Scimitar
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A scimitar (pronounced /ˈsɪmɪtər/) is a sword with a curved blade design finding its origins in Southwest Asia (Middle East).
The name can be used to refer to almost any Middle Eastern or South Asian sword with a curved blade, and is often thought of as having a ridge near the end. They include Arabic saif, Indian talwar, Persian shamshir, and Turkish kilij and yatağan, among others.
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[edit] Etymology
The word "scimitar", known in English since 1548, derived from Medieval French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra.
The following swords are usually called scimitars:
[edit] Scimitars in history
In the form of the khopesh, the scimitar started playing a sometimes significant role in Middle Eastern warfare more than two millennia before the advent of Islam. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass asserts that the Egyptians of the 18th Dynasty(circa 1600 B.C.) used new weapons technologies borrowed from the Hyksos, including "the scimitar" as important tools in fostering Egypt's regional domination which characterized much of the New Kingdom period (p 21-22). Some might judge Hawass' use of the term anachronistic but nonetheless this provides evidence for the use of something akin to the scimitar well before the development of the Persian shamshir.
Many Islamic traditions adopted scimitars, as attested by their symbolic occurrence, e.g. on the Coat of arms of Saudi Arabia.
[edit] The scimitar in fiction and popular culture
In fiction, warriors of Middle Eastern cultures often use scimitars, for example the character Yellow Robe in Journey to the West. In the film The 13th Warrior, Antonio Banderas' character Ahmad ibn Fadlan makes a scimitar after finding the Viking swords too heavy. Also, it has become a stereotype that seafaring pirates favored this type of sword, as seen in numerous stories, television shows and movies. This is most likely due to the Barbary Corsairs.
Scimitars are also commonly used when the inclusion of a fairly exotic weapon is desired by authors of fantasy fiction and role-playing games. The Calormen warriors and royalty fight with scimitars in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, as does Prince Borric, the main character in Raymond E. Feist's Prince of the Blood. Fantasy author R.A. Salvatore's dark elf protagonist Drizzt Do'Urden wields a pair of enchanted scimitars named Icingdeath and Twinkle (the blades are slightly curved). In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, most Orcs wield scimitars. Also, in the Redwall series, the vermins' typical weapon is the scimitar. Scimitars are also a weapon in RuneScape, an online video game, and can be bought in a shop located in an Arabian styled area it is also one of the best free to play weapons in runescape.. At points in some of the Prince of Persia games, the prince's blade is a scimitar. In Diablo II, a scimitar is an early weapon, promoting fast attack speed and low damage.
Additionally, the scimitar has been a fairly popular namesake employed by comic book and science fiction writers. A wrestler, a minor Marvel Comics villain, and space craft in the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Wing Commander universes have all been named after the scimitar.
Jafat also uses a Scimitar in the "Hadrabubdla - Ashti's quest" comics.
The scimitar was also used in Arabia at gladiatorial combat events similar to those of the Roman tradition.
In Vagrant Story, the main character Ashley Riot begins with a scimitar called "Fandango".
In popular culture, the scimitar is depicted as being a broad-bladed, curved sword with a scalloped inner edge.
In Grand Chase, the 2nd Job of the character Lass, which is Assassin/Mercenary, uses a Scimitar for a weapon.
[edit] Variations
Varieties include the Arabian saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij, the Indian tulwar, the Moroccan nimcha, and the Afghan pulwar.
The kilij is a scimitar sword used by the Turks and the Ottoman Empire, and is appeared around the 15th century. The kilij is a unique kind of scimitar that has a slight taper down the straight of the blade until the last third of the sword, when it angles sharply and becomes deeper. After the First Barbary War, a bejeweled kilij was presented to the marine officer in charge, which has become a tradition in the Marine Corp. The Indian tulwar is a nearly identical blade to the shamshir, with the exception of a broader blade. The word tulwar literally means “sword” in Hindi.
The Moroccan nimcha is a scimitar sword used in the late 18th century, and is usually forged using the blades of older swords, dating from as early as the 17th century, and with blades from countries as distant as Germany. This created a wide variety of nimcha, and almost no two are the same. The Afghan pulwar is similar in blade design to the tulwar, but the cross guard on the pulwar angles in towards the blade to catch swords. Many pulwar hilts are engraved with ornamental inscriptions and designs.
The scimitar sword is used widely throughout fantasy worlds. Many books and video games feature the scimitar, and they are usually used by exotic characters or found in Arabian style locales. A common stereotype is of pirates using scimitars, though in reality, they were often too brash and impatient for sword fights.
[edit] Sources and references
- Etymology OnLine
- Hawass, Zahi. (2005). Tutankhamun And the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Washington DC: National Geographic Society
- [[1]] retrieved on 7-10-09
