Why Do Saifs Have Coins at their Hilt Chains??

M.carter · 19th February 2006, 04:58 PM

Hello All,

I just got a new saif from Janadriya. Boy did I see so much swords and daggers. I was intrigued by the sight of coins on sword hilts. Almost every arab saif have one on the chain. Is there a reason or an implication behind this? Or is it purely decorative (although strange)? Does Mr. Robert Elgood have anything to say about this?

Thanks.

Jens Nordlunde · 19th February 2006, 10:46 PM

In his book The Arms and Armour of Arabia, Robert Elgood does not show any swords with coins attached, he does however mention, on several pages daggers with coins.

I know to little about Arabic weapons to comment on it, so hopefully someone else, with a better background than mine will comment.

Jim McDougall · 20th February 2006, 06:25 AM

As Jens has mentioned, in "Arms and Armour of Arabia" , Robert Elgood does make mention of the widespread use of coins to decorate weaponry, particularly daggers. He notes specifically a c.1660 narrative regarding Syria, where ordinary people wore daggers with money nailed to the hilts. (p.94).

In "African Arms & Armour" (p.99), Christopher Spring illustrates the rhino horn hilt of a shotel with a Maria Therea thaler emplaced in it. He notes that these coins, first minted in Vienna in 1751, had become widely used in Ethiopia by early 19th c. While the high silver content provided ready material for silversmithing (Turkish rials with lower content used for less important work), the beauty of the thalers themselves encouraged thier placement on the weapons. With the well established trade between Arabia and Ethiopia via Red Sea ports, it seems clear that use of coinage in this manner probably derived from the Arabian custom of doing so.

It seems that use of coinage to decorate weapons may have had primarily talismanic purpose in the Arabian case, as such practice for decoration of other material culture in many instances within the Dar al Islam is described here:
from "The Afghan Amulet" by Sheila Paine (p.xi), "...old coins, talismanic coral, and hundreds of shiny buttons were set around the embroidery...
all these devices protected the wearer from the djinn, those evil spirits that in Islamic lore lurk among men, ready to attack, but are frightened by dazzle".

It is interesting to note the use of coins in somewhat similar manner on various jewellery and worn items throughout North Africa, especially Algeria and Morocco and primarily Islamic regions. It is well known that swords, such as the flyssa are heavily decorated with talismanic decor for these purposes.
In the case of Arabian saif , they are often decorated with the 'agrab' device to ward away the 'evil eye', and it would seem that coins may fulfill the same purpose as on the daggers.

The use of coins as decor on swords seems to have carried further from the regions of Morocco to Mexico. I have seen examples of refurbished military sabres used by 'rurales' forces in pre Revolutionary Mexico which have Mexican pesos hammered onto thier pommels.

Best regards,
Jim

19th February 2006, 04:58 PM	#1
M.carter Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 176	Why Do Saifs Have Coins at their Hilt Chains?? Hello All, I just got a new saif from Janadriya. Boy did I see so much swords and daggers. I was intrigued by the sight of coins on sword hilts. Almost every arab saif have one on the chain. Is there a reason or an implication behind this? Or is it purely decorative (although strange)? Does Mr. Robert Elgood have anything to say about this? Thanks.

19th February 2006, 10:46 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	In his book The Arms and Armour of Arabia, Robert Elgood does not show any swords with coins attached, he does however mention, on several pages daggers with coins. I know to little about Arabic weapons to comment on it, so hopefully someone else, with a better background than mine will comment.

20th February 2006, 06:25 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	As Jens has mentioned, in "Arms and Armour of Arabia" , Robert Elgood does make mention of the widespread use of coins to decorate weaponry, particularly daggers. He notes specifically a c.1660 narrative regarding Syria, where ordinary people wore daggers with money nailed to the hilts. (p.94). In "African Arms & Armour" (p.99), Christopher Spring illustrates the rhino horn hilt of a shotel with a Maria Therea thaler emplaced in it. He notes that these coins, first minted in Vienna in 1751, had become widely used in Ethiopia by early 19th c. While the high silver content provided ready material for silversmithing (Turkish rials with lower content used for less important work), the beauty of the thalers themselves encouraged thier placement on the weapons. With the well established trade between Arabia and Ethiopia via Red Sea ports, it seems clear that use of coinage in this manner probably derived from the Arabian custom of doing so. It seems that use of coinage to decorate weapons may have had primarily talismanic purpose in the Arabian case, as such practice for decoration of other material culture in many instances within the Dar al Islam is described here: from "The Afghan Amulet" by Sheila Paine (p.xi), "...old coins, talismanic coral, and hundreds of shiny buttons were set around the embroidery... all these devices protected the wearer from the djinn, those evil spirits that in Islamic lore lurk among men, ready to attack, but are frightened by dazzle". It is interesting to note the use of coins in somewhat similar manner on various jewellery and worn items throughout North Africa, especially Algeria and Morocco and primarily Islamic regions. It is well known that swords, such as the flyssa are heavily decorated with talismanic decor for these purposes. In the case of Arabian saif , they are often decorated with the 'agrab' device to ward away the 'evil eye', and it would seem that coins may fulfill the same purpose as on the daggers. The use of coins as decor on swords seems to have carried further from the regions of Morocco to Mexico. I have seen examples of refurbished military sabres used by 'rurales' forces in pre Revolutionary Mexico which have Mexican pesos hammered onto thier pommels. Best regards, Jim