My last Beja Dagger!?

[Lew]

Well my set is complete know whew!

[Lew]

Here are the others that complete the set of the four blade variations. My question is about the "J" shaped bladed one and the new one at the top of the post these do not seem to be very practical using blade shapes so could they have some other symbolic meaning to them?


Lew

[CharlesS]

Lew,

Had I not spent too much in Baltimore, you would have had some competiton for the recurved one rom Ebay!!....I thought it was about as good as they get, and the scabbard is fantastic. Congrats, very glad YOU got it.

....and if you ever decide to sell or trade the straight one..........

[colin henshaw]

Hi Lew

Great set of Beja daggers. I read somewhere that the "U" and "S" shaped varieties were used for ham-stringing ?

Here are some pictures of the Hadendowa, (called Fuzzy-Wuzzy in colonial times), from an old magazine article, that you might like to see...

Regards
Colin

[Jim McDougall]

Uh, OK Lew!!! the last one .....
What a beauty though, and I can see why acquiring it would seem as if you had reached the zenith of this excellent grouping.

Every time I look at these distinctly hilted daggers, I cannot help thinking of the chilanum of India, and its anthromorphically inspired hilt form. It is known of course that the trade from India was a constant in the Red sea trade, and interesting to look to the east from India for many sources for influence in Africa.
The interesting hook type end of many of these has also often reminded me of the ceremonial type swords of India which have had this curious right angled blade deviation since ancient times. I think this might be the direction in looking for possible symbolic meaning or influences in these shapes.
Beyond that, pragmatically I have heard the explanation noted by Colin, for hamstringing.
BTW, Colin, I do recall the equally ancient National Geographic article those pictures came from, I think it was about a 1928 issue!!! Fantastic stuff looking through these old magazines, so close to contemporary, and of course these weapons were then, and still are in use.

On another note on the hooked daggers. In conversations with a Beja gentleman from Eritrea, who I came to know quite well over a few years, he told me these were actually used by the Afar (often called Danakil). He still had family in Eritrea, and shared with me a video of the tribesmen using various weapons including kaskaras in dancing ceremonies.

All the best,
Jim

[Emanuel]

Nice one Lew! I've been dreaming of one of those for a while.

The one you posted at the top of the thread brings to mind a bolo of khukri, with a heavy wide-belly good for chopping instead of stabbing or cutting.

Congrats on a great set. Also thanks Colin for the pictures, they're awesome!

Emanuel

[asomotif]

Nice daggers.

And also very nice shields. (thanks for sharing these fuzzie pictures)
Would love to get hold of one of those shields.

[Ferguson]

Excellent piece! Congrats!
Steve

[colin henshaw]

Hi

Here are a few more images of Beja tribesmen, showing their weapons & costume from some old postcards I have, that might be of interest...

Regards
Colin

[Jim McDougall]

Great pictures Colin!! There is very interesting complexity in these tribal groups, and the Bisharin are but one of the number comprising the Beja (pronounced bay'za) confederation. The gentleman I knew always noted this proudly, and that he was from Eritrea. He did not note further tribal denomination. In our discussions, he mentioned the note on the curiously shaped blade which he claimed emphatically was an Afar peculiarity. It seems he said the blades on the Eritrean examples were curved.

It seems unfortunate that there has been no real effort to study the ancestry of these hilt and blade forms, and typically references simply show groupings of variations without specific notice. At least Lew has shown an interest in that there are variations, and I included my note again to see if it was of any value, as the numerous times I have brought this up before seem to have gone unnoticed. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has any thoughts or opinions on these interesting daggers, or if they will remain simply groupings as curiosities.

Best regards,
Jim

[colin henshaw]

Hi

An interesting topic, that I have given some thought to and make a few comments :-

Tribal societies in the past tended to be very conservative and their customs and material culture could remain almost unchanged for centuries. Change might only occur when a dynamic and energetic individual came on the scene (eg. King Shaka), or when the tribal society came into contact with a more advanced culture (eg European colonialism & Arab infiltration into East Africa).
An example of lack of change would be the isolated Australian aborigines.

