BICHWA (THE SCORPIONS STING)

[VANDOO]

THE BICHWA DAGGER OF INDIA LITTERLY MEANS SCORPIONS STING. THERE ARE OTHER INDIAN KNIVES (KANJARLI) AS WELL AS THOSE FROM ARABIC COUNTRYS (KHANJAR, JAMBAYA )THAT HAVE A SIMULAR SHAPED BLADE. PERHAPS THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN THE VARIOUS COUNTRYS AND FORMS. MAN OFTEN COPIES HIS IMPLEMENTS FROM THOSE HE OBSERVES IN NATURE. OFTEN HE COPIES AND RESPECTS THE THINGS HE FEARS, THE SCORPION BEING ONE OF THE CRITTERS UNIVERSALLY FEARED AND RESPECTED WHERE EVER IT IS KNOWN. THE TIGER ,SNAKE,SHARK AND LION BEING A FEW OTHER EXAMPLES.

THE SCORPION IS WELL KNOWN IN LEGENDS FROM ANCIENT TIMES IN MANY CULTURES.

1. GREEK, SEE THE LEGEND OF ORION, SCORPIONS ALSO FIGURE IN OTHER GREEK LEGENDS.

2. SCORPIONS ARE MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE AS AN EVIL CREATURE SO THEY PLAYED A PART IN THE ISRALITES LEGENDS.

3. MAYAN CIVILIZATION ASSOCIATED THE SCORPION WITH SURGERY PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ABILITY TO PARALIZE ITS PREY.

4. EGYPT, GODDES ISIS HAD GIANT SCORPIONS AS BODYGAURDS. SCORPIONS WERE BELIVED TO BE GAURDIANS OF SACRED GATEWAYS, TOMBS AND THE ENTRANCE TO THE UNDERWORLD. EGYPTIAN GODDESS SERKET OFTEN SEEN GAURDING COPTIC JARS, SHE IS THE WOMAN WITH A SCORPION ON HER HEAD. THEY STILL USE SCORPION TAILSMEN AND AMULETS.

5. BABYLONIAN MYTH OF VERY FEARSOME WARRIORS REFERED TO AS SCORPION MEN.

6.AFRICA SOME REGARD SCORPIONS AS EVIL OTHERS AS GOOD. AN OIL DERIVED FROM SCORPION VENOM IS A TRADITIONAL MEDICINE. THEY HAVE SCORPION TAILSMEN AND CHARMS BOTH TO PROTECT THEM FROM SCORPIONS AS WELL AS TO GAIN THE SCORPIONS POWERS.

7. IN TIBET AMULETS ARE STILL WORN, BUDDHIST MYTHOLOGY SCORPIONS SERVED AS TEMPLE GAUARDIANS OF THE HOLY DHARMA. THE SCORPION WAS REGAURDED AS A SYMBOL OF PACIFICATION, WHICH TURNS MENACING AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ANYONE INTENDING HARM. THE SCORPION AMULET WAS OFTEN A DESIGN FOUND ON SWORD AND DAGGER HANDLES AND PERSONEL SEALS AMONG OTHER PLACES AND WAS THERE AS A PROTECTIVE FEATURE.

8. INDIA THE BUDDIST BELIEFS AND LEGENDS APPLY TO THE SCORPION. THE LARGE FALAKNUMA PALACE IN HYDERABAD INDIA IS LAID OUT IN THE SHAPE OF A SCORPION.

SOME CULTURES LOOK ON THE SCORPION AS A SYMBOL OF TREACHERY, DEATH, PAIN,DANGER,WICKEDNESS, HATRED AND ENVY. OTHERS HAVE A MORE FAVORABLE VIEW BUT MOST ALL FEAR AND RESPECT THE SCORPION.

ONE OF MANKINDS ANCIENT GOALS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT HE BE FEARED BY HIS FELLOW MEN. SO HAVING A WEAPON ASSOCIATED WITH A DANGEROUS ,POWERFUL AND FEARED CREATURE EITHER REAL OR FROM LEGEND CAN OFTEN CAUSE AN ENEMY TO FEAR YOU AND PERHAPS AVOID TROUBLE. SO A SCORPION WARRIOR WITH A SCORPIONS STING AS A WEAPON WOULD BE A GOOD DETERRENT. SO PERHAPS THIS CURVED BLADE FORM MAY HAVE EVOLVED FROM SOME OF THE ANCIENT BELIEFS?