Turkic "trinity" and fight with the blunt side of the sword

Kazan researcher Bulat Nogmanov, whose publications, as it turned out, Mintimer Shaimiev reads, continues to acquaint the readers of Realnoe Vremya with his observations on how the culture of the ancient Ottoman Empire penetrated the life of modern Turkey. In today's column, he talks about such an important phenomenon of Ottoman material culture as edged weapons, namely, about its variety that is longer than a dagger.

Who will come to them with a sword ...

One of the most unique and at the same time deadly inventions of antiquity is the sword. The sword was idolized, legends were made about it, they were proud of it, oaths were taken on it, its possession was elevated to the rank of art. And it was an integral part of human everyday life. Popular wisdom attributed to the Japanese says: "Even if the sword is needed only once in a lifetime, it must always be worn."

In the Ottoman Empire, the sword was treated with due awe and great respect. There are cases when the sultans gave unbreakable oaths on their swords, which could only be broken by God's providence. This custom, of course, goes back to the Turkic nomadic tradition, the main value of which was the trinity of a horse, a woman and a sword. In the Great Porte, weapons were divided into four main types: percussion, piercing, cutting and shooting. Blades, which belonged to cutting weapons, were divided among themselves into several more types:

In the Ottoman Empire, the sword was treated with due awe and great respect. Photo tameshigiri.ca (from the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul)

• The famous "scimitar", which was common in the XVI-XIX centuries, popularly known as the "sword with ears" (due to the shape of the handle, which resembles ears). Good skill is needed to wield this sword; it turns into a deadly weapon only in skillful hands;
• "Gaddare" - a short, outward curved and very sharp sword, which was swung in a circular motion over the head during the attack. Due to the special technique of application and sharpness, the blade caused great damage to the enemy. Gaddare was usually worn on the shoulder or behind the back;
• "Shamshir" - a sword curved outward, which becomes thinner and sharper from the base to the tip. From the side it resembles the curved tail of a lion. Shamshir was worn on the belt and used for defense;
• "Karabela" - was used mainly by the Janissary corps and cavalrymen. A distinctive feature is the handle, made in the form of an eagle's head;
• "Hunter" - a short dagger with a floral pattern on a blade 35-40 cm long. Used for close combat;
• "Mamluk sword" - a thin, long and light blade with a slight outward curve;
• "Pala" - a short straight sword with an expanding and outwardly curved end. Used by both sailors and cavalry for close combat.

As can be seen from the description, mostly Ottoman swords have a curved blade. "Echoes" of these swords can be found in the armament of European, Russian and even American troops until the period of mass distribution of firearms.

As can be seen from the description, mostly Ottoman swords have a curved blade. Photo tuerkenbeute.de

Steel eggs

Ottoman swords, both in Turkey itself and abroad (mainly in Russia), are known under the name "Damascus". They were made from high-quality Syrian steel and using special technologies. Gunsmiths who dealt with Damascus steel were given the title "Dimishkchi". Among them there was a tradition to give the sultans steel blanks for Damascus swords, which were called "eggs". It is very symbolic that rather birds of prey “hatched” from such steel eggs. It is known that a certain master named Hussein gave Sultan Suleiman Kanuni one steel egg in the first years of his reign, and master Murad gave 10 eggs.

There is evidence that during the reign of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, a forge was erected near the Topkapi Palace, where the best craftsmen created weapon masterpieces from Damascus steel. However, during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim, the forge was bought out by the then head of customs and destroyed. Evliya Celebi, already well-known to us, mentions this in his famous Seyahatname.