Tribes would often adapt the customs and culture of more powerful and dominant neighbours, eg the Kikuyu adopted the weapons and ornaments of the Masai and the Tsonga adopted the weapons and headring of the Zulu.

Tribal forms of material culture such as dagger shapes, costume, hairstyles etc., became "indicators of ethnic identity". Weapons would often become an important part of male costume, and a sort of adornment and display.

Regarding Beja daggers, I feel the most likely source of influence would be Ancient Egypt. The "S" shaped blade is similar to the Egyptian sword "khepesh". (see attached image). Other examples are - the Sudanese throwing stick "trombash" is almost identical to the Ancient Egyptian throwing stick, as depicted in tomb paintings. The Ancient Egyptian headrest form is to be found down the Nile valley, also lyre and harp musical instruments. The pronounced "X" shaped Beja hilts might just be an exaggeration of the traditional Arab dagger hilt with expanded ends to the grip, such as the Omani jambiya. Such exaggerations of established forms could again reinforce ethnic identity and display.

Just a few ideas to ponder...

Regards
Colin

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Colin,
Thank you so much! Thats exactly what I was hoping for...actual thought and discussion. Very well said, and what you have pointed out makes perfect sense, and more plausible than the more remotely probable Indian connections. I really do appreciate your response, and taking time to do so in well thought out comments.
I like your observations on the cultural development among tribal societies also, again reflecting outstanding knowledge on this subject.

All very best regards,
Jim

[CharlesS]

I'd seen the National Geo. Pics before, but not the more recent pics added to the thread. Great pics....thanks for sharing!

[colin henshaw]

Hi Jim

Many thanks for your kind remarks, which are much appreciated.

With best regards
Colin

[Jambu]

New Member here,

Thanks for posting this nice set of daggers employing the various blade styles. I hope to assemble such a collection soon, as well as other examples of Beja Arms and Armour. I have a dagger with the curved blade style but it seems newer than yours.

The handle is made from African Blackwood or Mpingo, which is one of the most sought after materials for knife handles and possibly the most expensive wood in the world. A Beja man divulged to me that a block of this wood is also used for sharpening or 'whetting' the blades of these daggers and the 'Kaskara' or S'aif also.

As an aside, I have so far managed to collect the dagger,4 Kaskara, a throwing stick, a Beja Knobkerrie and a shield. Now I need some spears and the other styles of dagger.

The shield is very old and was filthy and caked in grime when I acquired it. After I cleaned it up I found that it has a strange texture and greenish color. It is extremely thick, heavy, and hard as stone. Has a few patches on it of reptile skin. Now I see why Kipling referred to " 'is coffin-'eaded shield "(Coffinhead means large, ungainly head, and used to describe horses).

Here are some pics of the dagger and shield...

[Lew]

Hi Jambu

Welcome to the forum. Your dagger is mid 20th century WW2 era the scabbard seems newer than the dagger to me and is a very nice example with an excellent blade. Beja shields are hard to come by these days it looks like a nice find.

Lew

[Jambu]

Thanks Lew...

[Lew]

Just picked this one up mid 20th century.

[Warren McQ]

Congratulations Lew, I was after that one also.
I'm glad a member of the forum got it.
I find these Beja knives to be most interesting and I hope to find one for my collection.
I recently added this little knife to my collection.
It's only 7in over all with a 4.5 in blade.
I think the handle might be Rhino Horn but it's hard to tell.
I think it might be pretty old.

Cheers,
Warren in Arizona

[Lew]

Warren

That is a nice little dagger the horn seems too black to be rhino but you never can tell for sure.

[Battara]

With all that silver, does it mean that it belongs to a chieftain?

[Warren McQ]

Thanks Lew, Can you give an idea of age on this one ?
It doesn't seem to be an ordinary example.

Cheers,
Warren in Arizona

[Lew]

Warren

Probably 1920-40.

[Lew]

Originally Posted by Battara

With all that silver, does it mean that it belongs to a chieftain?

Battara

The silver probably means a wealthier owner not a chietain. Too many examples out there with silver. These daggers are worn like jambiyas more of a status symbol than a weapon I would think?