BAT HILTS

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams,

The national sword of Sri Lanka is the Kastane which appears to mimic the Nimcha. It has a much more ornate dragon like hilt which I would expect from a Sri Lankan design viewpoint.

Because of the obvious trade links between the Red Sea, Zanzibar and the Orient I decided to research Arab influence in these affected regions namely Sri Lanka and the Philppines.

Sri Lanka. What took me by surprise was the degree of Arab influence in the ethnic community make up of that country. 8 % are Moors. They seem to have arrived in the 7th to 16th C from Arabia. They were sea traders and merchants as well as farmers by nature. The first Arabs who practiced Islam arrived in Sri Lanka around the 7th–8th century, and there is evidence that there was a settled community of Arabs in Ceylon in pre-Islamic times.

Muslim merchants arrived in large numbers and some of them decided to settle in the island encouraged by the cordial treatment they received by the local rulers. Most of them lived along the coastal areas in peace and prosperity, maintaining contacts, both cultural and commercial, with Baghdad, Hadramout, Oman and other Islamic cities. (For a full account simply feed ointo the web Sri Lankan Moors and see the wikepedia details.)


The Philippines; I researched the word Moor and came up with ~Beside its usage in historical context, Moor and Moorish (Italian and Spanish: moro, French: maure, Portuguese: mouro, Romanian: maur) is used to designate an ethnic group speaking the Hassaniya Arabic dialect. They inhabit Mauritania and parts of Algeria, Western Sahara, Tunisia, Morocco, Niger and Mali. In Niger and Mali, these peoples are also known as the Azawagh Arabs, after the Azawagh region of the Sahara.[16]

In modern, colloquial Spanish, the sometimes pejorative term "Moro" refers to any Arab. Similarly, in modern, colloquial Portuguese, the term "Mouro" is primarely used as a designation for North Africans and secondarily as a derogatory and ironic term by northern Portuguese to refer to the inhabitants of the southern parts of the country (Lisbon, Alentejo and Algarve).

In the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, many residents call the local Muslim population in the Southern islands Moros. They also self-identify that way (see Muslim Filipino). The term was introduced by the Spanish colonizers. In fact Arab settlement in the Philippines is not significant and not comparable to the Sri Lanka situation simply because of geographical distance. Moro was a term used to describe Muslim Philipino people not Arabs.

For Sri Lanka; this tells us that Arab trade was set up early and was continuous with Persian and Arab merchants settled in Srilanka and that full ethnic and cultural integration was highly advanced even before the full Portuguese, Dutch and British involvement. Since sword transmission follows or is in parallel with trade we should expect some influence in weapon design.

The Nimcha. The Italian and/or Venetian sword appears as the origin of species and can be seen transmitted along the North African Medittereanean Coast in particular cloissoned versions in Algeria and other examples of a similar theme as far west as Morrocco in the Mediterranean. It seems to have been a preferred weapon of the Barbary Coast ~ Pirates.
A few swords somehow arrived in England early in the 16thC though on long English blades.

The eventual and inevitable transfer to what is now Saudia probably by caravan (or a combination of sea and land routes and because of trade and religious expeditions to Mecca would have exposed the sword style to Saudi, Yemeni and Omani (Zanzibari) patrons. Once into the Zanzibar Hub I see the inevitable spread potentially to all stations east though I suspect this happened in slow stages thus the variety of different morphs showing up today.

The further addition of European trade blades clouds an already dimly lit scenario but has to be considered.

The Sri Lankan Kastane style may have developed earlier from the Arab merchants and settlers since they were already well established by the 15th C. It is also entirely possible that the early Arab traders brought the version to Zanzibar and since they already knew the trade route to China and the Philippines perhaps there is a link.

It is always possible, however, that the Philippines weapon did in fact develop separately as a parallel but purely accidental similarity. (I see more similarity between that and the Sri Lankan Kastane than with the Nimcha.)

I cannot see any trace of transmission from Spain to Mexico to Manila to Zanzibar ~ It seems to be the other way round.. logically. Also no transmission appears between Manila to Acccupulco to Spain thus the Philippines is perhaps a bridge too far in this discussion. At the same time I believe the Tobias Blose style in Anthony Norths Islamic Arms; page 28 in 16th Century London is a hybrid.

It strikes me that The Nimcha could have transferred to different cultures in a mixed timescale possibly over 400 years to an unrelated variety of places and been locally altered restyled and changed. Then in about the 18th or early 19th Century the net effect of a blanket of trade blades has muddied the waters with cheap creations appearing in Yemeni, UAE and Omani souks. There are examples of straight and curved blades; some european; some local copies although there are a few fine Iconic Nimchas on expensive Ivory hilts, highly adorned such as the Zanzibar style and the cloissoned Algerian Nimcha and in some good Saudi examples with cross guards.

That brings from me a conclusion based upon the question quote "Does anyone else see a similarity between Nimcha hilts and the bat hilts of the Philippines" ? The question was this:-Influence or Coincidence" ?

In so far as ~ Italy/Venice, Mediterranean (Barbary Coast Algeria - Morocco), Red Sea, Saudia, Zanzibar and Sri Lanka yes for sure ...

~but in respect of The Philippines; Im not convinced about influece..but coincidence; yes.



Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.




.