Scimitars from the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. Photo kadimdostlar.com

Scimitar

Among the great variety of types of edged weapons of the Ottoman Empire, the sword of the Janissaries, the scimitar, stands out. This rather difficult sword to use is distinguished by the fact that it is curved inwards, has a length of 60-80 centimeters and, according to legend, has such a sharpness that it can cut a silk handkerchief dropped on the blade. The handle of the scimitar is usually made of ivory, wood or horn, with a widening tip in the form of ears to the right and left. Such a device does not allow the sword to slip out of the hands during use and, of course, gives it a peculiar aesthetic appearance. The blade itself and the scabbard are usually decorated with floral and geometric patterns. Gold, silver and precious stones were used for decoration. Along with the designs on the swords, there were various inscriptions - usually a poem, a verse from the Koran, a prayer (often - "O Muhammad, give me your intercession") or a proverb. Next to the inscription was the name of the owner of the blade, the date of manufacture and the seal of the master. There were two ways to apply a pattern to the blade. At the first, quite rare, it was hollowed out, and the voids were filled with molten gold or silver. In other cases, the pattern was made of thin silver wire and glued to the blade. To make a high-quality scimitar, the well-coordinated work of several masters was necessary. The first made the blade, the second made the hilt, the third prepared the scabbard, and the fourth applied patterns and inscriptions.

Over time, a special, brought to the art technique and culture of owning this sword was formed. For example, the owners of the scimitar, when there was a weaker opponent in front of them, fought with the blunt side of the sword so as not to harm the opponent.

But as a conclusion, it is appropriate to recall the words of Nizami: “There are two forces in the world - a sword and a mind. Quite often the mind has triumphed over the sword.”

Bulat Nogmanov

Reference

Bulat Nogmanov- researcher, translator.

Born 10/31/1985 in the village. Apastovo Apastovsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. In 2008 he graduated from the International Kazakh-Turkish University. HA. Yasavi with a degree in International Relations, in 2010 - a master's degree from Ankara University in the same specialty. Member of ethnographic expeditions.

Member of the Tatarstan branch of the Russian Geographical Society.

Speaks English, Turkish and Kazakh.

Excursion from Paris to Gallipoli. Military Museum.

Virtual gallery of ancient antique weapons of the Allied Dardanelles operation in 1915 and the Russian Army in Gallipoli 1920-1923.

Scimitar of the beginning of the 19th century

Ataturk, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal in the First World War with authorized melee weapons

During Dardanelles operation (World War I) most of the Turkish army soldiers used "authorized" edged weapons - sabers and bayonet-knives. But the Turks deeply honor their ancestral traditions. Visiting cemeteries on memorial days continues to this day. During the First World War, the Turkish army, let's say, "lagged behind" in armament from the allied army, used outdated models of weapons and equipment. But there was another aspect - "moral-political". Many soldiers and officers of the Turkish army had strong family military traditions, when fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers served and fought for their Empire. Along with family traditions, the weapons of the fathers and grandfathers were also passed on to the next generation of Turkish warriors. The same tradition existed in the Russian Empire, when the Cossacks used the "grandfathers' weapons." It was honorable, prestigious and inspired the soldiers to exploits and continue the military traditions of the family. For Russia, the "national" weapons of the Cossacks were a saber and a dagger. For Turkey - a scimitar, a large curved Turkish dagger. He was in service with the countries of the Middle East, the Balkan Peninsula, South Transcaucasia and the Crimean Khanate (!).

Scimitar. Fragments of history

Basically, the scimitar is known as a specific weapon of the Turkish Janissaries. According to legend, the Sultan forbade the Janissaries to wear sabers in peacetime. Janissaries circumvented this ban by ordering arm-length combat knives. And so the Turkish scimitar appeared. Scimitars were used by infantrymen (the Janissaries were exactly the guards infantry) in close combat.

Scimitar, Cossacks and "grandfathers' trophies"

Scimitars fell to the Cossacks as trophies after successful campaigns. Since then, the scimitar has been considered one of the main "Cossack trophies of grandfathers."

Scimitars in the First World War, the Dardanelles operation.

