The African Great Lakes and The Omani Empire.

ariel · 5th September 2021, 04:48 PM

Hi Peter,
Thanks for this beautiful review.
One comment only: I am from Michigan, and we get mightily offended when some people refer to " Great Lakes" as something not surrounding our state: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. In crosswords they are often related as HOMES.

Peter Hudson · 7th September 2021, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

Hi Peter,
Thanks for this beautiful review.
One comment only: I am from Michigan, and we get mightily offended when some people refer to " Great Lakes" as something not surrounding our state: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. In crosswords they are often related as HOMES.

Hello Ariel and many thanks for the support..

Regards, Peter Hudson.

Peter Hudson · 27th October 2021, 08:07 PM

Reference A. Jim McDougall at #5 shows a variety of quotes belonging to Richard Burton.
Reference B. My picture at# 11 of A Zanzibar slave market with Omani Slave Traders sitting down wearing Kitara Curved Omani Long Hilted swords.

It was non other than the great man Richard Burton who ear marked the likely position that curved German Cavalry Blades were the source of the Omani Curved Kitara blade adopted by Omani Traders operating in Bunyoro-Kitara (The kingdom of The Sword} in the Great African Lakes

But there are a number of peculiarities that further cloud the issue viz;

1.The government of Bunyoro Kitara have had their entire web page country file re-written and most words which could have been linked to Slavery have been excluded and any links throughout their history have been doctored to exclude such details...whilst much of the blame for everything has been placed at the door of one sort of invader or other African neighbours or British Colonial influence..and in the last 7 years wording like The Kingdom of The Sword has altogether evaporated completely!!

2. Myth and Legend still pervades the landscape of history there and many believe that most of the population vanished beneath the waves of one of the Great Lakes suddenly and without trace a few hundred years ago...

3. With no written form much is said to have happened and since it has been all passed down verbally it isn't exactly accurate..If anything this plays into the mystical concept followed by the Omani hunters and traders coming and going with Ivory, Rhino Horn, Skins, and Slaves thus since Omani people also had a verbal historical device called The Funoon which was essentially a series of traditional songs, dances and performances so the two interacted probably quite well...

Bunyoro - Kitara had many commodities for example; vast banana plantations of differing varieties, huge herds of very long horned cattle ... a huge iron ore smelting operation, agricultural tool making expertise and excellent Salt production areas. Below shows some of the other items made there and seen sketched on he drawing of a medical facility are spears and a long handled sword perhaps a Kitara of the type we are looking at or an African tribal style ...interestingly the scene depicts a Ceasarian operation that amazingly they were expert at conducting and it was recorded by this sketch in a medical Journal of about 1879...

The Omani Long Hilted Kitara were remodelled German Cavalry weapons with an extended Tang thus their hilt had to be rebuilt and copied in the same style as the straight dancing hilt. Unlike the curved sayf the dancer or sayf was made in Oman as one piece tang and blade as one....The Curved Omani Kitara needed an extended tang. The blades of dancing swords were very flexible but the Kitara curved was much thicker and stiff with a heavy back edge. This Kitara was the badge of office of the Omani Slave Trader thus acted like a right of passage and was worn at the waist usually with the Terrs Rhino Skin Shield slung across the back as at Ref B. with silver furniture and a heavy pommel and decorated with usually black leather in the Omani style.

Jim McDougall · 28th October 2021, 04:41 PM

I'm glad to see this topic brought forward Peter. We worked on compiling this material for a number of years, and it was surprising how much was completely unknown about these swords.
With Zanzibar being the 'X-factor' in the equation, and the efforts to further cloud the commerce in slaving, things were certainly pushed farther into darkness.

The fact that Burton, a remarkably detailed observer with specific acumen in swords and prolific writer on many subjects, noted these details in his narrative in 1859, places them in real time. His observations on the German blades in this context and in that time, associated with the Omani sa'if as typically carried in Zanzibar (Demmin, 1877; Burton, 1884) place these weapons in situ in these regions in 1859, so likely earlier as well.

