The Takouba Sword.

[Peter Hudson]

Readers will be aware that this is the sword of The Tuareg.

There are excellent accounts on this style of weapon which members can reach by simply placing Tuareg Swords...Or Takouba into Search .

On the other hand there is another way of viewing the details by going to the .... top of this page and tapping on www.vikingsword.com and scrolling down to AFRICA where you will find two references to excellent works which are

[B]1.Takouba - Swords of the Saharan Tuareg.
2..Takouba Research Society.[/B

On my travels I have discovered a few examples in variouis antique souks and recently in a Northern England Antiques store .... and I have been interested in other aspects of the weapon ...since I know it was used in unison with the TUAREG spear...and I suspect also with a Tuareg shield ....I suspect that the cross seen carved into the design of the Tuareg Camel Saddle has some relation to this sword or as a further defence mechanism but I dont know for sure... I do know that the Tuareg have occasional camel races and the Takouba is given as first prize to the winner...And I note a further peculiar two bladed sword with a long hilt that looks like a specially designed , perhaps religious ritual or for wearing at celebrations ... I also note that on some blades I have seen the end of the blade is cut or squared off...either by accident or design thus that is another question... and of course the similarity in the two moons facing each other on
each blade face. Peter Hudson.

[Jim McDougall]

This is excellent Peter, and a good opportunity to bring together a good discussion on these distinctive Saharan swords! While these of course have been discussed countless times on these pages over many years, these days there are many new members who of course will not recall or be aware of these. The articles you link are outstanding, and the history of these tribal peoples and these swords is fascinating.

As you well note, there are similarities in the cross (typically the Agadez cross if I recall) in the saddle and in many aspects of material culture including elements of the sword. The cross is not seen typically as any particular religious symbol, but having to do with the four cardinal directions.

There are many interpretations for symbolism associated with blades on these, with the twin opposed moons being most familiar, and these are termed 'dukari'.

I hope we will see examples posted here so we can discuss and learn from the peculiarities found on them.

I'm trying to find a PDF of "European Swords and Blades in Tuareg Swords and Daggers", Lloyd Cabot Briggs, JAAS, 1965, which has become not only a benchmark work for study of these swords, but European sword blades as well. Anybody out there got this?

[Peter Hudson]

Thanks Jim your reply is much appreciated. I pulled a camel saddle agadez cross picture off the web and it can be viewed at https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1547...a04b8710459ee9

Peter Hudson

[Peter Hudson]

Naturally the main reference has to be placed here as http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/takouba.html Peter Hudson.

[Peter Hudson]

https://swordis.com/blog/takouba-sword/ provides an interesting lead in to this style of sword...Peter Hudson.

[Bob A]

Sadly, the Takouba Research Society link appears dead, or at least inactive/unavailable.

The overall presentation of takouba information was of value, and now seems lost to time.

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by Bob A

Sadly, the Takouba Research Society link appears dead, or at least inactive/unavailable.

The overall presentation of takouba information was of value, and now seems lost to time.

Hopefully this will happen ...Both this key thread and the others on that page will be reorganised.

Meanwhile an amazing looking sword clearly Takouba form can be seen at https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/y...g&action=click

Peter Hudson

[Edster]

Jim,

I think I have a hard copy of Briggs. I'll try to scan and post it. I assume any JASS copyright would slide on the basis of research use.

Attached here is another article on the origin of Tuareg Blades that may be of value.

Best,
Ed

[Peter Hudson]

Please see https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/weapons/ind...-31/index.html where it states the parts of the Takouba Sword are named after parts of the human body.

QUOTE"The different features of the takouba are named after parts of the human body. The conical brass button on the pommel is known as the 'bare head'; the narrow grip of the hilt is the 'spine'; the small guard, the 'shoulders' and the flat of the blade, the 'back'. The double cutting edge is known as 'that which devours' (i.e. the mouth), and the tip is refereed to as the 'tongue'.UNQUOTE."

Peter Hudson.