[tom hyle]

interesting.
The Zanzibar swords in question are, I believe, not kattaras as has been apparently suposed, but the East coast nimcha/saifs, which can be seperated from those of the North coast by a number of details, most notably annoes and also a shorter quillon block with a punched-through tang hole rather than the hollow center found on the Moorocan type guards. I tend to view these as Swahili, and I see them all along the coast, rather than just from Zanzibar or Yemen to which they are commonly attributed.
Certainly one sees a resemblance between these types, and the flat-tang no-guard Berber sabers, and the middle-eastern Arab saif, and all seem closely related.
I have always considered the Philipino head pommels an extension of native animist culture. Their stylization seems more that of the Pacific than that of Islam to me.
The handling of the ears is notably different than on a saif (where there are never[?] a seperate front and back ear and where the nose comes to resemble an ear) or shah shish qa and yatagan (where the ears are seperated but stylized in a very different fashion than in SE Asia).
The iconography cited for saif is always the horse, while the SE Asian hilts depict a great range of deities/animals, all resembling each other in style.
Then there is the Turkish style pinky pull found on "nimcha"s; a feature of Turkish knives, including yatagan, not generally seen on their longer swords.
At the end of your handle, a hook is good. Hooks look like heads.
Just thoughts; no conclusions.
That's what's so interesting

[migueldiaz]

thanks to royston for bringing up the topic. and i agree with the opinions that it's all merely coincidental.

as far as trading activities are concerned (precolonial per illustration, and thereafter), the bicol region had always been in the backwater. thus if there were a sword design that trickled down to bicol via trading, we would have found a similar design along the trading routes, within the philippines and also in the neighboring countries. but there's none.

also as pointed out, the designs in philippine (and southeast asian) weapons can be traced to the olden animistic beliefs. thus the 'motive' for the region's sword designs was different vs. middle eastern sword designs.

incidentally, may i inquire what thus was the inspiration behind the hilt design of arab swords (aside from the usual practical considerations, like easier drawing of the sword from the scabbard)? thanks in advance.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

thanks to royston for bringing up the topic. and i agree with the opinions that it's all merely coincidental.

as far as trading activities are concerned (precolonial per illustration, and thereafter), the bicol region had always been in the backwater. thus if there were a sword design that trickled down to bicol via trading, we would have found a similar design along the trading routes, within the philippines and also in the neighboring countries. but there's none.

also as pointed out, the designs in philippine (and southeast asian) weapons can be traced to the olden animistic beliefs. thus the 'motive' for the region's sword designs was different vs. middle eastern sword designs.

incidentally, may i inquire what thus was the inspiration behind the hilt design of arab swords (aside from the usual practical considerations, like easier drawing of the sword from the scabbard)? thanks in advance.

Salaams, Thanks for the clear map. Your question as to design is perhaps best answered by the origin of species of this sort of Arab sword which seems to stem from Italian and Venetian types perhaps moving down the Med along the Barbary Coast as far as Magreb and certianly eveident in Ageria morocco Saudia Oman(mainly Zanzibar) and Yemen. As a biproduct of it being around in the courtly neighborhoods of Rome and Venice a likely cousin to the early style appears on the waistbelt of Captains of the Great Bands of London (no doubt having visited such places) thus worn by Tobias Blose in my earlier letter. Your point about animalistic (Zoomorphic) hilt is understood but cannot be verified since the highly zoomorphic hilt from a morphed Nimcha appears on Sri Lankan Swords. It is always possible that the Philippines variant is a derivitive of that sword, however, it is agreed that it appears to be unrelated parallel development compared to the Arab Nimcha generally .. Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Spunjer]

Your point about animalistic (Zoomorphic) hilt is understood but cannot be verified since the highly zoomorphic hilt from a morphed Nimcha appears on Sri Lankan Swords.

Ibrahim, lorenz is referring to the old pre-hispanic and pre-islamic belief of the people of the Philippines, which was Animism. if one would really look at the weapons of the Philippines from Aparri (north) to Sulu (south), a lot of these could still be seen, evident from the once strong animistic, not animalistic, belief of the people.

[Battara]

I still believe that parallel development and/or independent origination is a viable explanation here. Many examples in world history and cultures exist.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

I still believe that parallel development and/or independent origination is a viable explanation here. Many examples in world history and cultures exist.

I totally agree!

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

Ibrahim, lorenz is referring to the old pre-hispanic and pre-islamic belief of the people of the Philippines, which was Animism. if one would really look at the weapons of the Philippines from Aparri (north) to Sulu (south), a lot of these could still be seen, evident from the once strong animistic, not animalistic, belief of the people.

Thanks, Ron!

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Your point about animalistic (Zoomorphic) hilt is understood but cannot be verified since the highly zoomorphic hilt from a morphed Nimcha appears on Sri Lankan Swords.

Ibrahim, thanks again for your comments. In the case of Filipino weapons (and am sure it would be true for the neighboring countries' case), the matter is verifiable. I've written an article for a local academic journal specifically establishing the link between the objects of our forefathers' animism, vis-a-vis our traditional sword forms. The article is here. It's written in Filipino, thus you would probably need to find somebody who can translate it for you

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Thanks, Ron!

Ibrahim, thanks again for your comments. In the case of Filipino weapons (and am sure it would be true for the neighboring countries' case), the matter is verifiable. I've written an article for a local academic journal specifically establishing the link between the objects of our forefathers' animism, vis-a-vis our traditional sword forms. The article is here. It's written in Filipino, thus you would probably need to find somebody who can translate it for you

Salaams,

Great ... Can you present that work to the Forum please?

Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi