's true that the Coptic Church headquarter based in Alexandria was sending missionaries since the Byzantine period. These relations became stronger around 1000 AD and they might introduced some Islamic swords to Ethiopia during this period. Later with the conquest of Dongola in Nubia, the Mamluks introduced or re-introduced these swords in sub-Saharan Africa...

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Thank you Jim
Regard to the introduction of these swords to Ethiopia.
It's true that the Coptic Church headquarter based in Alexandria was sending missionaries since the Byzantine period. These relations became stronger around 1000 AD and they might introduced some Islamic swords to Ethiopia during this period. Later with the conquest of Dongola in Nubia, the Mamluks introduced or re-introduced these swords in sub-Saharan Africa...

I think Mameluke contact is the far more likely source. The Mamelukes used Makuria as a buffer state and were trading in arms and armor with Bornu already.

Regarding the swords in this thread with the curious pommels, I've seen depictions of kaskara in Ethiopian art and iconography but don't recall such a pommel design specifically. Still the theory you outlined is certainly not impossible.