- Joined
- May 24, 2001
- Messages
- 443
since he is so great and a person I appreciate a lot. Thanks Amu for creating such a nice cantina.
Akenakes: the realization of a dream
The project akenakes (Achamenid sword)
This has been always my dream to have an Achamenid sword, an akenakes. A sword which speaks for the true beauty of the Persian empire. I saw in the Museum of Iran Bastan, a relief of King Darius, a statute, with a beautiful akenakes with old Persian cuneiform script written on the scabbard and blade. It made me think and upon further discussions with the archeologists and curators there, they all said that old akenakes in Iran were written with the royal inscriptions on them. None of them have been found up to now. But in the same museum, they showed me a plate of pure gold with royal inscriptions written in black on them. Beautiful work which immediately reminded me of the Qamma Hossein had made before and wrote in modern Farsi. They also showed me a royal inscription of King Xerxos in clay and I knew that I wanted to have King Xerxos inscriptions written on them. And Hossein was the man to do the whole text: Read the translation:
1. A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many.
2. I am Xerxes, the Great King, King of Kings, King of countries containing many kinds of men, King in this great earth far and wide, son of King Darius, an Achaemenian, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, of Aryan stock.
3. Proclaims Xerxes the King: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries of which I was king apart from Persia. I had lordship over them. They bore me tribute. What was said to them by me, that they did. My law, that held them:
 Media
 Elam
 Arachosia
 Armenia
 Drangiana
 Parthia
 Aria
 Bactria
 Sogdiana
 Chorasmia
 Babylonia
 Assyria
 Sattagydia
 Lydia
 Egypt
 Yaunâ, those who dwell on this side of the sea and those who dwell across the sea,
 men of Maka
 Arabia
 Gandara
 India
 Cappadocia
 the Dahae
 the haoma-drinking Sacae
 the Sacae wearing pointed caps
 Thrace
 men of Âkaufaciyâ
 Libyans
 Carians
 the Nubians
4. Proclaims Xerxes the King: When I became king, there is among these countries one which was in rebellion. Afterwards Ahuramazda bore me aid. By the favor of Ahuramazda I smote that country and put it down in its place.
And among these countries there was a place where previously demons (daiva) were worshipped. Afterwards, by the favor of Ahuramazda I destroyed that sanctuary of demons, and I made proclamation: 'The demons shall not be worshipped!' Where previously the demons were worshipped, there I worshipped Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner. And there was other business that had been done ill. That I made good. That which I did, all I did by the favor of Ahuramazda. Ahuramazda bore me aid until I completed the work.
You who may live hereafter, if you should think 'Happy may I be when living, and when dead may I be blessed,' have respect for that law which Ahuramazda has established. Worship Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner. The man who has respect for that law which Ahuramazda has established and worships Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner, he both becomes happy while alive and becomes blessed when dead.
5. Proclaims Xerxes the King: Me may Ahuramazda protect from harm, and my house, and this land. This I ask of Ahuramazda. This may Ahuramazda give to me.
The next question was the blade, akenakes came in iron, bronze and gold and I chose bronze for the beauty and functionality of the blade. The model I used was a golden akenakes and I took pics from it in the same museum, all in gold and can be seen in the book Iran Bastan. Negahi be Qanjineye Muse Meli Iran Iran Bastan a view on the Treasure of the National Museum of Iran. The whole short sword is of gold and a similar piece can be seen in Osprey Persian Army 560-330 by Sekunda, page 56. Although not as beautiful as the one in Iran.
The model of scabbard was easy, there is a fossilized wooden one on page 20 and a gold plated one on page 56. And a lot of reliefs. The scabbard is of the best wood and all the work on it, just look at the pics.
We decided to have the handle be carved by Hossein out of horn and a tedious work. The engraving of the old inscription was specially a tedious job, a slightest distance and the meaning would be ruined.
The gold plated scabbard shows all the motives from Perspolis my friends. Enjoy what the mastersmith Hossein can do. This is not a sword, it is the most beautiful piece of art I have ever handled personally including custom pieces and the antiques. I am proud to share this with you.
