Mambele Sickle Sword

ariel · 25th November 2017, 12:15 PM

I used to wonder, why ( with literally a couple of exceptions) do sub-Saharan African swords have such peculiar forms that render their fighting function almost non-existent?
They look more like some schizophrenic Kandinski’s drawings rather than weapons. In contrast, their hunting weapons were pretty conventional and, though often primitive, properly functional.

The only explanation I could invent was that their concept of war was on a plane different from the rest of the world. But how exactly, is still a mystery to me....

Anybody knows?

25th November 2017, 12:15 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I used to wonder, why ( with literally a couple of exceptions) do sub-Saharan African swords have such peculiar forms that render their fighting function almost non-existent? They look more like some schizophrenic Kandinski’s drawings rather than weapons. In contrast, their hunting weapons were pretty conventional and, though often primitive, properly functional. The only explanation I could invent was that their concept of war was on a plane different from the rest of the world. But how exactly, is still a mystery to me.... Anybody knows?