The curved blade versions therefore were actually termed 'kitara' as discussed several years ago, with a colloquial nod toward these regions in Africa, while the long bladed broadswords familiar to modern collectors were known as 'kattara' loosely drawing from that term. Actually, as with many swords, such as kaskara, the native term was simply sa'if.

Peter Hudson · 29th October 2021, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

I'm glad to see this topic brought forward Peter. We worked on compiling this material for a number of years, and it was surprising how much was completely unknown about these swords.
With Zanzibar being the 'X-factor' in the equation, and the efforts to further cloud the commerce in slaving, things were certainly pushed farther into darkness.

The fact that Burton, a remarkably detailed observer with specific acumen in swords and prolific writer on many subjects, noted these details in his narrative in 1859, places them in real time. His observations on the German blades in this context and in that time, associated with the Omani sa'if as typically carried in Zanzibar (Demmin, 1877; Burton, 1884) place these weapons in situ in these regions in 1859, so likely earlier as well.

The curved blade versions therefore were actually termed 'kitara' as discussed several years ago, with a colloquial nod toward these regions in Africa, while the long bladed broadswords familiar to modern collectors were known as 'kattara' loosely drawing from that term. Actually, as with many swords, such as kaskara, the native term was simply sa'if.

Thank you Jim, A great deal of muddying of waters has been applied by various governments concerning slavery and I was astonished to find history being erased in the situation with Bunyoro-Kitara (The Kingdom of the Sword) in the African Great Lakes.
No one I spoke to in Oman where I was for 40 years including a decade in their army had even heard of Bunyoro-Kitara though many guessed that the curved sword had something to do with Zanzibar. Kitara is not an Omani word but arrived when that weapon became adopted as The Slavers Sword around the time Said the Great died in about 1856... Often locals termed it the Kataara almost as a colloquial term or pronunciation but trying to find it on a modern day computer proved hopeless until I applied a few spelling changes and eventually as Kitara it popped up pointing the way to its true African link to a country in the Great Lakes; Bunyoro-Kitara...To my knowledge Omani people sometimes use the word Sayf/Saif for any sword and Saif can be a mans first name in Islam...but so far as I could discover Sayf or Saif was for the straight sword I term The Dancer....and for the curved sword of very similar style Kitara was the correct pronunciation.

1. The Straight flexible Long Handled, No Cross Guard, Two sharp edges, flat spatulate tipped, fullered (up to 3), Accompanied (usually) by The Terrs with Omani style leather work to scabbard and hilt. Omani Silver Furniture..
Used to herald the Ruler and at Weddings and traditional dance and performances in The Funoon and at the two Eids in the Islamic Year and in particular in the war dance between warriors in a point scoring warm up event. It can be seen that the Old Omani Battle Sword passes on a few details to this sword in the sharp double edge, The Flat Spatulate Tip and The Terrs Shield. Probably brought into service by Said the Great in the initial part of his Reign aprox 1820. Perhaps along with the Royal Khanjar Hilt, Royal Cummerbunds and Royal Hilt on the Royal Omani Battle Sword.... thus may have been introduced by one of his wives... Sheherazad. This hilt is shown at Omani Khanjars #1. This sword is illustrated in this thread

2. The Curved Kitara with lengthened tang and given the long Omani Handle and Terrs and worn as the Badge of Office of an Omani Slaver not usually used in dancing though may be used and is used outside of Oman ie UAE. The Blade is a heavy backblade with deep fullers along the back edge...and pointed and stiff. Probably an invention inspired by the use of Zanzibar by Said The Great possibly in the second half of the period 1806 /1856 aprox 1840. The sword is also on this thread as is the Terrs.

Both swords above are thus attributed by design and application to the ruler Said The Great ; The first A Dancer and the Second A badge of Office of A slaver/ linked to the Zanzibar African Great Lakes particularly Bunyoro-Kitara. Jim deserves special mention in unlocking the secrets hidden away in Richard Burtons books and his travels with Speke but as I say ...These hidden Gems are the result of solid research by Jim and the patience of you all...