The blade unsheathed
Akenakes: the realization of a dream
The project akenakes (Achamenid sword)
This has been always my dream to have an Achamenid sword, an akenakes. A sword which speaks for the true beauty of the Persian empire. I saw in the Museum of Iran Bastan, a relief of King Darius, a statute, with a beautiful akenakes with old Persian cuneiform script written on the scabbard and blade. It made me think and upon further discussions with the archeologists and curators there, they all said that old akenakes in Iran were written with the royal inscriptions on them. None of them have been found up to now. But in the same museum, they showed me a plate of pure gold with royal inscriptions written in black on them. Beautiful work which immediately reminded me of the Qamma Hossein had made before and wrote in modern Farsi. They also showed me a royal inscription of King Xerxos in clay and I knew that I wanted to have King Xerxos inscriptions written on them. And Hossein was the man to do the whole text: Read the translation:
1. A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many.
2. I am Xerxes, the Great King, King of Kings, King of countries containing many kinds of men, King in this great earth far and wide, son of King Darius, an Achaemenian, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, of Aryan stock.
3. Proclaims Xerxes the King: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries of which I was king apart from Persia. I had lordship over them. They bore me tribute. What was said to them by me, that they did. My law, that held them:
 Media
 Elam
 Arachosia
 Armenia
 Drangiana
 Parthia
 Aria
 Bactria
 Sogdiana
 Chorasmia
 Babylonia
 Assyria
 Sattagydia
 Lydia
 Egypt
 Yaunâ, those who dwell on this side of the sea and those who dwell across the sea,
 men of Maka
 Arabia
 Gandara
 India
 Cappadocia
 the Dahae
 the haoma-drinking Sacae
 the Sacae wearing pointed caps
 Thrace
 men of Âkaufaciyâ
 Libyans
 Carians
 the Nubians
4. Proclaims Xerxes the King: When I became king, there is among these countries one which was in rebellion. Afterwards Ahuramazda bore me aid. By the favor of Ahuramazda I smote that country and put it down in its place.
And among these countries there was a place where previously demons (daiva) were worshipped. Afterwards, by the favor of Ahuramazda I destroyed that sanctuary of demons, and I made proclamation: 'The demons shall not be worshipped!' Where previously the demons were worshipped, there I worshipped Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner. And there was other business that had been done ill. That I made good. That which I did, all I did by the favor of Ahuramazda. Ahuramazda bore me aid until I completed the work.
You who may live hereafter, if you should think 'Happy may I be when living, and when dead may I be blessed,' have respect for that law which Ahuramazda has established. Worship Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner. The man who has respect for that law which Ahuramazda has established and worships Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner, he both becomes happy while alive and becomes blessed when dead.
5. Proclaims Xerxes the King: Me may Ahuramazda protect from harm, and my house, and this land. This I ask of Ahuramazda. This may Ahuramazda give to me.
The next question was the blade, akenakes came in iron, bronze and gold and I chose bronze for the beauty and functionality of the blade. The model I used was a golden akenakes and I took pics from it in the same museum, all in gold and can be seen in the book Iran Bastan. Negahi be Qanjineye Muse Meli Iran Iran Bastan a view on the Treasure of the National Museum of Iran. The whole short sword is of gold and a similar piece can be seen in Osprey Persian Army 560-330 by Sekunda, page 56. Although not as beautiful as the one in Iran.
The model of scabbard was easy, there is a fossilized wooden one on page 20 and a gold plated one on page 56. And a lot of reliefs. The scabbard is of the best wood and all the work on it, just look at the pics.
We decided to have the handle be carved by Hossein out of horn and a tedious work. The engraving of the old inscription was specially a tedious job, a slightest distance and the meaning would be ruined.
The gold plated scabbard shows all the motives from Perspolis my friends. Enjoy what the mastersmith Hossein can do. This is not a sword, it is the most beautiful piece of art I have ever handled personally including custom pieces and the antiques. I am proud to share this with you.
The blade unsheathed
