Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Mahout's knives

sirupate · 2nd November 2016, 06:50 PM

Mahout from Nepal, in the GM museum in Pokhara they call the sickle an Aansi, the Mahout on the Elephant had scars on his legs from when a Tiger jumped up on his Elephant

ariel · 2nd November 2016, 11:45 PM

The"c" knife ( with parrot head) is remarkably similar to the creations of the Haddad family in Jezzine, S. Lebanon

http://glamroz.com/firebird-cutlery-made-in-jezzine/

RobT · 3rd November 2016, 03:21 AM

Sirupate,

Aansi is remarkably similar in sound to hansiya which is, I believe, the word for the harvesting sickle. The shape of the aansi is also very similar to the shape of the hansiya. Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
RobT

sirupate · 3rd November 2016, 12:28 PM

I think they are possibly one and the same, maybe a regional difference?, but the true Gurkhali/Nepali spelling is Aansi for the sickle blade, some pics from Nepal

RobT · 5th November 2016, 02:42 AM

Sirupati

Thanks for the info. It would appear that hansiya is a variant of aansi. Any idea of the group that uses the word hansiya? As an interesting aside, there is a Nepalese movie called Hasiya (spelled as shown without the "n"). The trailer shows a very attractive woman using an aansi in a very martial arts manner to do in a number of opponents.

Sincerely,
RobT

sirupate · 6th November 2016, 05:31 PM

Hi RobT,
I'm not sure, but I suspect it is like Khuda to Khunda for example, the same thing, but the latter one is a high caste spelling

Anandalal N. · 7th November 2016, 04:34 AM

Hi David and others,

The reason I posted the two knives above is since there is little written about them and so to place them in context. I suppose looking at the discussion that ensued the greater significance lies in the fact that although they may have had other uses, they are more or less dedicated knives for use by mahouts.

For example the large knife from Nepal depicted is a day to day working knife and I myself have observed it being used by Nepalese villagers. A similar knife is found in some Sri Lankan village households as a multipurpose knife used for various purposes from cracking open coconuts with the reverse edge to chopping wood and collecting firewood.

Kandyan provinces are as stated by me, the last areas to come under a foreign power (British) and so the term 'Kandyan' came to represent things that were uniquely Kandyan but also those arts, crafts and cultural elements that had resisted change the longest.

The term Piha Kaetta is a term that in a non Sri Lankan context has come to represent a large variety of knives from pointed dagger like knives with a clip point to heavy choppers. In relation to knives, the distinction between Kandyan and non Kandyan became more pronounced since the early regulations of the British Government prohibiting pointed knives to be worn or carried by locals exempted the inhabitants of the Kandyan provinces.

So things are not as straight forward as one would like it to be.

Rgds.

2nd November 2016, 06:50 PM	#1
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	Mahout from Nepal, in the GM museum in Pokhara they call the sickle an Aansi, the Mahout on the Elephant had scars on his legs from when a Tiger jumped up on his Elephant Attached Images

3rd November 2016, 03:21 AM	#3
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 458	Hansiya Sirupate, Aansi is remarkably similar in sound to hansiya which is, I believe, the word for the harvesting sickle. The shape of the aansi is also very similar to the shape of the hansiya. Any thoughts? Sincerely, RobT

3rd November 2016, 12:28 PM	#4
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	I think they are possibly one and the same, maybe a regional difference?, but the true Gurkhali/Nepali spelling is Aansi for the sickle blade, some pics from Nepal Attached Images Last edited by sirupate; 4th November 2016 at 12:16 PM.

5th November 2016, 02:42 AM	#5
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 458	Hansiya, The Movie Sirupati Thanks for the info. It would appear that hansiya is a variant of aansi. Any idea of the group that uses the word hansiya? As an interesting aside, there is a Nepalese movie called Hasiya (spelled as shown without the "n"). The trailer shows a very attractive woman using an aansi in a very martial arts manner to do in a number of opponents. Sincerely, RobT

2nd November 2016, 11:45 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The"c" knife ( with parrot head) is remarkably similar to the creations of the Haddad family in Jezzine, S. Lebanon http://glamroz.com/firebird-cutlery-made-in-jezzine/

6th November 2016, 05:31 PM	#6
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	Hi RobT, I'm not sure, but I suspect it is like Khuda to Khunda for example, the same thing, but the latter one is a high caste spelling

7th November 2016, 04:34 AM	#7
Anandalal N. Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 84	Hi David and others, The reason I posted the two knives above is since there is little written about them and so to place them in context. I suppose looking at the discussion that ensued the greater significance lies in the fact that although they may have had other uses, they are more or less dedicated knives for use by mahouts. For example the large knife from Nepal depicted is a day to day working knife and I myself have observed it being used by Nepalese villagers. A similar knife is found in some Sri Lankan village households as a multipurpose knife used for various purposes from cracking open coconuts with the reverse edge to chopping wood and collecting firewood. Kandyan provinces are as stated by me, the last areas to come under a foreign power (British) and so the term 'Kandyan' came to represent things that were uniquely Kandyan but also those arts, crafts and cultural elements that had resisted change the longest. The term Piha Kaetta is a term that in a non Sri Lankan context has come to represent a large variety of knives from pointed dagger like knives with a clip point to heavy choppers. In relation to knives, the distinction between Kandyan and non Kandyan became more pronounced since the early regulations of the British Government prohibiting pointed knives to be worn or carried by locals exempted the inhabitants of the Kandyan provinces. So things are not as straight forward as one would like it to be. Rgds.