Arabian swords

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Hello Im new to the Forum

IBRAHIM

à +

Dom

[Michael Blalock]

Welcome Ibrahim, These are fascinating swords to me, as is the whole tradition of straight swords with flexible blades in South Arabia. I have not been able to find any contact information at the museum in Yemen to ask about this sword. I've searched in English and Arabic.
I haven't had much luck contacting museums in Oman either. Perhaps you can help me on some questions, I have gotten very few hits in Arabic on what we call the Kattara, الكتارة in fact I have only seen one page in Arabic that uses this term. Is الكتارةthe name that Omani's use for these swords?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams everyone !
Ya the Omanis all use the term Kattarra for the long double edged flexible bladed weapon. I often see sword demonstration dances where the exponents do flying vertical takeoffs 3 feet in the air with buckler in one hand and sword ( the kattara ) in the other and showing off by throwing the sword in the air 10 feet and catching it accurately..Plus an incredible flexed wrist action which makes the blade buzz and hum!!
I argue that the buckler is vital to balance when fighting with this weapon as without it you wobble badly. Used properly the small shield can also easily whip the opponents sword out of his hand. The Bucklers name is "Terrs" in Oman, made of thick buffalo or rarely Rhino and commonly some sea creature which I think is whale hide.
On the subject of Museums in Oman I will get their details but I find the best info comes out of the Tariq Rajeb Museum in Kuwait. (Slightly Biased since they have one of my Omani Battle Swords given 15 Years ago !) and it is that weapon that really intrigues me ... and the link to the weapon in that museum case ?... The left hand one. Is it related to the Old Omani Battlesword? If I can post some photos I think you will see my point as the hilts are very similar..It may be just coincidence..but the Museum picture looks like an Omani hilt thats been stretched... very curious... I saw one in Muscat the other day and the vendor said it was from Saudia. The point is that little is known about the Omani Battle Sword (17th Century) except that research now points at a much earlier date... perhaps 10th Century... so its important if there is a link...( and actually its only the hilt Im concerned about just now as the blades are different ) The superb work by Elgood ... and another by Anthony North doesnt pick up on this ... I have attached pics of 2 of my Omani Battle Swords (Total Lenghth 30 inches).Please note that they are unrestored therefor lack the silver furniture leather handle wrist strap and scabbard which fell off probably 3 or 4 hundred years ago...!! I have read the detailed descriptions at Viking Swords on this weapon but I suspect there is a lot more to discover. Its a hacking sword with a broad wing shaped blade and a spiked hilt with turned down quillons but what sort of shield ?? and where exactly did it come from and who made it?...It could predate the long sword Kattarra by 600 years ...
On these Ive seen wootz blades and non wootz andengraved silver cartouch at the throat and sometimes a name on the Pommel in silver. Ive also seen the brass dot on some blades; 3 dots and a one dot. Please compare the hilt with the Saudi hilt in the museum picture ... ?

The Saudi sword I saw in Muscat had a fake running wolf stamp.
Just to confuse !! The Zubair Museum in Muscat has an Omani Battle Sword with a Running Wolf stamp too...

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Michael Blalock

Welcome Ibrahim, These are fascinating swords to me, as is the whole tradition of straight swords with flexible blades in South Arabia. I have not been able to find any contact information at the museum in Yemen to ask about this sword. I've searched in English and Arabic.
I haven't had much luck contacting museums in Oman either. Perhaps you can help me on some questions, I have gotten very few hits in Arabic on what we call the Kattara, الكتارة in fact I have only seen one page in Arabic that uses this term. Is الكتارةthe name that Omani's use for these swords?

Kattara yes... I put too many R s in my last reply..

I am hugely interested in this weapon since no one seems to really know where it originates ... Im no exception despite owning 30 of them!! but I reckon they eveolved via Zanzibar after 1652 since that was when Oman seized that country so I imagine it came into Omani culture around about then. . via a broad cross section of swords Taureg, Mendingah, German,Sudani, Ethiopian and so on ... What puzzles me is if Im right what sword did it replace? The Omani short battle sword? or perhaps they had two swords both being used for a few hundred years by different little guard groups and outposts until the long sword generally took over... In fact there were several sword types including single edge both long and short..but Im generalising so as to focus on the short battle sword and the long Kattara ... It is fascinating because you then begin to think well what about the shields... ??? The Kattara is accompanied by the small Buckler(Terrs) but what did the short sword use?

[Michael Blalock]

On that note, here is the Guiness record highest sword throw 21.27 meters

http://www.guinessworldrecords.com/S...hrow/73875.htm

Here is a link to a photo of the swordsman and the Kattara

http://community.guinnessworldrecord...l?enlarge=true

[Steve]

Michael and Ibrahiim,
These photos and catalogue description ( which I finally retrieved from my i-phone) may be interesting to you. The sword is in the Wallace collection, London.
Steve

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Steve

Michael and Ibrahiim,
These photos and catalogue description ( which I finally retrieved from my i-phone) may be interesting to you. The sword is in the Wallace collection, London.
Steve

Salaams, Thankyou Steven that is a great lead and superb picture from the Wallace. I am particularly interested in that turned down cup and incorpoated quillons arrangement as it is like the so called Saudia variant contained in the thread and echoes the Omani short battle sword whos date is under the microscope because some would put it as 10th Century. It makes sense that there is a Persian involvement since that is where the short sword entered the ARABIAN PENINSULAR from. Probably from the Greek and Roman shortsword influence . I wonder what the original blade was like(The Wallace shows a 17thC German blade ~ possibly a running wolf stamp there?) Thank you for the input... The plot thickens.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Steve

Michael and Ibrahiim,
These photos and catalogue description ( which I finally retrieved from my i-phone) may be interesting to you. The sword is in the Wallace collection, London.
Steve

Such a good picture I didnt fully hoist in the writing under... Yes I see it has the running wolf blade mark. Thanks Steve On the subject of pommel hole on the Omani Kattara; no one has yet come up with any proof(I must have asked 20 people by now) but I can confirm that the pommel tang and blade all start life together so the idea of tightening the pommel with some sort of tool although it makes sense doesnt hold as its all one piece. Swords appear to be made with a hole in the pommel because thats what swords were made with before..therefor it is immortalised !!! The question is still unanswered.

[A.alnakkas]

posted by mistake >.<

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Michael Blalock

On that note, here is the Guiness record highest sword throw 21.27 meters

http://www.guinessworldrecords.com/S...hrow/73875.htm

Here is a link to a photo of the swordsman and the Kattara

http://community.guinnessworldrecord...l?enlarge=true

I tried throwing the Kattara .. Its easy ... the difficult bit is catching it and as they tend to be quite sharp.... vital to take it by the hilt . I believe this was a martial exercise and use the fact to argue against the suggestion of wrist strap through the pommel hole... The fact is I cant find that thread... but I will... and further I also found out that old Kattara dont have pommel holes.. This leads me to think that the new bladesmiths thought it should have a hole in it. So it has.