There are several cases when, in the absence of cartridges, Turkish soldiers shouting “Imshi Yalla” rushed to hand-to-hand combat against the troops of the British and ANZAC. Bayonets, sabers and scimitars were the main weapons of such attacks. AT Military Museum Gelibolu there are scimitars found at the site of the battles of the Battle of Gallipoli.

An ancient edged weapon found at the battlefields of the First World War in Gelibolu.

As you can see in the photo, the condition of such an old weapon is “archaeological”. In our galleries of ancient weapons Gelibolu we present the scimitars in the state in which they were in First World War and earlier. And of course, first of all, “grandfathers’ scimitars,” let’s say, “not ordinary Turks,” but from ancient well-known families with military traditions.

Scimitar of the beginning of the 19th century.

Scimitars of this type were used (well, of course, by VIP warriors) in all wars of the 19th century and even in the First World War.

Scimitar. Beginning of the 19th century. Turkey (Ottoman Empire)

Scimitar - a bladed piercing-cutting and chopping-cutting melee weapon with a long single-edged blade having a double bend; something between a saber and a cleaver. In the scabbard, the scimitar looks like this. Another view of the scimitar in the scabbard from the other side.

The shape of the handle of the scimitar does not allow the weapon to escape from the hand during a chopping blow (as on a Cossack checker). Scimitar, when applying chopping blows under the action of centrifugal force, tends to "break out" from the hands. So that the warrior could deliver chopping blows longer, the handle completely covered the lower part of the palm, forming specific extensions (“ears”), and sometimes continued with an emphasis on the second hand, which was located completely perpendicular to the straight part of the blade.

The subject is very interesting. Even quotes from the Koran are etched on the blade (?)

On the blade of the scimitar, the name of the master is etched in Arabic script, maybe the owner and, apparently, a quote from the Koran. Modern Turks cannot read pre-1923 inscriptions in Arabic letters. 🙁 We will be grateful for the translation 🙂

scimitar hilt and Etching on the blade

Scimitar provided by the gallery "Military Thought" (www.milart.ru) A similar one is in the collection of the State Historical Museum.

Melee weapons of the warrior of the Turkish Sultan

First letter "i"

Second letter "t"

Third letter "a"

The last beech is the letter "n"

Answer for the clue "Melee weapon of Turkish Sultan", 6 letters:
scimitar

Alternative questions in crossword puzzles for the word scimitar

Turkish dagger

Janissary saber

Saber with a blade on the concave side

Janissary Dagger

Blade Janissary in rhyme to the booth

Word definitions for scimitar in dictionaries

New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova. The meaning of the word in the dictionary New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
m. Chopping and stabbing weapons - the middle between a saber and a dagger - with a curved end of the blade and with a blade on its inner side, common among the peoples of the Near and Middle East.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. The meaning of the word in the dictionary Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.
-a. m. Large curved Turkish dagger.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov The meaning of the word in the dictionary Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov
(atagan obsolete), scimitar, m. (tour.). Large curved Turkish dagger, honed on one side. He (Kirdzhali) plunged his atagan into one of them (the Turks). Pushkin.

Wikipedia The meaning of the word in the Wikipedia dictionary
Scimitar: Scimitar is a type of melee weapon with a long single-edged blade. Yatagan is a city and district in the province of Muğla, Turkey. "Yatagan" (T-84-120) - the main battle tank, developed by the Ukrainian KP KMDB them. A. A. Morozova. "Yatagan" - ship control system ...

Examples of the use of the word scimitar in the literature.

Formidable castles rose from the Turkish line to the wooded spurs of Cheob, an Arab spear broke on them, a Mongol arrow stumbled, a Bosphorus crammed scimitar.

The earth is full of rumors,” the Albanian casually replied, playing with his scimitar.

Short shot, shine scimitars, then the Kurds whooped - and the obedient, cowardly ram ran off into the mountains.

Iranian and blade-like scimitar nomadic dunes of the Karakums and Kyzylkum.

Neighboring peoples have scimitar and a saber, two completely different types of weapons not only in appearance, but also in the way they are used.