Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Qama

ariel · 2nd December 2016, 12:20 PM

Jim,
There were several articles in Russian sources discussing manners of Kindjal use.
To put it shortly:

During intra-tribal duels, stabbing was forbidden because of its letality and subsequent retaliations and blood feuds by the family of the deceased. Thus, augmenting slashing/ cutting function of the kindjal would run contrary to the principle of "non-letality" and increase the obligatory fine slapped on the "victor". Also, stabbing was officially frown upon as dishonorable: it was viewed as used only by thieves.

Hunting and real wars removed that limitation: kill, kill, kill.

So far, so good:-)

In real life, however, popular lore and accounts of witnesses were replete with instances of stabbing. As noted by you, cutting and slashing are natural only for sabers.

I would be grateful to Oliver for providing examples of Caucasian kindjals with handles deliberately angled parallel to the plane of the blade ( like the above example): I haven't seen any. There were many "perpendicular" ones, and I referred to them above.

I fully agree with him on the jeweled one, and think that the original one shown here was also accidentally deformed.

2nd December 2016, 12:20 PM	#12
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Jim, There were several articles in Russian sources discussing manners of Kindjal use. To put it shortly: During intra-tribal duels, stabbing was forbidden because of its letality and subsequent retaliations and blood feuds by the family of the deceased. Thus, augmenting slashing/ cutting function of the kindjal would run contrary to the principle of "non-letality" and increase the obligatory fine slapped on the "victor". Also, stabbing was officially frown upon as dishonorable: it was viewed as used only by thieves. Hunting and real wars removed that limitation: kill, kill, kill. So far, so good:-) In real life, however, popular lore and accounts of witnesses were replete with instances of stabbing. As noted by you, cutting and slashing are natural only for sabers. I would be grateful to Oliver for providing examples of Caucasian kindjals with handles deliberately angled parallel to the plane of the blade ( like the above example): I haven't seen any. There were many "perpendicular" ones, and I referred to them above. I fully agree with him on the jeweled one, and think that the original one shown here was also accidentally deformed.