Interesting Kaskara from the Askeri Museum

Pertinax · 28th August 2025, 12:24 AM

[QUOTE=Jim McDougall;299271]

* on p.162 Burton notes, "few of the Baghirmi can afford 'kaskara' (swords)".

Barth Heinrich «Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa» (1857) v.3, Chapter LI., pp. 450-451

With regard to the special features of the country, and the topography of the towns and villages, they will be described in a separate chapter; here I will only say that the entire population of the country seems scarcely to exceed a million and a half, and the whole military force, in the present reduced state of the kingdom, can hardly be more than 3000 horse, and 10,000 foot, including the Shuwa population, who surpass the black natives in breeding horses, while the cavalry of Waday may be most correctly estimated at from 5000 to 6000, and that of Dar-Fur at more than 10,000. The weapon most in use among them is the spear (“nyiga”), — the bow (“ka-kese”) and arrow (“kese”) being rare, not only with the inhabitants of Bagirmi Proper, but even with those of the pagan states to the south. Scarcely a single person has a shield; and they therefore use only the Kanuri name for this arm, viz “ngawa.” Very few possess the more valuable coat of mail, or “sullug;” and I scarcely observed a single fire-arm during my stay. But, on the other hand, almost all the pagan inhabitants of these regions are armed with that sort of weapon found in so many other countries which we have touched on our journey, viz. the handbill, or, as the Kanuri call it, the “goliyo” (here called “njiga,” the difference between the name of this weapon and that of the spear consisting in one single letter). Very few of the Bagirmi people are wealthy enough to purchase swords (“kaskara”), which they are not able to manufacture themselves; and few even wear that sort of dagger (“kiya”) on the left arm, which, in imitation of the Tawarek, has been introduced into a great part of Negroland.

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28th August 2025, 12:24 AM	#29
Pertinax Member Join Date: Dec 2023 Location: City by the Black Sea Posts: 299	[QUOTE=Jim McDougall;299271] * on p.162 Burton notes, "few of the Baghirmi can afford 'kaskara' (swords)". Barth Heinrich «Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa» (1857) v.3, Chapter LI., pp. 450-451 With regard to the special features of the country, and the topography of the towns and villages, they will be described in a separate chapter; here I will only say that the entire population of the country seems scarcely to exceed a million and a half, and the whole military force, in the present reduced state of the kingdom, can hardly be more than 3000 horse, and 10,000 foot, including the Shuwa population, who surpass the black natives in breeding horses, while the cavalry of Waday may be most correctly estimated at from 5000 to 6000, and that of Dar-Fur at more than 10,000. The weapon most in use among them is the spear (“nyiga”), — the bow (“ka-kese”) and arrow (“kese”) being rare, not only with the inhabitants of Bagirmi Proper, but even with those of the pagan states to the south. Scarcely a single person has a shield; and they therefore use only the Kanuri name for this arm, viz “ngawa.” Very few possess the more valuable coat of mail, or “sullug;” and I scarcely observed a single fire-arm during my stay. But, on the other hand, almost all the pagan inhabitants of these regions are armed with that sort of weapon found in so many other countries which we have touched on our journey, viz. the handbill, or, as the Kanuri call it, the “goliyo” (here called “njiga,” the difference between the name of this weapon and that of the spear consisting in one single letter). Very few of the Bagirmi people are wealthy enough to purchase swords (“kaskara”), which they are not able to manufacture themselves; and few even wear that sort of dagger (“kiya”) on the left arm, which, in imitation of the Tawarek, has been introduced into a great part of Negroland.