Zanzibar dagger?

Emanuel · 7th November 2006, 02:25 AM

Hi Lew,

Any indications that these might have been European blades?
Emanuel

Justin · 8th November 2006, 01:43 PM

I saw that one too,I aree with Lou looks like it was cut down.I have one that might have a European blade, almost looks like a sabre blade that has been reworked.

I wouldnt be surprised though if there were many with Euro blades,I have seen them in kaskaras , takoubas , koummyas , saifs,and many khodmis seem to be made from files {from Europe?} so it stands to reason that 'Zanzibar swords' had them too.

Ill work on getting some pics of my sword,congrats on the dagger I was tempted to take a shot at it myself

Emanuel · 8th November 2006, 03:32 PM

Hi Justin,

Interesting how similar the hilt is to the Ethiopian gurade...a bit more stylized. Looking forward to your pics.
Emanuel

ariel · 9th November 2006, 01:52 PM

Isn't it a Moroccan Jiboula?
There was also a suggestion that similar swords were used by Ethiopian Falasha.

Emanuel · 9th November 2006, 07:33 PM

Would that be interchangeable for S'Boula, and Shula? Or is there another Morrocan knife you're referring to?

Jim McDougall · 10th November 2006, 01:37 AM

Hi Ariel,
In research several years ago I discovered that these distinctively hilted weapons (believed to derive from the European baselard) actually are Moroccan s'boula, and have typically been termed 'Zanzibar' swords from the reference in Burton's 'Book of the Sword". Apparantly his reference was in turn taken from an error in the earlier work of Demmin, and the error is noted in the work of Charles Buttin. Much of this was the subject of my paper several years ago, but of course there remain differing views. In my paper I explained that there may have easily been diffusion of these weapons across trans Saharan trade routes, via Ethiopia (the Falasha connection

and ultimately to Zanzibar via slave trade routes that entered regions enroute.

All the best,
Jim

Emanuel · 10th November 2006, 03:14 AM

Hello Jim,

You did mention the s'boula in a thread a long time ago (can't find it now...) but is it a variation of the shula: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=shula, the al-genoui, or a separate form? The wire decorations on the example I posted is remarkably similar to those on my shula, and I believe the hilt is also cow? horn. Come to think of it, the example posted by Lew has a blade that looks like half-a-flyssa...sort of.

Warm regards,
Emanuel

9th November 2006, 07:33 PM	#5
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Jiboula?? Would that be interchangeable for S'Boula, and Shula? Or is there another Morrocan knife you're referring to?

7th November 2006, 02:25 AM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Lew, Any indications that these might have been European blades? Emanuel

8th November 2006, 01:43 PM	#2
Justin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 182	I saw that one too,I aree with Lou looks like it was cut down.I have one that might have a European blade, almost looks like a sabre blade that has been reworked. I wouldnt be surprised though if there were many with Euro blades,I have seen them in kaskaras , takoubas , koummyas , saifs,and many khodmis seem to be made from files {from Europe?} so it stands to reason that 'Zanzibar swords' had them too. Ill work on getting some pics of my sword,congrats on the dagger I was tempted to take a shot at it myself

8th November 2006, 03:32 PM	#3
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Justin, Interesting how similar the hilt is to the Ethiopian gurade...a bit more stylized. Looking forward to your pics. Emanuel

9th November 2006, 01:52 PM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Isn't it a Moroccan Jiboula? There was also a suggestion that similar swords were used by Ethiopian Falasha.

10th November 2006, 01:37 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,670	Hi Ariel, In research several years ago I discovered that these distinctively hilted weapons (believed to derive from the European baselard) actually are Moroccan s'boula, and have typically been termed 'Zanzibar' swords from the reference in Burton's 'Book of the Sword". Apparantly his reference was in turn taken from an error in the earlier work of Demmin, and the error is noted in the work of Charles Buttin. Much of this was the subject of my paper several years ago, but of course there remain differing views. In my paper I explained that there may have easily been diffusion of these weapons across trans Saharan trade routes, via Ethiopia (the Falasha connection and ultimately to Zanzibar via slave trade routes that entered regions enroute. All the best, Jim

10th November 2006, 03:14 AM	#7
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hello Jim, You did mention the s'boula in a thread a long time ago (can't find it now...) but is it a variation of the shula: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=shula, the al-genoui, or a separate form? The wire decorations on the example I posted is remarkably similar to those on my shula, and I believe the hilt is also cow? horn. Come to think of it, the example posted by Lew has a blade that looks like half-a-flyssa...sort of. Warm regards, Emanuel