[Peter Hudson]

[Peter Hudson]

One of my questions is related to the sorts of point profile on several Takouba blades which appear to have a chipped off or chisell point ... I note that the Takouba is not a sword for stabbing or jabbing with the point... It is primarily in what appears to be 8 different strokes for slashing with. Having a sharp point would thus seem to be not required...
Is this why points on several blades are squared off...or chiselled?

I note that since it was considered unlucky or simply forbidden to touch iron the hilts were covered in either another metal such as brass or silver or more usually in leather .

As an edit to this post I have to add that since the tip of the Takouba is a word meaning Tongue it follows that there was no requirement for the point to be ...pointy..!! The Takouba is primarily a slashing sword thus the tip is largely not a stabbing tip... Many of the tips are actually rounded... There are as many ending in a sort of Chisell tip and occasionally there are points formed. The fact that its not called a point but is a Tongue seems relevant.



Peter Hudson.




Peter Hudson.

[Jim McDougall]

Ed, thank you so much for this translated Lhote!!!! My copy is still in French, and in the heaps of old notes that must be excavated
Thank you as well for working on the Briggs article......this is probably one of the most important arms articles on these as well as markings.It is long unavailable from JAAS and scholarly use should be OK as far as I know.

Peter, great entry there!!

As noted, it seems Iain has sort of 'left the building' on the takouba quest and gone on to other pursuits, which is to me very sad as he probably added more impetus to this field than can be described. His site was a goldmine of information, and the book he hoped to publish never materialized.
So I guess its up to us here to revive the search to compile data on the takouba and put together a study base.
There is tons of material in these forum pages, so its about itemizing topics and talking points to centralize and somewhat structure the material here.

[Marc M.]

It is indeed a shame that Ian's takouba site has disappeared, a book on these facinating swords would be welcome, perhaps the niche is too small to be published. I just bought my sixth takouba. After receiving the sword I will post it.
Regards
Marc

[Yvain]

Peter,


You can't imagine how happy I am to see this translation of Lhote shared around, since I translated it myself from French to English !


Regarding the takouba.org website, some parts can be accessed through the wayback machine (https://web.archive.org), and maybe someone could reach to Iain through his main website (https://iainnorman.com/). It would be interesting to have that website revived, maybe even managed by the forum admins if Iain doesn't feel like maintaining it himself.


Also, here is in my opinion the most important article available regarding the takouba (p. 121 to 168) : https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bp...4815/f143.item .


Regarding the tip of the takouba, I'm convinced it was purposefully made that way to slash with the tip, I don't thing Tuaregs used to stab a lot with the takouba. I'm working on Tuareg fencing and have started to write an article on the subject, I will share it here if/when it is finished.

[Edster]

Here's a link to some of Iain's Takouba essays. Would be wise to print them out while they are still available.

https://iainnorman.com/category/african-arms

Ed

[Jim McDougall]

Peter, to say WELL DONE! would be an understatement! Your taking on this once well traveled topic, and despite being outside your areas of study, done far more than due diligence in understanding key points for presentation here.

You have also advocated for saving a most important field of study here from oblivion.......I admit to having become complacent as other areas were studied...but my interest is profoundly piqued again!

Clearly there are numbers of us here who over the years were deeply involved in studying these weapons, and it is so good to see them here to,
'get the band back together' !!!

Ed, VERY good point on copying those excellent works by Iain before they are lost. His work deserved to be published so that those with interests in these areas of Saharan weapons would have reference material despite loss of online source.

I do hope we can rebuild these many years of important research into an archival thread here that might provide such reference material.

Thank you Peter! and everybody coming in on this!

Jim

[Peter Hudson]

Thank you Jim, and with everyones help I am certain we can put together a most interesting thread here...Peter.

