Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartrika .

Radu Transylvanicus · 7th December 2004, 09:42 AM

The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika
by Radu Transylvanicus

Very few things coming from the region of the High Himalayas like Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet cannot be instantly recognized as very distinct if not unique in the historical and artistic patrimonies of the world.
We acknowledge with almost no exception that every artifact produced in this side of the world carries a direct deeply symbolical and spiritual connotation and martial tools are no exception but rather the embodiment of this certitude.
Due to its extreme natural surrounding and geography the need for war or defense was minimal here but not inexistent, caught in between the vast and millenary Hindustani and Chinese empires. This most exquisite blend where ancient Buddhism of India meets the deeply philosophical religions of China and mixes further with ancient local shamanistic practices producing a spectacular spirituality in everyday life of which a product of this combination I found in the two daggers I am proposing you for debate today: the PHURBA and the KARTIKA.
I should start by saying that I do not posses an exhaustive knowledge of neither and noe am I intending to pose as scholar but only I hope that I lit a spark in some of you that will bring something to the round table and share knowledge and theories regarding this subject : The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika .
I suggest from the start to let us dissociate for the moment as much as possible, unless direct in connotation, from other edged weapons from the area like the Kora, Ram Dao, Khukri or Sosun Pattah which are wonderful arms by all means but with perhaps at times Kora have no deep spiritual symbolism or claim esoteric powers.
I should probably start by describing and identifying them for those of us who are less familiar with them and hope that perhaps images would speak deeper than words for the moment:
KARTIKA (also known as Drigug , Grigug, Dhorje ) is essentially a knife with a crescent moon blade and a stamp shaft, to a little extent reminding of an Alaskan Ulu knife (possible correlation with the eastward migrations of the Asian hunters and gatherers communities over Bering Strait resulting ultimately in Eskimo and American Native races birth, who knows...).
The word Kartrika/Kartika in Sanskrit means ,,chopper,, which is exactly the manner one would expect its mechanics to work, it very much seems to have evolved from a utilitarian hunter’s knife considering the large skinning rounded broad blade and the omnipresent gutting hook.

7th December 2004, 09:42 AM	#1
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartrika . *The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika* by Radu Transylvanicus Very few things coming from the region of the High Himalayas like Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet cannot be instantly recognized as very distinct if not unique in the historical and artistic patrimonies of the world. We acknowledge with almost no exception that every artifact produced in this side of the world carries a direct deeply symbolical and spiritual connotation and martial tools are no exception but rather the embodiment of this certitude. Due to its extreme natural surrounding and geography the need for war or defense was minimal here but not inexistent, caught in between the vast and millenary Hindustani and Chinese empires. This most exquisite blend where ancient Buddhism of India meets the deeply philosophical religions of China and mixes further with ancient local shamanistic practices producing a spectacular spirituality in everyday life of which a product of this combination I found in the two daggers I am proposing you for debate today: the PHURBA and the KARTIKA. I should start by saying that I do not posses an exhaustive knowledge of neither and noe am I intending to pose as scholar but only I hope that I lit a spark in some of you that will bring something to the round table and share knowledge and theories regarding this subject : The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika . I suggest from the start to let us dissociate for the moment as much as possible, unless direct in connotation, from other edged weapons from the area like the Kora, Ram Dao, Khukri or Sosun Pattah which are wonderful arms by all means but with perhaps at times Kora have no deep spiritual symbolism or claim esoteric powers. I should probably start by describing and identifying them for those of us who are less familiar with them and hope that perhaps images would speak deeper than words for the moment: KARTIKA (also known as Drigug , Grigug, Dhorje ) is essentially a knife with a crescent moon blade and a stamp shaft, to a little extent reminding of an Alaskan Ulu knife (possible correlation with the eastward migrations of the Asian hunters and gatherers communities over Bering Strait resulting ultimately in Eskimo and American Native races birth, who knows...). The word Kartrika/Kartika in Sanskrit means ,,chopper,, which is exactly the manner one would expect its mechanics to work, it very much seems to have evolved from a utilitarian hunter’s knife considering the large skinning rounded broad blade and the omnipresent gutting hook. Attached Images Last edited by Radu Transylvanicus; 7th December 2004 at 11:35 AM.