The flowers on the tulwar hilts

Jens Nordlunde · 21st February 2017, 06:18 PM

Hi Jim,
I think, maybe I even believe, that the decoration at the top of the disc ought to give more meaning than the decoration at the hilt itself, as this decoration is more likely to follow the fashion than the decoration at the top.
All over the world the early people has their tribe markings on their weapons, like the American Indians, so why would the Indians of India not follow the same thread?
When it comes to research these things, it would be a very good thing not to forget the architecture and the jewellery, as a lot of things starts here, and is then transfirmed to the weapons
One like Markel constantly returns to the poppy used for decoration, so the four pateled flower used on the disc, could it be a poppy?

Jim McDougall · 21st February 2017, 07:22 PM

Very good points Jens.
In books and research I have found that even prehistoric man marked and embellished his weapons, as these were not only sacred and valuable, but vital to his very life. These marks were of course most often imbuements of power and strength, much as with the animist totems the people, later tribes, would adopt.

Man was tribal long before civilization, but as this developed, along with religions and other civil organizations formed, these totemic symbols and values became inherent in more permanent things such as architecture.

We know that most Indian weapons have been structured in varied degree after architectural elements, with those of temples and religious structures such as virigals and stupas being the literal foundation for such designs .
As Robert Elgood well showed in "Hindu Arms and Ritual", the weapons were often considered to be in essence de facto temples which would actually be visited or even inhabited by the gods and goddesses in the pantheons.

Jewellery was in effect much the same, with key religious symbolism which would provide individuals with talismanic and amuletic protection as well as invocational features to the Faith of the wearer.

These facts emphasize that the decorative features and motif displayed in the iconography and designs in both religious architecture and jewellery may hold valuable clues toward understanding the decoration in these arms.

21st February 2017, 06:18 PM	#1
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Jim, I think, maybe I even believe, that the decoration at the top of the disc ought to give more meaning than the decoration at the hilt itself, as this decoration is more likely to follow the fashion than the decoration at the top. All over the world the early people has their tribe markings on their weapons, like the American Indians, so why would the Indians of India not follow the same thread? When it comes to research these things, it would be a very good thing not to forget the architecture and the jewellery, as a lot of things starts here, and is then transfirmed to the weapons One like Markel constantly returns to the poppy used for decoration, so the four pateled flower used on the disc, could it be a poppy?

21st February 2017, 07:22 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,295	Very good points Jens. In books and research I have found that even prehistoric man marked and embellished his weapons, as these were not only sacred and valuable, but vital to his very life. These marks were of course most often imbuements of power and strength, much as with the animist totems the people, later tribes, would adopt. Man was tribal long before civilization, but as this developed, along with religions and other civil organizations formed, these totemic symbols and values became inherent in more permanent things such as architecture. We know that most Indian weapons have been structured in varied degree after architectural elements, with those of temples and religious structures such as virigals and stupas being the literal foundation for such designs . As Robert Elgood well showed in "Hindu Arms and Ritual", the weapons were often considered to be in essence de facto temples which would actually be visited or even inhabited by the gods and goddesses in the pantheons. Jewellery was in effect much the same, with key religious symbolism which would provide individuals with talismanic and amuletic protection as well as invocational features to the Faith of the wearer. These facts emphasize that the decorative features and motif displayed in the iconography and designs in both religious architecture and jewellery may hold valuable clues toward understanding the decoration in these arms.