Ethiopian Shotel or Gurade to share

[drac2k]

Thanks to all for the very informative observations. I also thought that the scabbard was unusual and picture worthy(even though I didn't know why). The stitching also looked a bit out of the ordinary as well; am I wrong?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by drac2k

Thanks to all for the very informative observations. I also thought that the scabbard was unusual and picture worthy(even though I didn't know why). The stitching also looked a bit out of the ordinary as well; am I wrong?

To me the scabbard is one of the great features here, and it seems Ive seen that stitching method before, I thought on the curious types shown in "African Arms and Armor" (Christopher Spring). It shows Ethiopian gurade with similar scabbard but with vertical handle at tip to hold as blade withdrawn.

This same type scabbard occurs on the curiously hilted sabers which were deemed Berber and from Morocco. Actually these were from Cuban regions and used as machetes, and were with conscripts who were sent to to Morocco by Spanish in insurgencies there in 1920s.\

Note the use of old British M1796 blades which were heavily reprofiled at tip.
I always thought it unusual to see this type of scabbard with gurade as shown in 'Spring', but given the trans Saharan trade networks, we see examples such as the s'boula come up to the east as far as Zanzibar.
Interesting they also occur in Ethiopia, so clearly there was a linear route which took Moroccan materials there.

[Jim McDougall]

Found the pics, "African Arms and Armor" Christopher Spring, 1993, British Museum (plate 24) ,
The upper gurade is with the M1796 type cavalry blade as previously noted.
Below is what appears a complete anomaly, it is a M1796 British stirrup hilt but with the M1821 light cavalry blade, entirely in original mounts.

Both are with local Abyssinian scabbards with vertical handle at tip, as shown in the 'Berber' example previous.

When the British M1821 three bar hilt saber for light cavalry was introduced, in the transitional period, many of the troopers preferred the heavy hatchet tip blade and a number of them had the new hilt on old blades.
Perhaps this was a case of the old stirrup hilt preferred (there were issues with the new hilts being restrictive etc.)
The bigger question, how did what was clearly a quite early example of the British light cavalry saber end up in Ethiopia before the later colonial impacts?

Next (op.cit. plate 24) is an Abyssinian court official wearing shotel c.1845.

[TVV]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

This same type scabbard occurs on the curiously hilted sabers which were deemed Berber and from Morocco. Actually these were from Cuban regions and used as machetes, and were with conscripts who were sent to to Morocco by Spanish in insurgencies there in 1920s.\

Jim, my research on these is that they are from the Dominican Republic and that is about it.

Is there any evidence that these ever ended up in the Maghreb in large numbers? By the Rif rebellion, the Dominican Republic had been independent (or under Haiti occupation) for about a century so I am not sure why Dominicans would participate in Spanish colonial conflicts in Africa, and even if they did, why they would be armed with their own local weapons and not with standard issue Spanish patterns. If you have any info on Dominican irregulars in the Spanish Army during the early 20th century I am curious to see it along with the sources.

Teo

[Jim McDougall]

Teo, Im glad to see you come in on this, and your research and thorough insights on weapon forms is formidable as I have learned all these years.
I understand what you are saying, and quite honestly most of this came from various collectors in the years when I acquired my example (about 1996).

I do not think these were ever in Morocco in any great numbers, and as we have noted over the years if they had been significant there, they surely would have been included in Buttin (1933) which was written some time before that date while he resided there.
It seems that Tirri(2004) noted that these 'Berber sabers' were examples from the 'Rif' wars in the 1920s. However there is no specific mention of why these machete/sabers from the Caribbean regions would be in the Spanish protectorate or colonies in Morocco. I cannot cite a source for the suggestion of conscripts or volunteers, but it was something I recall hearing or reading.

Alain Jacob in "Les Armes Blanches du Monde" (1985) includes one in the Hispano-Moresque chapter. It does seem most references concur with your Dominican attribution, but these do seem to have circulated in other Spanish locations.

It is a good point about why would forces going to Morocco take their own weapons, unless they were indeed volunteers. While these Caribbean regions were independent, there were notable populations of Spanish immigrants from what I have understood. It would of course take more research on these events in the Rif to learn more on the forces. While these were clearly 'machetes' , which would seem odd to carry to these Moroccan regions , if irregular forces they would have used what they had.

Returning to the original topic, why would a scabbard feature from Morocco end up in Ethiopia or vice versa?

Page from Tirri, and Oriental Arms describing these as Moroccan 'Berber' sabers.

[roanoa]

A couple of comments. I also believe that the hilt is hardwood (same used in Beja daggers) and not horn. Martin may share my opinion that the hilt itself is a "field" replacement. I also agree with Martin that the darkening of the rhino horn is not due to use of dyes. I personally think that the horn hilts were frequently treated with oils to prevent cracking and that some coloring may have happened as a result. Plus the Abyssinians ate food spiced up with local "berbere" (red chilly powder) and the oily residue would transfer from the hands to the sword hilt... Interestingly enough we see quite a few hilts made with two pieces of rhino horn of different color (beautiful gorade, Jim!). Jim, the last picture you posted clearly shows the use of a British 1796 light cavalry blade with its unmistakable hatchet point (blade that widens at the tip) reshaped.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by roanoa

A couple of comments. I also believe that the hilt is hardwood (same used in Beja daggers) and not horn. Martin may share my opinion that the hilt itself is a "field" replacement. I also agree with Martin that the darkening of the rhino horn is not due to use of dyes. I personally think that the horn hilts were frequently treated with oils to prevent cracking and that some coloring may have happened as a result. Plus the Abyssinians ate food spiced up with local "berbere" (red chilly powder) and the oily residue would transfer from the hands to the sword hilt... Interestingly enough we see quite a few hilts made with two pieces of rhino horn of different color (beautiful gorade, Jim!). Jim, the last picture you posted clearly shows the use of a British 1796 light cavalry blade with its unmistakable hatchet point (blade that widens at the tip) reshaped.

Thank you so much! I was hoping you'd come in on this as you have always had the final word on these weapons. Have you published anything further on Abyssinian/Ethiopian arms?

Interesting note on that chile powder residue, and it seems somewhere there were cases of kaskara with traces of red on the hilt.