The African Great Lakes and The Omani Empire.

[Peter Hudson]

Thanks Jim, Your input is accurate and precise with superb references supporting your post ...as always. Thank you for your supporting evidence. A good deal of further evidence can be found simply by tapping Omani Swords into SEARCH and this function is free and easy to use by Forum members.

A number of vital parts of the puzzle are also important such as the part played in the Omani Funoon which are the unwritten acted out traditions... The Funoon. Its a big subject but in short it is the unwritten traditions from the beginning handed down through music, dance, and poetry as well as a sort of Pantomime enactment that that reaches way back to pre 8thC. In this way they record many events mimicking camel trains, ships trading chests of silver and gold and of course war all set to music/ drum beat or poetry and singing. For the sword enactments we see the Sayf and Terrs being used. In fact much of the Rythm is absorbed by the Slave Trade especially from Central Africa and Zanzibar which has left an indelible imprint on Omani music and dance down the ages. In addition myth and legend has erased much of the BunyoroKitara facts because like the Omani form these pageants and enactments took over from the written word thus events were simply passed down and often changed or forgotten in lieu of myths and legends...That is clearly seen in the Bunyoro-Kitara model.

Regarding swords a clear picture is retained in the Razha sword dance where mimic swordplay is acted out and scored with one single winning point when one swordsman touches the opponents thumb of his shield hand with the flat spatulate tip of his Sayf...end of contest. Another enactmant is carefully choreographed for the duelling Khanjar....The dance is called The Bar'aa.

Interestingly the terrs has been handed down so that it is carried with each sword from The Sayf Yamaani to the Sayf and then to The Kitara. ....

In this post I will show the link between the Sayf Yamaani to the dancer.. Later a picture of the individual who ordered the form...and was responsible for moving the Omani capital to Zanzibar in 1840 and thus the interaction with the Great Lakes. Said The Great.

[Peter Hudson]

Before I advance I want to place the Tughra or signature Of Said The Great as it is a mark we see on a lot of Omani Hilts of the Dancer Sayf form as above... and the Kitara. On Khanjar belts as well as Sayf Hilts and copied later onto Kitara hilts..The long Omani hilt is clearly copied onto the heavy Kitara and the Terrs Shield is handed also to it... as is an almost identical leather scabbard style. Since Oman takes virtual possession of Zanzibar and attracts many artesans from Oman so that Omani weapons are then produced at Zanzibar; the linkage is obvious. See below.
Peter Hudson.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

Before I advance I want to place the Tughra or signature Of Said The Great as it is a mark we see on a lot of Omani Hilts of the Dancer Sayf form as above... and the Kitara. On Khanjar belts as well as Sayf Hilts and copied later onto Kitara hilts..The long Omani hilt is clearly copied onto the heavy Kitara and the Terrs Shield is handed also to it... as is an almost identical leather scabbard style. Since Oman takes virtual possession of Zanzibar and attracts many artesans from Oman so that Omani weapons are then produced at Zanzibar; the linkage is obvious. See below.
Peter Hudson.

This is really interesting Peter! and I had not thought of tughra being incorporated into scabbard designs, being more familiar with these occurring on Ottoman blades. While it is often assumed that such scabbard leatherwork designs were aesthetic here we see an actual symbolic motif.

On the scabbard of mine, most leather has disintegrated, but I am wondering if the same degree of decoration existed on the ceremonial 'dance' sayf which was produced with flexible blades for the dynamics of the dance.
Obviously, the personal status Omani sayf with European blades would have been afforded such decoration.

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

This is really interesting Peter! and I had not thought of tughra being incorporated into scabbard designs, being more familiar with these occurring on Ottoman blades. While it is often assumed that such scabbard leatherwork designs were aesthetic here we see an actual symbolic motif.

On the scabbard of mine, most leather has disintegrated, but I am wondering if the same degree of decoration existed on the ceremonial 'dance' sayf which was produced with flexible blades for the dynamics of the dance.
Obviously, the personal status Omani sayf with European blades would have been afforded such decoration.

Thanks Jim, This is a good point and worth reinforcing...Said Sultan took a long time to relocate his Oman capital to Zanzibar and a lot happened in the meantime for example with design of certain artefacts. Sheherazad had done a number of things including a completely new Khanjar hilt where it was to become the Royal Khanjar (see Omani Khanjars )
This design was adopted for the basis of a new Royal Hilt on the Sayf Yamaani. Also on Forum...
A new camerbund was deigned and a new turban both in Royal Colours. The Terrs was ordered to be carried with the Dancing Sayf... thus can be seen with that sword in slave merchant groups on Zanzibar and with guards around Muscat for pageants only and heralding The Sultan, Eids, weddings etc...The sword next in line to appear would be The Kitara and that would also be worn with the Terrs often slung across the back.

Regards, Peter Hudson..

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

Thanks Jim, This is a good point and worth reinforcing...Said Sultan took a long time to relocate his Oman capital to Zanzibar and a lot happened in the meantime for example with design of certain artefacts. Sheherazad had done a number of things including a completely new Khanjar hilt where it was to become the Royal Khanjar (see Omani Khanjars )
This design was adopted for the basis of a new Royal Hilt on the Sayf Yamaani. Also on Forum...
A new camerbund was deigned and a new turban both in Royal Colours. The Terrs was ordered to be carried with the Dancing Sayf... thus can be seen with that sword in slave merchant groups on Zanzibar and with guards around Muscat for pageants only and heralding The Sultan, Eids, weddings etc...The sword next in line to appear would be The Kitara and that would also be worn with the Terrs often slung across the back.

Regards, Peter Hudson..

This pictureshows how the Dancing Sayf has arrived in the modern day application of The Funoon accompanied by the Terrs Shield and the colourful royal Turban and Camerbund..

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

This pictureshows how the Dancing Sayf has arrived in the modern day application of The Funoon accompanied by the Terrs Shield and the colourful royal Turban and Cummerbund..

Just rounding off with a few relevant pictures as below...

1. The most important man of all regarding Zanzibar Oman and the Great Lakes Said Sultan..THE GREAT... who moved the Omani capital to Zanzibar in 1840 and created the spice islands and formed a very powerful merchant marine across the Indian Ocean and militarily in the region...For good measure he wears a Royal Turban and a Royal Khanjar.
2. Cloves being taken to port by slaves by an Omani Slaver displaying an Abu Futtilla gun and a curved Kitara sword..
3. Tippu Tip the biggest Slaver who had half Omani nationality and who owned 10,000 slaves and plantations in Zanzibar and central Africa...
4. A slave market in Zanzibar with Omani Slavers shown wearing the curved Kitara and slung around his back a Terrs Shield. Note one Slaver wearing a pistol ...These are known to often show African dancing tribesmen carved into the barrel.
5. Tippu Tip again but this time wearing an Omani Shamshiir and a Royal Khanjar..
6. The Royal Hilt designed on a SAYF Yemaani for the Ruler at !. by one of his wives Sheherazad which was almost identical to the Royal Khanjar she also designed ...Later she ran away to Persia and joined their army... She was of Persian Royal extraction ...but by then had fallen somewhat out of favour.

Regards,
Peter Hudson.

[asomotif]

Fascinating information.
Here a picture of the Sultans palace at Stone Town Zanzibar.
januari 2020