Hanuman Khukuri

W

Will Kwan

Joined
Nov 23, 1998
Messages
1,594
Kami,

Bill and I discussed this before and could not come up with an answer. The Mohawks carve heads on their war clubs. Head of people are carved on only by Shaman.

Is there any special tradition to go with the Hanuman khukuri.

Will
 
The Hanuman is of our own doing. The original had a lion head carved on the pommel. The kamis said this meant nothing but Hanuman meant a lot so he got the nod.

Uncle Bill
 
:
Thank you Pala.
How old is the original about?
And why the Lions head to begin with?

Was the Lions head a British ornament?

I have a couple of tourist kukris that have the lions head on the butt cap and never understood why.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

Himalayan Imports Website http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html

 
The original had an ivory handle with the lion head, surely a British officer's khukuri, and is on display at the Royal Armouries in the UK. It was manufactured around 1850 and is a beautiful piece.

The kamis are all Hindu and they felt if they were going to make a khukuri it should carry a Hindu-Nepal influence rather than a British influence. I could not argue with them about this.

Pala
 
A lion head? That is strange. Yeah Bill, why a lion head? Hanuman is the name of a half ape-half human demi-god who helped Rama in Hindu scriptures. I was expecting to see an ape head. Could it be that Kami was referring to something else?


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Reynaert
 
Perfect timing, Kami Sherpa is here! The question: what does Hanuman got anything to do with a khukuri?


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Reynaert
 
:
Thank you Pala.
I agree that Hanuman should grace the Khukuri with His presence.
I much prefer Him over a lions head on a Nepal Khukuri and have read some of the stories writen in the far past about Him.It has been a very long time and perhaps it is time I read them again.
Our peoples have many stories worth hearing over and over again I think.

I have one of the Hanuman Specials and He graces and guards the head of my bed.




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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

Himalayan Imports Website http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html

 
There was no such thing as a Hanuman khukuri until we made one. We replicated the blade on the original but put Hanuman in place of the Lion and because of this we named the knife a Hanuman khukuri.

Hanuman is a much valued god in Hindu tradition especially when one finds oneself on the field of battle, and many Gorkhalis pray to him before going into battle.


Pala

[This message has been edited by Kami Sherpa (edited 12 September 1999).]
 
I believe HI Hanuman is one of the strongest Khukuri due to the extra false spine along the middle of the blade. HI AK is maybe only second to it (the false spine is only at the front part of the blade). It is most suitable for multi purpose tool and fighting as well due to the same reason.

Actually I am waiting for HI version of 18" @ 19" Hanuman Blade with WW II Handle - insyaa-Allaah!

One thing - what make a Khukuri a Khukuri? - one of the main characteristic is the front curve shaped of the blade (please correct me if I'm wrong!). So - the one at British Army Museum is not a Hanuman although it has the same blade characteristic with HI Hanuman - then - what model actually HI Hanuman is?

If I'm not mistaken - the same blade but with standard eye shaped Handle is also recognised as ASSAMI KHUKURI. I think Assam is an Indian region at the border of Nepal. Since that Khukuri might be originated from that area then it is always referred as ASSAMI KHUKURI. Pakcik Bill - please do correct me if I'm wrong! Pala should know better!

I humbly suggest that HI HANUMAN ASSAMI MODEL is a more proper name for that type of Khukuri produced by HI - after all it just a name - then the one at British Army Museum can be referred as LIONAL ASSAMI MODEL Khukuri! - While the one owned by Yvsa can be referred as HI HANUMAN WW II MODEL (Hanuman Handled WW II)! In this case if that Assami blade is having a Chainpuri handle then it can be referred simply as a CHAINPURI ASSAMI MODEL - is that OK?

Wa-(A)llaahu-a'laam!



[This message has been edited by mohd (edited 13 September 1999).]
 
Namaste Reynaertji and you are most welcome.

And, Namaste Mohdji. I know this may sound strange but a khukuri is a khukuri because it is a khukuri.

I do not know if the original model had a name. It is 150 years old and if it had a name it probably has been lost. We had better stick with our name of Hanuman or we will confuse everybody if we change.

Thank you all for your comments

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Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
This has been a very interesting and informative thread! Thanks, all.

The Hanuman is my favourite, perhaps due to it's uniqueness. Thanks for engineering such a fine and beautiful piece, Kami.

Clay

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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847

Specialization is for insects.
 
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