Arab (Yemeni) sword from Djibouti

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 2nd March 2020, 07:21 PM

Not only Albrecht Durer but many other references incuding a lot of EAA Library additions... make a clear case for re opening this discourse .. Take The one below from wikepedia;

Quote'' A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (szabla) popular in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wojciech Zabłocki defines "karabela" as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.[1]

The word "karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested.[2] For example, Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres.[3] "Kara" means "Black/Dark" and "Bela" means "Trouble/Curse" in Turkish". Unquote.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 2nd March 2020, 11:47 PM

Before I forget … I was considering Butins Charts on Nimcha swords and noted the potential re jigging of hilts from the standard Saudia Type Nimcha to Karbela form . This type already had a crossguard and sufficient material in the pommel region of the hilt to change it to a Karabela hilt...Thus is there not a potential overlap here from these weapons otherwise known as Nimcha to a type of Karabela...or subspecies of...

See 1007 and 1008 below.

ariel · 3rd March 2020, 03:59 AM

My favourite deciphering of the moniker karabela is "Cara Bella", "Beloved and beautiful" in Italian:-)

Relying on homophones from different languages will certainly get you in trouble.

kronckew · 3rd March 2020, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

My favourite deciphering of the moniker karabela is "Cara Bella", "Beloved and beautiful" in Italian:-)

Relying on homophones from different languages will certainly get you in trouble.

Mine is Nova, the name given to a Chevrolet car and used in the context of a stellar explosion. They wondered why it was not selling in many European and South American nations, until someone pointed out " No Va" is means "Doesn't go" in many languages. (It was also a crap car.)

ariel · 3rd March 2020, 01:25 PM

Kubur,

Quality of a book depends not on the number of references but on their relevance to the topic, the veracity of their analysis and on the correctness of its grand purpose. Rivkin’s book on the history of saber is a bird’s eye view of the topic, not a detailed analysis of minutiae. Darwin’s “ On the origin of species” briefly mentions a total of 90 names but does not provide a single bibliographic reference.

One can acknowledge author’s tenacity, but lauding a book “whatever the quality” is a mistake. If you know any missed reference or a fact that would contradict the conclusions of Rivkin’s book, you are more than welcome to use it in your critique. That was the purpose of my bringing to attention iconographic evidence of the existence of karabela handle well before Shah Abbas’ not only visit of Karbala but his date of birth.

I do not plan on writing a definitive book about any kind of oriental weapons; I do not think I am qualified. We know far too many books written for a single purpose of stroking their authors’ graphomanic egos; I do not need it and do not think that yet another book ”whatever its quality” is required to muddle the field even further. Critiquing already published sources is a part and parcel of an academic discourse.

2nd March 2020, 11:47 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Before I forget … I was considering Butins Charts on Nimcha swords and noted the potential re jigging of hilts from the standard Saudia Type Nimcha to Karbela form . This type already had a crossguard and sufficient material in the pommel region of the hilt to change it to a Karabela hilt...Thus is there not a potential overlap here from these weapons otherwise known as Nimcha to a type of Karabela...or subspecies of... See 1007 and 1008 below. Attached Images

2nd March 2020, 07:21 PM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Not only Albrecht Durer but many other references incuding a lot of EAA Library additions... make a clear case for re opening this discourse .. Take The one below from wikepedia; Quote'' A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (szabla) popular in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wojciech Zabłocki defines "karabela" as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.[1] The word "karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested.[2] For example, Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres.[3] "Kara" means "Black/Dark" and "Bela" means "Trouble/Curse" in Turkish". Unquote.

3rd March 2020, 03:59 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	My favourite deciphering of the moniker karabela is "Cara Bella", "Beloved and beautiful" in Italian:-) Relying on homophones from different languages will certainly get you in trouble.

3rd March 2020, 01:25 PM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Kubur, Quality of a book depends not on the number of references but on their relevance to the topic, the veracity of their analysis and on the correctness of its grand purpose. Rivkin’s book on the history of saber is a bird’s eye view of the topic, not a detailed analysis of minutiae. Darwin’s “ On the origin of species” briefly mentions a total of 90 names but does not provide a single bibliographic reference. One can acknowledge author’s tenacity, but lauding a book “whatever the quality” is a mistake. If you know any missed reference or a fact that would contradict the conclusions of Rivkin’s book, you are more than welcome to use it in your critique. That was the purpose of my bringing to attention iconographic evidence of the existence of karabela handle well before Shah Abbas’ not only visit of Karbala but his date of birth. I do not plan on writing a definitive book about any kind of oriental weapons; I do not think I am qualified. We know far too many books written for a single purpose of stroking their authors’ graphomanic egos; I do not need it and do not think that yet another book ”whatever its quality” is required to muddle the field even further. Critiquing already published sources is a part and parcel of an academic discourse.