Two West African swords/cutlasses for I.D.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I noted an extraordinary sword example from this region with a standard hilt but zoo omorhic and geometric blade including a Cross already dealt with. The snake is particularly interesting.

Wikepedia notes Quote" In Africa the chief centre of serpent worship was Dahomey, but the cult of the python seems to have been of exotic origin, dating back to the first quarter of the 17th century. By the conquest of Whydah the Dahomeyans were brought in contact with a people of serpent worshippers, and ended by adopting from them the beliefs which they at first despised.

At Whydah, the chief centre, there is a serpent temple, tenanted by some fifty snakes. Every python of the danh-gbi kind must be treated with respect, and death is the penalty for killing one, even by accident. Danh-gbi has numerous wives, who until 1857 took part in a public procession from which the profane crowd was excluded; a python was carried round the town in a hammock, perhaps as a ceremony for the expulsion of evils.

The rainbow-god of the Ashanti was also conceived to have the form of a snake. His messenger was said to be a small variety of boa, but only certain individuals, not the whole species, were sacred.

In many parts of Africa the serpent is looked upon as the incarnation of deceased relatives. Among the Amazulu, as among the Betsileo of Madagascar, certain species are assigned as the abode of certain classes. The Maasai, on the other hand, regard each species as the habitat of a particular family of the tribe."Unquote.

Tortoise Note the Tortoise between the hilt and the snake. See http://www.allfolktales.com/folktales.php for some of the important West African Myths and stories concerning the Tortoise which was revered as being the cleverest animal and a legendary force ..

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

It may be useful here to have a basic description of Dahomey thus ~

Wikepedia Quote'' The History of the Kingdom of Dahomey spans 300 years from around 1600 until 1904 with the rise of the Kingdom of Dahomey as a major power on the Atlantic coast of modern-day Benin until French conquest. The kingdom became a major regional power in the 1720s when it conquered the coastal kingdoms of Allada and Whydah. With control over these key coastal cities, Dahomey became a major center in the Atlantic Slave Trade until 1852 when the British imposed a naval blockade to stop the trade. War with the French began in 1892 and the French took over the Kingdom of Dahomey in 1894. The throne was vacated by the French in 1900, but the royal families and key administrative positions of the administration continued to have a large impact in the politics of the French administration and the post-independence Republic of Dahomey, renamed Benin in 1975. Historiography of the kingdom has had a significant impact on work far beyond African history and the history of the kingdom forms the backdrop for a number of novels and plays."Unquote.

Below I include;
1. The Benin Tribal Map.
2. The Cave Drawing from at Mbafu Cave in the Lower Congo showing the Portuguese influence (see #20 above) in the cross format illustrating consecration of Don Henrique, son of King Alphonso the first of the BaKongo as the first Congolese Bishop in 1518." .
3. The quality of hand carved Ivory in the region thus the availability of artisans giving rise also to locally produced excellent Lion and big cat carvings common on Dahomey hilts.
4. A Knights Templar Fort adorned with A Cross probably Portuguese.

( The symbol of the cross within a circle is very ancient and has played an important part in the History of Humanity. The symbol can be found in many cultures and many places around the world. From the ‘Rosy’ Cross of the Rosicrucians to the American Indians’ “Sacred Hoop”, from the “Celtic” Cross to the symbol of certain tribes in Western Africa’s Burkina Faso and Ghana.)

[Jim McDougall]

This a great background on Dahomey (now Benin) Ibrahiim, and thank you for taking the time to add these most helpful details on the regions and people of West Africa. It is pretty complex trying to understand the various religious and incurred colonial influences that compound the character and symbolic motifs and elements so your observations also are much appreciated.

In reviewing much of the material researched and presented which concern the notable Portuguese influences which prevailed in these regions, it is of course interesting to consider the occurrence of this cross motif in many of these West African sword blades.

With the Portuguese swords known variously as 'crab claw'; 'navigator' and 'black swords' colloquially, it has been established that many of these medieval form swords have equilateral crosses pierced in their discoid quillon terminals. It has further appeared that these openwork crosses seem to occur notably on examples of these swords which appear to be of colonial workmanship, thus probably produced in these West African regions.

In Burton, "Book of the Sword" (1884, p.165) he describes one of these swords illustrated same page line drawing (but with simple apertures in the quillons, not crosses) , "...upon the glorious Congo river, I was shown a sword belonging to the Mijolos or Mijeres, a tribe inhabiting the upper valley. All declared it to be of native make, and used during the sword-dance in the presence of the prince. But it is an evident copy of some weapon of the 15th century; and the knightly model , like that of the mpangwe (fan) cross bow, had drifted into the African interior. The handle and pommel were of ivory, the guard was a thin bar of iron springing from the junction of the blade and grip, forming an open oval shape pas d'ane below and prolonged upwards and downwards in two quillons or branches, parallel with the hilt and protecting the hand. The blade, which had a tang for heftng, was straight, flexible and double edged".

This is footnoted as well citing "The Cataracts of the Congo", p.234.

Clearly the sword described is one of these Portuguese swords, and its diffusion eastward into the Congo is of course understandable. The absence of the crosses in the terminals is notable, and would certainly have been elaborated on if present, in the Victorian convention of drawing the connection to the crusades and occurrence of such weapons in native context at every opportunity.

Returning to the west, and the dilemma of whether the cross in the quillons of Portuguese colonial swords of this form influenced the native swords of these 'cutlasses' or vice versa, it is surely a quandary.

