Omani Sayf/Saif

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

This has become a fascinating study on forging and metallurgy, which is most interesting as I admit I have little true understanding of these processes.
If I may, getting back to the Omani sayf......as one of the key elements of the Razha or sword dance in the Funoon is the theatrics.

The objective was to cause the sword blades to vibrate, in unison, causing a notably loud sound, along with the flashing bright blades. Is it POSSIBLE, that these blades might have deliberately been made to achieve this vibration for such performances?

It would seem that, given the numbers of potential variations of European and other trade blades found in many of these 'battle ready' sayfs, without standard quality control to achieve the necessary 'bendy' result needed for distinct vibration, it would have been quite a task to ensure all the 'warriors' had the proper 'bendy' blades to participate in the ceremony.

I think this might be the reason that, despite the consternation over whether these sayfs were used for battle or not, there just might have been examples made specifically for performances.

Hello Jim, It is good to see a different angle being viewed on the Straight Omani Dancing Sword known as The Sayf. It becomes a little confusing as generally the local people will call any sword from almost anywhere in the world a Sayf! As discussed the dancer is very bendy..most examples can be gripped at the flat tip and the blade bent around to touch the hilt and released to spring straight . I recall reading that some blades were made around Lars and around the Gulf as well as some being made and sold by wandering Gypsies originally off the North West Frontier. Many blades were and are made at a factory in Salalah and demand remains quite strong for the cheaper style whereas anyone with more money could buy a more expensive model perhaps from further afield and some are seen worn by VIPs such as Tipu Tib perhaps the greatest Slaver ever... This did not change their use..and all Sayf were for Pageant only.

It is vital to consider The Funun as this allowed the Sayf to transition in design when the big curved Slave Captains Sword blade appeared from The African Great Lakes and given the name Kitara from the name of the country they were associated with... Bunyoro-Kitara which means The Kingdom of the Sword but it should be noted that these were originally short tanged so had to have an extension and a pommel added unlike dancing Sayf that were made from one piece. The blade was then given a built on long hilt identical to the Omani Saygas well as an Omani Scabbard AND The Omani Terrs buckler shield.

Members may be further wrong footed in thinking that slavery ended in the early part of the 19thC when in fact it was still going on there in the 1960s when Sultan Qaboos ordered it to cease and amalgamated slaves into the Omani tribal structue. They were allowed to select a surname as before that they were generally all called Juma...a single name with no known family or tribal structure.

Peter Hudson.