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Originally Posted by Tim Simmons
These are rich folks Vodun Ogun cutlasses. The one that started the thread has a bird head, this is Aje a deity. It is complicated as a outsider but as far as I can work out, Aje is or can used as female aspect to Ogun. Also a goddess of wealth. Aje appears to humans as a fowl. So all the bird idea posts were not that far of the mark except Peafowl are Indian.
PS most probably a Guinea fowl.
The snake {like} engraving on the first example is also a female aspect and access to Ogun. So I suggest the first example might possibly? have belonged to a wealthy lady? There are restrictions on female acess to Ogun, the bird and snake allow female acess.
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I don't think it is likely that a blade like this, if dedicated to Ogun, belonged to any one particular wealthy person, male or female. It would more likely be a temple tool and it's "owner" would be Ogun himself, to be wielded by a priest or priestess who is possessed by Ogun. That it is nicer than some others probably speaks more to the wealth of the community associated with the temple from which it may have come.
I have a different understanding of Aje. Here is an interesting article on the subject. Note that the bird association remains.
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/tr...y-persona.html