Unusual African Broadsword

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Not that I am that knowledgeable about broadswords, or for that matter swords in general, I see a DEFINATE similarily between this sword and the Omani Katarra. The hilt particularly is almost identical.
I have seen continental blades on MANY Ethiopian swords and in fact if you go to www.ancient-east.com/collection many of these are shown.

Right on Stu!! The Omani kattara's seem to have often carried the same type blades used on kaskaras, and these blades probably entered the same trade routes from points of entry in the Red Sea. The influence of Omani kattaras is seen as far west as Mali in the typically mounted Manding sabres as well as our example here, in the distinct guardless hilt shape. The Moroccan s'boula daggers carried thier influence as far as Zanzibar, while the return trade routes may well have carried the Omani kattara form to Mali and clearly further west.

Its amazing how much diffusion and influence is directly related to the complex Arab trade routes, and connected to routes into inland regions on to trans Saharan trade caravans.

All the best,
Jim