Spanish motto on takouba or kaskara blades?

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Oliver Pinchot

Those involved in the inbound trade of these blades would be to some degree literate and have an understanding that these are white man’s words and thus perhaps be considered to have power over them and have no real place amongst the regions who received these blades.

Respectfully, I find this both muddled and incorrect.

The inscription, which no one has bothered to relate in English, means

Do not draw me without right, do not sheathe me without honor.

If translated, such a basic phrase would be understood by virtually any human culture, particularly a chivalric one like that
of the Tuareg. And if not, it would simply represent a series of interesting if unintelligible marks, which even the most ignorant seller would ask a higher price for.
Secondly, the Tuareg are Caucasoid. They are white men, Gavin.

Oliver

Respectfully, thank you for the origins of mankind insight and my apologies for the ambiguous brush stroke of mine, I should have quantified "white men" as those from Europe where these trade centres were located.

Whilst it is a noble phrase in its most common native tongue or translated for another in another region, without written account of such phrases being accepted in these regions, it is as much speculation as my thoughts about symbols being more potent, but it is speculation that sends us deeper in to the past looking for clues.

Good luck in your quest Jim.

Gavin

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Gav, and absolutely beautifully said!
Stu, thank you so much for the well placed link. It is often truly amazing at how far the trade networks of Spain actually reached, and with interaction with those of other powers and cultural spheres it becomes phenomenal.

Ed, thank you as well for the link to the exellent work by Marc on the metallurgy of many of these type blades! I wanted to also respectfully disagree with your extremely modest note on your experience with this topic. You have undertaken some of the most serious field work on the weapons of Sudan, and your outstanding work remains as one of the key perspectives on which much of the continuing research has benchmarked.

Thank you all for the great input and well wishes!
The quest for examples of these blades in these contexts continues!

All the best,
Jim
Jim