Takouba/alguinar West Africa -marking conundrum

[Jim McDougall]

Another flight into the ether,
From the beginning, I have always been fascinated by markings, symbols and inscriptions on sword blades. While obviously these were typically aligned with a makers mark or punzone, often markings and devices had other more esoteric meanings, whether occult, talismanic or other.

While this was the case in Europe mostly, often the trade blades going into other cultural spheres were seen by native people as with meanings that were aligned with their own cultural beliefs, superstitions and folk religions. This was particularly notable from Sudan across the Sahara, and for example, the familiar cross and orb on many German blades was seen by natives as a drum and sticks, a chiefly symbol among others. The ubiquitous 'running wolf' was seen in Sudan as a hippopotamus (Reed, 1987).

What we have here is a takouba of West Africa, said to have come from Ougadougau, Burkina Faso, which is regarded as 'aljuinar' (slight curved blade). The blade appears distinctly European hanger, and in the center of the blade is a marking, placed much as on many of these blades in mid 18th century.
It appears to be a version of the capital Greek letter OMEGA, which has found use symbolically in many versions from scientific to occult, even Gnostic symbols and other occult systems.

While not an exact rendering of the Omega, it is remarkably close, and it might be a version in accord with any number of forms of the character.
Could thus be a mark used by a European maker? or otherwise symbolically applied?

Or, could this be some tribal symbol added to the blade as sometimes done?
In checking Tifinaugh, and Berber symbols nothing turned up, though this arc with hooked ends had some instance that did not seem close enough.

Just wondering what thoughts anyone out there might have....has anyone seen such a mark on a Saharan blade? European?

What prompted this was seeing this symbol in a 16th century woodcut showing hunt scenes....Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) used this kind of symbolism in some of his often mysterious art.

See the regulus(Omega) in the art from Howard Blackmore ("Hunting Weapons" 1971) i upper left corner

The portrait of Johann Kleberger (1526) by Albrecht Durer. Note the regulus in upper left corner. These art works of 16th c. were rather 'DaVinci code' with subtle symbols with esoteric meanings often imbued in the subject matter.

[Jim McDougall]

Ok, lets put it this way........anybody ever seen this mark on a takouba? Anywhere?

[Tim Simmons]

I don't know about the mark but I did once have a Takouba with a curved blade double edged.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Tim for responding, very much appreciated. Your takouba sounds like quite an anomaly! We know, through Lee Jones in his field work in the Sahara, that the 'aljuinar' was the unusual takouba version with curved blade.
It seems likely of course that while most Tuareg and other tribes favoring the takouba style cross hilts also favored DE broadsword blades, the prevalence of saber blades from colonial forces were used on occasion simply from availability.

The use of European blades, in this case what appears an 18th c hanger blade, and the curious mark, placed in location much in the manner of other such blades, prompted my query. Obviously while many of these 'aljuinar' takouba have blades from various sources, I have even seen MOLE from British sabers, this one seems earlier than the typical 19th century examples.

The double edge on your example is truly curious, perhaps the back was ground down in accord with the broadsword affinities of tribesmen?

[Marc M.]

Hi Jim
I am afraid I cannot help you with the mark on your takouba.
Much of this symbolism is lost in terms of meaning. In the catalogue on the tuareg exhibition only a very small section is devoted to the takouba and on the specimens shown only the classic half moon mark is mentioned.
Regards
Marc

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Thank you Tim for responding, very much appreciated. Your takouba sounds like quite an anomaly! We know, through Lee Jones in his field work in the Sahara, that the 'aljuinar' was the unusual takouba version with curved blade.
It seems likely of course that while most Tuareg and other tribes favoring the takouba style cross hilts also favored DE broadsword blades, the prevalence of saber blades from colonial forces were used on occasion simply from availability.

The use of European blades, in this case what appears an 18th c hanger blade, and the curious mark, placed in location much in the manner of other such blades, prompted my query. Obviously while many of these 'aljuinar' takouba have blades from various sources, I have even seen MOLE from British sabers, this one seems earlier than the typical 19th century examples.

The double edge on your example is truly curious, perhaps the back was ground down in accord with the broadsword affinities of tribesmen?

Hi Jim!

I can't say anything about the mark. But about the blade shape, I've been wanting to discuss this for a long time.

Did all swords called takuba have exactly the shape we know?

Joseph P. Smaldone «Warfare in the SOKOTO Caliphate»
A glossary of Hausa military terminology

Straight swords:
takobi, takuba - any sword ( = kansakali)
tamogas or tamogashi - sword with three lines running parallel along the blade
dunhu - plain sword, without markings
tama - type of cheap sword
zabo - type of sword
lafaranji - single-edged sword

Scimitars, or slightly curved single-edged swords, were less common and were used primarily by cavalry. Swords of this type were first used in the Islamic world in the early fourteenth century and had reached North Africa by the early sixteenth century: Bivar, Nigerian Panoply. Among the sabres used by the Hausa were:
bisalami или almulku
hankatilo - scimitar of Kanuri origin ( = almulku = bisalami)
hindi - curved single-edged sword

Note 58 to Chapter 3

Other straight swords included the dunhu, a plain unmarked weapon; the tarnogas or tamogashi, a sword with three lines cut along the blade; the tama, a cheap sword; and the zabo. Muffett also lists the lafaranji, a single-edged weapon: "Nigeria - Sokoto Caliphate," p. 297, n. 20. Scimitars, or slightly curved one-edged swords, were less common and used principally by the cavalry. Swords of this type were first used in the Islamic world in the early fourteenth century, and reached North Africa by the early sixteenth century: Bivar, Nigerian Panoply, pp. 15-16, 27. Among the sabers used by the Hausa were the bisalami or almulku; the hindi was probably of Indian origin, and the hankatilo was Kanuri (Bornu). See Bivar, pp. 13-27, for a detailed discussion of some examples of these straight and curved swords, and his photographs, figures 1-11, pp. 45-55.

Jim, note that House classified swords by blade type and quality (imported or locally made). So it is impossible to say with certainty what kind of hilt and handle a particular sword or sabre had.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you anyway Marc for answering! I know a lot of the stuff I enter is pretty esoteric, but I figure that no harm in asking, clearly a lot of readers...over 2000 in weeks. Still theres always a chance somebody out there might have seen something similar.
Your scope of knowledge is remarkable as shown in your posts, so your response keenly represents the esoterica toward my entry.
Best regards
Jim

[Jim McDougall]

Yuri thank you so much! and especially for these resources and the assembly of terms which many of which I am unfamiliar with , as well as these references. I know Bivar of course, but not the others.
Most of my study has been focused on "European Blades in Tuareg Swords and Daggers", Dr. Lloyd Cabot Briggs, JAAS, 1965.

As you note, as with most ethnographic swords, the blades used in them were inclined to follow local favor in types, but often availability became more the result in variations. Local hilts followed more closely in form, but even with these sometimes regional variation would occur, as Lee Jones illustrates in his paper held in the archives here.

The blade types are well discussed by Ed Hunley, also in his extremely thorough papers also held in the archives here.

It seems that the takouba collectively used the broadsword blade, and characteristically had a rebated/rounded tip. This was I believe for the slashing cut as Tuareg (and associated tribes) favored that over the thrust.

As I have understood the Hausa tribes were typically blacksmiths, and produced many blades which were distributed throughout the trade routes. According to Rodd (1928) these had either three or five channels (fullers) and often the familiar dual moons (called dukari) were ubiquitous near the fullers.
These were believed to imbue magic into the blades in the beliefs of the local folk religions.

While the familiar broadsword blades prevailed, it is the anomalies that occur in the constant refurbishing of these swords through generations that present fascinating possibiities. One I recall with Iain Norman was I believe a 14th c. European blade with potential Crusades association. These kinds of curious finds were what prompted Dr. Briggs to write his venerable work.

Thank you so much for answering, and especially for these resources and terms! which I was not aware of!

Best regards
Jim

[Pertinax]

Jim, I didn't know you didn't have this book, please:

http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream...1/1/92.pdf.pdf

Enjoy reading.

Best regards,
Yuri

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you again Yuri!!! This is amazing resource. Ive been pretty out of touch with research in these areas, and there is outstanding information in this!

All best regards
jim