A Khukuri-like Sword (Pix inside)

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ruel

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This thing arrived the other day. It's one of those mysterious temple swords found throughout the Dravidian lands of Southern India.

The blade is actually quite strong and sharp, and still light. The strange thing is that at a square wooden pommel was inserted far up the grip, making it impossible to fit your hand inside! (Other swords from this area do this, so it must've had some significance, but I haven't yet figured it out.)

If HI is looking for new designs to try out, I vote for this one, sans pommel. Without the pommel, it would make a superb weapon.

http://weaponspage.homestead.com/nayar2.html

[This message has been edited by ruel (edited 05-11-2001).]
 
" making it impossible to fit your hand inside!" ...Could our oversized American mitts be the problem here?
 
Looks like a parade dress UBE.

And thanks for the pix Ruel!

------------------
"To Know and to Act are One"

[This message has been edited by Finn (edited 05-11-2001).]
 
Looking at the scale I was thinking it must be for a child or the sword must be very big. But:

"square wooden pommel was inserted far up the grip, making it impossible to fit your hand inside!"

answers my question. I guess its a pacifist sword.

Will
 
That hilt is just plain weird. I'd have thought it's strictly ceremonial. There's no way you can bend your wrist holding that thing without contributing to some surgeon's kid's orthodontics fund. Could it have been a user retrofitted to be parade?

Nice curves, though. Looks like a yataghan with the cutting function emphasized.

 
It looks as if it could hae been mounted on a chariot wheel or perhaps fitted into the frame of a howdah to discourage attackers. One other possibility is that it was meant to be held by an idol, not a human.

Just guessing.
 
Hi Friends, thanks for you comments.

In Stone's "Glossary," under "sword," a nearly identical sword is pictured which is also described as having the same square wooden pommel in the same place, so mine is not unique.

Stephen, I thought about it being held by a statue also, but the blade really is a good, strong blade. Also, if you look at Maliszewski's "Spiritual Dimensions of the Martial Arts," Ch.1 fig.4, you can see the top of this sword racked together with other, more functional-looking weapons.

In books, I always see this sword together with another kind of sword, an example of which I also have:
mal.jpg


This one can be gripped (though barely) and I have found one book ("Holysong") showing it being used in dance and ritual by women. The 'khukuri-like' sword was not present.

I'm strongly tempted to remove the pommel, but I won't until I'm sure I can put it back on again. I still think it'd make a cool design for the kamis to copy!
wink.gif
 
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