Help identifying kaskara

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by randallstorey

Hello everyone and a thanks in advance for any advice to a first time poster.

I bought the kaskara shown in the photos in the late 1980s and after coming across this forum thought that someone may be able to provide some detailed info on it.

Underneath the tang the number 557 is stamped in arabic numerals within a rectangular indentation. The number might be 857 or 357, and this photo shows it from the right hand side where i believe you can see the last two numbers, five and seven.

Two fullers running about 80% length of the blade. The text within them is raised (i assume this isnt done bas relief so was wondering how). The text repeats only a few characters over and over, those being 'II' 'I' and combinations of a paranthses and greater/lesser than symbols, for example (> or >). I do not know how clear that has come across in the photos and am not sure my unsteady hands will allow much better, but obviously willing to try on request.

I am a professional medievalists (my website is medievalstudies.co.uk) and am under no illusion about the origins of this kaskara, but what a strong, sharp, well made thing it is. I told Lee upon joining, this is the closest I'm likely to come to owning a medieval long sword!

Salaams Randallstorey, These blades really do look medieval.. They appear on all sorts of hilts from Sudan, Ethiopia and Red Sea regions. I collected one with an Indian hilt and another from Saudia.

See post number #48 on http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hiopian+swords for examples of blades on Ethiopian swords.

Some have a lion with a flag on the ricasso(Luckhaus and Gunther) and these and others are scripted and/or florally decorated down the entire blade often with two channels. Indeed Germany was largely responsible for the vast quantities of blades that flooded into Africa in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Lee]

Here is another image of a double fullered Ethiopian blade remounted in a style, I am told, consistent with work from Sanaa (unfortunately, search as I can, I cannot find the thread where this whole sword was discussed).

[randallstorey]

Oh that's gorgeous isnt it. Do you know if it is that etching or engraving?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Lee

Here is another image of a double fullered Ethiopian blade remounted in a style, I am told, consistent with work from Sanaa (unfortunately, search as I can, I cannot find the thread where this whole sword was discussed).

Salaams Lee ~ Please see #48 on http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showt...thiopian+swords
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[randallstorey]

2 high quality photos

[Richard G]

Good Afternoon Randall,
I think Lee might be on the right track. I have a feeling these marks, which seem to be partly erased, may mean something in Amharic or another Ethiopian language. With a little imagination you can see a similarity to the inscription on this tray. Can anyone confirm this is an Ethiopian language, or even a language at all, and if so what it says?
Many thanks
Richard

[Dom]

Thanks for these interesting pics
unfortunately, no one Arabic letter has been determinated

I have been to have a look on Ethiopian/Nubian/Eritrean alphabet
the Ge'ez alphabet here attached (but I haven't time to analyse correctly)
has may be (?) some similitudes with the blade's inscriptions

apparently, I didn't saw a single date, even digit ??

I saw nothing, could be attributed to some talismanic practices
anyway, really amazing and gorgeous kaskara

all the best

à +

Dom

[randallstorey]

Thanks everybody. There does seem to be an Ethiopian tradition or preference for the double fuller as you have shown, and the lettering looks very similar in this instance including decorating within both fullers in this way.

[Iain]

I am pretty sure now this is at least in the Ge'ez alphabet although I do not have the knowledge to tell you what language.

I can at least make out some of these characters: (if they don't show up here try visiting wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ge'ez_script)

ዘ ፈ ር

Now the real question is... can anyone figure out what language its in?

[Jim McDougall]

I very much agree with suggestions to the potential for Ethiopian connection to this blade, perhaps the entire sword as hilted. As has been noted by Lee, there are a number of these kinds of straight blades with double fullers mounted in San'aa which have notable Abyssinian inscriptions and markings.
This blade does not have the usual 'lion of Judah', Star of Solomon or other typically associated markings often with these kinds of motif, but the acid etched script does seem to correspond to Ge'ez or the alphabetic variations in the numerous dialects in Ethiopia.

I think that we must consider this etched application much in the way we do the heavily decorative thuluth motif on Mahdist period weapons. If I understand correctly, this is often repeated and interlaced using alphabetic characters which may have some distinct and intelligible meaning in the core of the inscription. These inscriptions were often applied by workers who were not necessarily literate, or non speakers of the language, so may have been applied in a rather artistic interpretation. I think that is why many of the thuluth inscribed weapons and items may not lend to literal translation, as many items whose motif is based on these kinds of script, and may well be the case here.

We know the kaskara was widely used outside the Sudan, into Eritrea and Ethiopia, so certainly this may be an example from these regions as well as possibly from tribal groups within any of them. As far as accomplishing a literal translation or identification of distinct alphabet, I am not sure it will be possible as this may be simply artistically applied motif based on one or a number of dialectic characters.