A question about katars

Peter Dekker · 24th October 2018, 11:11 AM

As for the use of double katar, there are statues in south India that do depict warriors with a longer, Vijayanagara type hooded katar, one in each hand! But these do offer a lot more protection than the simplified katar that got common later.

I personally think that the later katar developed the way it did for ease of carrying as an everyday item and backup weapon that one didn't expect to use a lot, whereas the Vijayanagara hooded katar (and pata) seemed to have been primary weapons.

Jens Nordlunde · 25th October 2018, 03:57 PM

You are right Peter, and Robert shows it in Hindu Arms and Ritual p. 148 ill. 15.6. However in this case the katars are used against an animal.
This does, of course, not mean that two katars could not have been used in combat, if the enemy was close enough, and when he was, one/two katars would have been better than a sword.

Jim McDougall · 25th October 2018, 08:01 PM

Jens and Peter, very well observed on the Vijayanagara hooded katars and I honestly had not thought of their size and structure which does seem to suggest them as a primary weapon. As Jens notes, whether in a hunt or in combat the use of them in tandem would make them a deadly force.
Also, I agree with Peter that as the katar moved to its position as a secondary weapon it size and character changed accordingly.
The larger size of the Vijayanagara style katars presented it as almost a heavy short sword, at least in the ones we are considering in iconographic sources.

24th October 2018, 11:11 AM	#1
Peter Dekker Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 63	As for the use of double katar, there are statues in south India that do depict warriors with a longer, Vijayanagara type hooded katar, one in each hand! But these do offer a lot more protection than the simplified katar that got common later. I personally think that the later katar developed the way it did for ease of carrying as an everyday item and backup weapon that one didn't expect to use a lot, whereas the Vijayanagara hooded katar (and pata) seemed to have been primary weapons.

25th October 2018, 03:57 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	You are right Peter, and Robert shows it in Hindu Arms and Ritual p. 148 ill. 15.6. However in this case the katars are used against an animal. This does, of course, not mean that two katars could not have been used in combat, if the enemy was close enough, and when he was, one/two katars would have been better than a sword.

25th October 2018, 08:01 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,898	Jens and Peter, very well observed on the Vijayanagara hooded katars and I honestly had not thought of their size and structure which does seem to suggest them as a primary weapon. As Jens notes, whether in a hunt or in combat the use of them in tandem would make them a deadly force. Also, I agree with Peter that as the katar moved to its position as a secondary weapon it size and character changed accordingly. The larger size of the Vijayanagara style katars presented it as almost a heavy short sword, at least in the ones we are considering in iconographic sources.