Readers may note that earlier on the page I placed the body part names of the Takouba...The button/ rectangular /conical top of the pommel is known as the 'bare head'

[Peter Hudson]

From a web source https://minikatana.com/blogs/main/af...-tuareg-blades goes on to underline the deep understanding involving this sword form...
QUOTE"Moreover, the sword as a symbol of status and valor is evident in the way it is presented and used in various ceremonies. Among the Tuareg, the act of gifting a Takouba is a gesture of immense respect, often reserved for warriors of high esteem or visitors deemed worthy of such honor. The Takouba's role in rituals underscores its importance not just as a weapon but as an item embodying the essence of Tuareg society."UNQUOTE.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

From a web source https://minikatana.com/blogs/main/af...-tuareg-blades goes on to underline the deep understanding involving this sword form...
QUOTE"Moreover, the sword as a symbol of status and valor is evident in the way it is presented and used in various ceremonies. Among the Tuareg, the act of gifting a Takouba is a gesture of immense respect, often reserved for warriors of high esteem or visitors deemed worthy of such honor. The Takouba's role in rituals underscores its importance not just as a weapon but as an item embodying the essence of Tuareg society."UNQUOTE.

Peter this is the reason the takouba still resonates among these tribes as important as an element of status, social bearing and tribal tradition. So many examples identified by Iain were hilted in 70s or 80s, some even later, but with old blades that have been circulating for generations, even centuries.
This has of course often resulted in the derisive, shallow comments scoffing at many as 'tourist' souvenirs. Most of these were made for genuine tribal wear....but tourists do try to buy them, and often the tribesmen do sell them.
However, there are many occasions recounted, as by one guy I knew who had been in the Sahara, where the tribesmen adamantly declined the sale of one takouba they had.....obviously with blade of key importance.

On facebook, I think you can access pages of the takouba society still, at least in that group on facebook.

[Peter Hudson]

Hello Jim, Indeed ... I am looking through the vast references on one of the Wike sites at web... It is massive...
There are many references that are important for readers to consider Here is one that to me seemed to be on the right lines... https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/tuareg/who.html

[Peter Hudson]

Here is a selection of reference pictures to view and relate to...

[Peter Hudson]

Pictures continue...The shaped chape and tip on many weapons suggest the rounded structure and I have read that the weapon wasn't used in stabbing but was a slashing blade ...plus that the name of the tip was in the language of the Tuareg and means Tongue... I would almost be ready to say flat spatulate tip...however tongue describes it very well..
I note also that in the 8 strikes of the Takouba there is no stabbing or point thrust... rather the weapon uses slashing attacks to head, upper body and legs......anyway... no stabbing strikes. The Takouba was also used in conjunction with a spear and it is that weapon or a dagger that provided the ability to stab the opponent . I also note the use of a shield on occasions and even a stick..

[Peter Hudson]

More Artwork to ponder...Purely by accident this item appears to have rounded tips on the scabbard on the end of what seems to be a dagger arrangement. Yet the blades are pointed? ..and I have no idea what its function is... Perhaps some sort of knife/dagger used in wedding feasts ...I have no idea... Has anyone any idea?

[Peter Hudson]

I note certain sword style equal or similar to Takouba

[Peter Hudson]

Here I would emphasise the idiosyncracy of the Tuareg language system and thus I direct those interested to the website which quite neatly describes in so many words the dilema that the Tuareg language exists in. Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tifinagh

Peter Hudson.

[Peter Hudson]

It is said that the shape has some defensive reason... which I cannot quite see except it contains the Agadez cross form at the front. Did it offer some added protection in a sword fight whilst on the camel? Or was this tied in with superstition linked to the special cross. I have no idea...anyone??

[Iain]

Just to drop in quickly, the takouba.org site is down purely because it ran on outdated software and migrating it was beginning to go beyond my technical skills. I have backups of the data however, just not the time to get it running again. Some of expressed interest in helping so it may come back to life one of these days...

My personal site is not going anywhere.

On the book, there is a completed draft now, I'm happy to distribute it to those interested by email, again due to time constraints I have not seriously pursued publishing it. Quite happy to have someone else go down that route with it though!

[Edster]

Jim,

I sent Briggs to your Hotmail account. It was too large to post here.
Best
Ed

[Peter Hudson]

I thought this summed up this lethal weapon...

[Peter Hudson]

Made from Oryx hide the Tuareg Shield is massive. It may also be steeped in superstition and it goes back thousands of years in traditional history.. Please see https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/weapons/ind...-15/index.html
Peter Hudson.