Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 25th November 2011, 07:02 PM

"The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara".

Salaams All,

At this point I would like to place before the Forum the results in numbered format to date so that the impact and direction of this thread can be fully seen. It may also act as a précis of the key results so far which are quite astonishing viz;

1. The Old Omani Battle Sword (Sayf) Turned down Quillons..dates to the beginning of Ibathi Islam marked by the appearance of the first Imam Ibn Julanda in 751 A.D. #65
2. It is similar in 11 ways to the Abbasid sword against which it was used. #5
3. It continued in service for around 1000 years; being passed down father to son, until its decline probably because of the advent of gunpowder and possibly because it was being superseded by a lighter more flexible blade but perhaps because the expertise in making the old blade had ceased to exist. #153
4. It has a living record in the Funoon, Razha and Agaaleh; traditional dance and martial mimicry from the inception of the first Imam and every year, many times, since. #56
5. It is called Sayf but its local name in the UAE and Omani Interior is Sayf Yamaani (the term for the sword from old Yemen) #157
6. It achieved Iconic status seen on a drawing at the waist of an(1890) 19th C. Sultan. #25
7. It was used in unison with a Buckler Shield (Terrs) made from an amphibious beast either Whale, Hippo, Water Buffalo or possibly Rhino. #155
8. It may have had a replacement hilt thinner and flexible fitted in the 17th C but detail is as yet unresolved.
9. A completely new blade appeared as a one piece "hilt blade and tang" possibly in the 18th and /or 19th C and 20th C and 21stC from external sources perhaps from Europe and /or local and / or other places like India; as yet unresolved.
10. The New Sayf retained the old name and the Buckler shield and was absorbed into the Funoon with a new style of handling and movement. #56 and 65
11. Local centres of production include Musandam peninsular and Al Ain/Buraimi. Nizwa may have made swords since they had the expertise to make copper utensils and iron tools using the bellows technique to increase the heat..#98 and157
12. A visitor (Mr Frazer) to Hormuz garrisoned by Omani troops noted in 1821….. that they wore a broadsword similar to a Scotish Claymore.
13. The famous British secretary ( Mr Ingrams) at the Royal Zanzibar Court in about 1910 noted that the Funoon / Razha sword dances were only performed by Omani men (born in Muscat… not Zanzibaris indicating the system was indeed Omani.)
14. Gypsies (Zutood) may have produced many swords in Oman with a wandering forge on commission. #156
15. The New Sayf gained popularity and Iconic status and seen in photographs on the waist of Zanzibari Sultans in the late 19th and early 20th C.
16. A flambouyant or zig zag bladed Sayf variant appeared at a point not yet determined but probably after 1821.#30
17. Sayf is the very old Arabic word for swords whilst Kattara may not even be an Arabic word at all and may have only joined the vocabulary in the 18th or 19th C with the advent of curved blades entering the arena from all points of the compass which in turn achieved VIP status like most styles of Omani swords photographed on the waist in Zamzibar etc. #21
18. A new nomenclature has been reported to Forum as "The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara". #155
19. Key reference material from The Omani Craft Heritage Documentation Project, Muscat Museum, Bait Zubair Museum and the Abu Dhabi Cultural and Heritage Foundation are offered as definitive proof so far along with almost 160 Forum letters many full of vital, excellent, helpful and constructive notes.

"The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara".

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

25th November 2011, 07:02 PM	#158
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Important points, at a glance, noted so far. "The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara". Salaams All, At this point I would like to place before the Forum the results in numbered format to date so that the impact and direction of this thread can be fully seen. It may also act as a précis of the key results so far which are quite astonishing viz; 1. The Old Omani Battle Sword (Sayf) Turned down Quillons..dates to the beginning of Ibathi Islam marked by the appearance of the first Imam Ibn Julanda in 751 A.D. #65 2. It is similar in 11 ways to the Abbasid sword against which it was used. #5 3. It continued in service for around 1000 years; being passed down father to son, until its decline probably because of the advent of gunpowder and possibly because it was being superseded by a lighter more flexible blade but perhaps because the expertise in making the old blade had ceased to exist. #153 4. It has a living record in the Funoon, Razha and Agaaleh; traditional dance and martial mimicry from the inception of the first Imam and every year, many times, since. #56 5. It is called Sayf but its local name in the UAE and Omani Interior is Sayf Yamaani (the term for the sword from old Yemen) #157 6. It achieved Iconic status seen on a drawing at the waist of an(1890) 19th C. Sultan. #25 7. It was used in unison with a Buckler Shield (Terrs) made from an amphibious beast either Whale, Hippo, Water Buffalo or possibly Rhino. #155 8. It may have had a replacement hilt thinner and flexible fitted in the 17th C but detail is as yet unresolved. 9. A completely new blade appeared as a one piece "hilt blade and tang" possibly in the 18th and /or 19th C and 20th C and 21stC from external sources perhaps from Europe and /or local and / or other places like India; as yet unresolved. 10. The New Sayf retained the old name and the Buckler shield and was absorbed into the Funoon with a new style of handling and movement. #56 and 65 11. Local centres of production include Musandam peninsular and Al Ain/Buraimi. Nizwa may have made swords since they had the expertise to make copper utensils and iron tools using the bellows technique to increase the heat..#98 and157 12. A visitor (Mr Frazer) to Hormuz garrisoned by Omani troops noted in 1821….. that they wore a broadsword similar to a Scotish Claymore. 13. The famous British secretary ( Mr Ingrams) at the Royal Zanzibar Court in about 1910 noted that the Funoon / Razha sword dances were only performed by Omani men (born in Muscat… not Zanzibaris indicating the system was indeed Omani.) 14. Gypsies (Zutood) may have produced many swords in Oman with a wandering forge on commission. #156 15. The New Sayf gained popularity and Iconic status and seen in photographs on the waist of Zanzibari Sultans in the late 19th and early 20th C. 16. A flambouyant or zig zag bladed Sayf variant appeared at a point not yet determined but probably after 1821.#30 17. Sayf is the very old Arabic word for swords whilst Kattara may not even be an Arabic word at all and may have only joined the vocabulary in the 18th or 19th C with the advent of curved blades entering the arena from all points of the compass which in turn achieved VIP status like most styles of Omani swords photographed on the waist in Zamzibar etc. #21 18. A new nomenclature has been reported to Forum as "The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara". #155 19. Key reference material from The Omani Craft Heritage Documentation Project, Muscat Museum, Bait Zubair Museum and the Abu Dhabi Cultural and Heritage Foundation are offered as definitive proof so far along with almost 160 Forum letters many full of vital, excellent, helpful and constructive notes. "The Straight is a Sayf and the Curved is a Kattara". Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 25th November 2011 at 07:22 PM. Reason: Text corrections.