It is understandable that European observers would characterize the equilateral cross, if seen in native context, as a 'Greek' cross, well known in European heraldry and Christian symbolism. These were of course, the very cross of the crusades in many cases, so the previously mentioned conventions of course would likely be in place.

While we have determined that these and similar equilateral crosses are probably not of the ilk of the Vodun or Obo types which seem of course in use later and with cross diffusion to Caribbean, it does seem quite possible they were known in the earlier native religious contexts of these regions.
These simple crosses are well established into prehistoric times and quite universally, so much so that most scholars are inclined to consider them convergent and unlikely to be connected empirically.

Still, one can imagine that the appearance of such a cross symbol would have been construed dramatically by arriving Portuguese, and vice versa, the natives seeing such device with them equally construed. The orders, such as the Order of Calatrava, certainly potentially present, might have provided such basis.

I suppose the question is, just how often and in what character, were equilateral crosses used on Portuguese (or other) sword hilts, especially in pierced openwork in this fashion. It is intriguing to consider that the use of openwork designs, devices and profiling is profoundly the character of these native ceremonial 'cutlasses', and perhaps this application was carried into the colonial made swords of Portuguese form.

Which came first?

[Jim McDougall]

In looking into the interesting symbol used by people in the Congo, the Nkisi Sarabanda (one of the primary deities of indigenous Congo religion) it is a 'cosmogram' configured exactly like the Jerusalem cross (attached).

This cross was significant as a coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the crusades (1099-1203 AD) and consisted of a cross potent with four small Greek crosses quartered.
It is notable that the Nkisi Sarabanda cosmogram is configured and consisting of the same crosses as the 'Jerusalem' cross.

While clearly many, perhaps even most, of the 'veve' (geometric device used to call on 'loa' or spirits) are later developed through the evolution of diasporic pantheons in the Americas and Caribbean through slave trafficking, it seems the Congo cosmogram may predate Portuguese arrivals in Africa.

The similarity to the distinct Jerusalem device is compelling, and we know that trade contact and diplomatic embassies between the Congo and probably other regions were extant as early as 1246AD with Tunis and Egypt as well as others. There are often adoptions of certain kinds of symbols and devices by disparate cultures without syncretic intent, and used with their own interpretations. Perhaps this was such a case with the Greek cross as seen here in Congo/West African context.

It seems that the tribal cultures in Africa in early times was much farther advanced than often realized in general, and that influences from Europe had diffused far into the interior and much of the Continent far before the European contacts recorded in exploration and colonization.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Thanks Jim and the geometry at #19 above ties in the diagram of the Jerusalem cross you show here... They are very similar and flowing from that the example also transmitted through the slave trade .

I have a snake worship temple to show here (at Whyda?)...and for interest following on and concluding snake worship as it enters the central Caribbean region New Orleans etc...Via the slave trade. A lady with a huge snake.

The picture of the person sitting on the turtle is indicative of that creature which was viewed as being highly intelligent...

The Lion – The lion is an emblem for royalty, strength, conquest, valor, pride, wisdom, authority, courage and protection. The lioness represents the moon, femininity and fierce motherhood.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Reference;
A. See http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acko/hd_acko.htm

The Cross Part 4

Substantial evidence exists to support the agreed Christianity Conversion in West Africa...Reference A states that Quote"Missionary documents from the seventeenth century claimed that they had found a people who believed in a single god but did not know his name."Unquote. and clearly the Cross on Swords in the region comes from that situation. This process took an opposite view to the way the Spanish did it by force compelling them to convert in South America and the Portuguese suggested that the West Africans had already found God but simply had not realized it. All they actually needed to do was convince them that this was what they already believed in ...an entirely different approach and one which was highly successful...

What I have trouble with is the time line... Notwithstanding the discussion I admire very much the picture below of the Church being constructed in the early period of Portuguese presence in West Africa which I think is about 1491 although I cannot be certain.This is from #165 on http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...1&page=6&pp=30

Please note the two chieftains at right with swords at the waist in typical West African machete style and consider the hilts in this finely engraved picture which so far as I can see is very accurate. Observe the Lion or big cat hilts.

Sri Lanka, however,was not discovered until 1505 by the Portuguese thus this hilt form must be local by definition. I add that big cats lived in the region of course... and that the regal and powerful symbol of the chieftains was seen as enhanced with hilts of this nature. Top class carvers were common in the African region and multiple group carved examples of a highly complex nature were in fact highly prized trade items for the Europeans even before the advent there of slavery.

The cross insignia was dominant across the spectrum and it is acknowledged that crosses on swords and crucifixes were worn by chiefs deliberating on tribal matters..Ivory carvings were made of Portuguese soldiers (in the traditional African style) adorned with Crosses.

Below the famous scene of the Church being built and another cross decorated weapon from the region is shown for interest.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Other finely carved Ivory items from West African Artisans~The figure with the spear also wearing a Cross. This proves the expertise in Ivory carving in Dahomey thus in addition no reason to seek lion heads from elsewhere particularly a foreign unknown species and style from Ceylon.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

In considering the big cats... and which one... since all could be admired ...It is certain that the Lion is the fore runner in this regard. The Great King Ghezo was succeeded by King Glele who reigned from 1858 until 1889; He revered the lion as seen in the weapons of war and authority below.. and illustrating how the lion was further incorporated into weapons design...enhancing its known appearance on hilts.