Micro-ethnic differences in weapons

[OsobistGB]

I have a question about the Khevsureti.As a matter of fact, their weapons are even different from those shown
....Or as comrade Suhov says :...."Восток - дело тонкое" (It’s a mystery inside an enigma)

[ariel]

I do not think Khevsurian kindjals had anything specific about their blades. Their hallmark was flat brass decorations of scabbards and handles.
And, of course, we should not forget Khevsurian ( and Kakheti) Dashna, often misidentified as Iranian Quaddara.

[Richard G]

Any idea as to the purpose of those horns they are holding?
Regards
Richard

[ariel]

Other than their traditional Caucasian role as wine-drinking vessels, - I cannot come up with any idea.
It is a staged picture, and the photographer likely wanted to include all aspects of local life:-)

[Martin Lubojacky]

Ariel, please, could you show any picture of a typical Dashna ?

[ariel]

I just recalled addressing Dashna in the topic “A riddle just for fun and learning”

Go there and have fun!

[ariel]

Sorry for not being able to bring pics: I was in Toronto and just came home.
I am just copying the pic from the old topic and copy the text to keep everybody more comfortable.


"In that part of the world wars were an uninterrupted chain of events. Weapons were consumed rapidly, and there was no sufficient capacity to renew their supply. People had to rely on "re-purposing" broken parts, blades in particular.

The upper one is Khevsurian Dashna. Pay attention to the blade: typical Khevsurian low quality job, and pretty old and worn to boot. The word "dashna" was mentioned in the Georgian dictionary of Sulhan Saba Orbeliani in the 17th century.
Classical examples had kindjal-like handles and plenty of brass on the handle and the scabbard.
The one I show is a much later example, mid 20 century: D-guard, handle materials.

Believe it or not, those were in active use even then, despite all the restrictions imposed by the Soviet regime. Khevsurs never paid much attention to any government:-)

The second one ( quaddara-like) is even more interesting.
I got information about it from Vakhtang Kiziria, a Georgian researcher, who wrote several articles about these short improvised weapons.
He consulted with 2 more Georgian weapons researchers and...

This is a weapon that originated in Eastern Georgia, Kakheti, and is locally known as Sabarkali.They were known there since the end of the 18th century till ~ 1820 ( when the Russians came). After that , beginning ~1850 they penetrated to the neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, where they were called Quaddara and widely used in the religious ceremonies of Ashura. Azeris expanded its presence to Persia.

My example has a village-made Georgian palash blade of unexpectedly high quality: no caverns at all and in more than 20 years since I got it, I did not oil it even once, and there is not a trace of rust, just thin beautiful patina. Ian was astute: the fuller goes ~2.5 inches inside the handle, indicating that the current blade is just a remainder of a broken old one. Taking into account chronology of Sabarkali ( beginning of 19th century at the latest), the blade must be even older."