Peter Hudson.

27th October 2021, 08:07 PM	#3
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 311	Reference A. Jim McDougall at #5 shows a variety of quotes belonging to Richard Burton. Reference B. My picture at# 11 of A Zanzibar slave market with Omani Slave Traders sitting down wearing Kitara Curved Omani Long Hilted swords. It was non other than the great man Richard Burton who ear marked the likely position that curved German Cavalry Blades were the source of the Omani Curved Kitara blade adopted by Omani Traders operating in Bunyoro-Kitara (The kingdom of The Sword} in the Great African Lakes But there are a number of peculiarities that further cloud the issue viz; 1.The government of Bunyoro Kitara have had their entire web page country file re-written and most words which could have been linked to Slavery have been excluded and any links throughout their history have been doctored to exclude such details...whilst much of the blame for everything has been placed at the door of one sort of invader or other African neighbours or British Colonial influence..and in the last 7 years wording like The Kingdom of The Sword has altogether evaporated completely!! 2. Myth and Legend still pervades the landscape of history there and many believe that most of the population vanished beneath the waves of one of the Great Lakes suddenly and without trace a few hundred years ago... 3. With no written form much is said to have happened and since it has been all passed down verbally it isn't exactly accurate..If anything this plays into the mystical concept followed by the Omani hunters and traders coming and going with Ivory, Rhino Horn, Skins, and Slaves thus since Omani people also had a verbal historical device called The Funoon which was essentially a series of traditional songs, dances and performances so the two interacted probably quite well... Bunyoro - Kitara had many commodities for example; vast banana plantations of differing varieties, huge herds of very long horned cattle ... a huge iron ore smelting operation, agricultural tool making expertise and excellent Salt production areas. Below shows some of the other items made there and seen sketched on he drawing of a medical facility are spears and a long handled sword perhaps a Kitara of the type we are looking at or an African tribal style ...interestingly the scene depicts a Ceasarian operation that amazingly they were expert at conducting and it was recorded by this sketch in a medical Journal of about 1879... The Omani Long Hilted Kitara were remodelled German Cavalry weapons with an extended Tang thus their hilt had to be rebuilt and copied in the same style as the straight dancing hilt. Unlike the curved sayf the dancer or sayf was made in Oman as one piece tang and blade as one....The Curved Omani Kitara needed an extended tang. The blades of dancing swords were very flexible but the Kitara curved was much thicker and stiff with a heavy back edge. This Kitara was the badge of office of the Omani Slave Trader thus acted like a right of passage and was worn at the waist usually with the Terrs Rhino Skin Shield slung across the back as at Ref B. with silver furniture and a heavy pommel and decorated with usually black leather in the Omani style. Attached Images Last edited by Peter Hudson; 27th October 2021 at 09:14 PM.

5th September 2021, 04:48 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Hi Peter, Thanks for this beautiful review. One comment only: I am from Michigan, and we get mightily offended when some people refer to " Great Lakes" as something not surrounding our state: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. In crosswords they are often related as HOMES.

28th October 2021, 04:41 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,785	I'm glad to see this topic brought forward Peter. We worked on compiling this material for a number of years, and it was surprising how much was completely unknown about these swords. With Zanzibar being the 'X-factor' in the equation, and the efforts to further cloud the commerce in slaving, things were certainly pushed farther into darkness. The fact that Burton, a remarkably detailed observer with specific acumen in swords and prolific writer on many subjects, noted these details in his narrative in 1859, places them in real time. His observations on the German blades in this context and in that time, associated with the Omani sa'if as typically carried in Zanzibar (Demmin, 1877; Burton, 1884) place these weapons in situ in these regions in 1859, so likely earlier as well. The curved blade versions therefore were actually termed 'kitara' as discussed several years ago, with a colloquial nod toward these regions in Africa, while the long bladed broadswords familiar to modern collectors were known as 'kattara' loosely drawing from that term. Actually, as with many swords, such as kaskara, the native term was simply sa'if.