Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Huge sword

ariel · 21st December 2005, 11:05 PM

I agree with Rivkin.
There may be some psychological undertone: Persians were losing one war after another and were much better swordmakers than swordwielders. Perhaps, as a compensation, they tended to exaggerate their past military glories, exploits of their national heroes and the grandiosity of their weapons.
I have a strong suspicion that these giant Qamas were just an equivalent of "mine is bigger than yours". I also do not think these things were used for self-mutilation at Ashura festivals. The scalp wounds were in a large measure for show: bleed a lot but heal fast. With the giant Qama one could inadverently inflict some real damage.....

21st December 2005, 11:05 PM	#8
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I agree with Rivkin. There may be some psychological undertone: Persians were losing one war after another and were much better swordmakers than swordwielders. Perhaps, as a compensation, they tended to exaggerate their past military glories, exploits of their national heroes and the grandiosity of their weapons. I have a strong suspicion that these giant Qamas were just an equivalent of "mine is bigger than yours". I also do not think these things were used for self-mutilation at Ashura festivals. The scalp wounds were in a large measure for show: bleed a lot but heal fast. With the giant Qama one could inadverently inflict some real damage.....