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Originally Posted by Rick
I'm really starting to think that this is a native mark .
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Indeed it is Rick, and you and I have been kicking this one around quite a few years!
It seems that in more recent research and finally in discussions with Ed Hunley, who noted seeing these kinds of markings in the Suq al Haddad in Kassala in 1984, it is my opinion these are stylized interpretations of the old Samuel Kull mark. This was an ideograph of a fly which was apparantly recorded for this member of the Kull family blade retailers in Solingen from around 1847 until about 1860.
Much like many of the European markings which had circulated through the trade networks and native armourers centers through the 19th century and before, these markings were interpreted in use by these artisans. While the European purpose was of course mostly guild accordance and ostensibly quality assurance, the natives perceived these marks quite differently and applied them in terms of thier own meanings.
In this case, the marking had been loosely stylized from the original which had appeared more faithfully in takoubas earlier (see Raidera sword, Briggs, 1965, plate XX) and as the fly (termed duran in local dialect, Sudan). In native perception this was, as with many of these marks, magic, in this case to empower the warrior to 'jump as the fly' in combat.
It would seem that by the time of the Hadendoa swordmaking industry in Kassala, this stylized form, along with numbers of others, the crecent moons etc. had become quite stylized, though I believe in this form it was probably used for generations. These blades seen here with Lews and the one with the 'duran' probably had been around quite a few years, though of course they are refurbished with new mounts virtually with each change of hands in many cases.
All the best,
Jim