2 similar AFRICAN SWORDS: Takouba & Kaskara

Рет қаралды 13,474

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 108

@jellekastelein7316 Ай бұрын

My first sword was a takouba. My uncle bought it on one of his travels (in Nigeria). As a kid I was fascinated by it. It wasn't until many years later that I found out the name of it. At Sinterklaas we sometimes give gifts wrapped in an arts and crafts project of sorts. One year when I was about 12 my uncle made a paper mache dinosaur and gave me the sword to slay it with. Inside were tickets to Jurassic Park, which was playing at the time. I got to keep the sword, and of course I still have it in my collection. Best Sinterklaas gift ever!

@jurtheorc8117 Ай бұрын

That sounds like one of the most awesome ways to celebrate Sinterklaas. Thank you for sharing this

@SirLionel13 Ай бұрын

Your uncle sounds awesome

@kako885 Ай бұрын

The Takouba is more of a West African sword than North, the main ethnic groups that use them (Hausa, Tuareg, Fulani, etc) are all heavily based in West Africa, mostly the Sahel to be specific. The Tuareg are amazigh and do have North African origins as well as some smaller populations in North Africa but the large majority are in West Africa and have been for hundreds of years, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso all hold the vast majority of the Tuareg populace and they're only one ethnic group. The Takouba is used by many many ethnic groups and is probably the most ubiquitous sword in West Africa along with the Mande sabre, you can find the Takouba as far as Cameroon which is in Central Africa bordering West Africa because of the Sokoto Caliphate lead by Fulani's reaching there

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

The Kaskara isn’t North African either it was used in Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia amongst other regions.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@LionClanChief Bonjour

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

@ hey what’s up? You alright.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@LionClanChief Yeah Im good

@ZedCactus Ай бұрын

@@LionClanChief The UN definition of North Africa includes Sudan (which Matt mentions several times in the video), while the African Union does not. I guess Matt would be using the UN definition of "North Africa", which would cause confusion (if you're using the African Union definition of North Africa, which I don't know if you are). :)

@mellonbread Ай бұрын

A video on round nosed swords would be great. I had similar questions about the rounded tip on the katzbalger.

@inregionecaecorum Ай бұрын

Takouba don't have a pointy blade cos it is rude to point, didn't your mother ever tell you?

@lukewilliams8548 Ай бұрын

I think spatulated points are for completely favoring the cut. It has good mass and edge geometry for tip cuts, providing additional reach in the cut, no need to worry about cutting lower on the blade.

@andreweden9405 Ай бұрын

Matt, I'll never forget the article/journal you read by some 19th century American officer talking about how the Sudanese jihadis would keep their Kaskaras sharp enough to hamstring the war elephants of their enemies! That left a horrendous and disturbing, yet simultaneously evocative impression on me!

@arc0006 Ай бұрын

I'd love a full video on each of these swords. Curious what Matt would say as to where these swords are vs European swords are in various attributes.

@williamarthur4801 Ай бұрын

When about 11 I had a book with photos of Tuareg and used to dress in a sheet and lament being born in NW London.

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

Correction the Kaskara and Takoba aren’t North African. the Takoba is west African predominantly from the Sahel region and the Kaskara is Sudanese but it was used elsewhere in places like Ethiopia and Chad.

@jettaphillips5023 Ай бұрын

So North African? All those places are in the north.

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

@@jettaphillips5023 look at a map they aren’t classed as North Africa. Ethiopia, Chad and Sudan are Sub Saharan only the very northern countries are classed as North Africa.

@jettaphillips5023 Ай бұрын

@@LionClanChief Hmm I'm more of a literal person. If it's in the north it's the north.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@jettaphillips5023 no. Takouba is used by tuareg, hausa, and fulani. All three are west african groups. The Kaskara though is more iranian than anything

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

@@jettaphillips5023 Well it’s not officially but so be it believe that then.

@macacofrito Ай бұрын

i love the kaskara, it´s my favorite african sword along with the ethiopian shotel

@Snarlacc Ай бұрын

The Takouba never has iron anywhere you would touch. The users had some prejudice about touching the metal, that is why any iron is covered. Also the hilt can show who made it. Swordis has an article aboout it.

@FiliiMartis Ай бұрын

Interesting! I didn't know that. I only took the wide cross-guard as an attempt to stop a sliding blade farther from the hand.

@GaryNac Ай бұрын

I'm guessing that the ethnic group of people who used and invented Takoubas probably did not prefer half swording.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@GaryNac Correct. A shield would be used in the opposite hand

@a.m928 Ай бұрын

There was no need to half sword as most armor was paddel or cloth.

@Ose-here Ай бұрын

i heard a different reasoning which was simply that touching hot iron in such a climate isn't fun

@bartolomeorizzo Ай бұрын

Great video! Buuut still waiting for a Zaghnal one

@WhatIfBrigade Ай бұрын

1:15 Did getting blades from other countries ever cause problems during war? Might be an interesting video idea.

@philparkinson462 Ай бұрын

It always amused me years ago seeing these advertised as a possible 'crusader blade'. You should have shared images of the scabbards which tend to be quite spatulate.

@CVSTiramisu Ай бұрын

Cool swords Matt :)

@beepboop204 Ай бұрын

the thing hangin around up there in the top left is really rustling my jimmies

@tabletsam5624 Ай бұрын

😮my two favourite africa swords in one Video.

@cmur078 Ай бұрын

Presumably the takouba would be a better 'fencing' sword as it has a tapering blade and a pommel?

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

The Takouba is a sword made with little to no outside input, whilst the kaskara swords were based on Iranian designs

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

I think the Kaskara design may originate with Christian Nubian swords but, that’s just by hypothesis based on art and graffiti I’ve seen of the swords of that period. Plus the scabbard design does seem to be ancient as it’s visible in ancient Kushite art.

@AecernArchaeology Ай бұрын

Do you know what the tang is like? I have a blade that I've learned has N African half moon stamps and a really short tang. It may never have had a hilt or grip and it matches the European trade blades. Unlike your examples it has non-parallel edges and a point.

@LordPeachew Ай бұрын

My takoba has a short thick tang that turns into a rat tail.

@BryceBillingsley-po3uj Ай бұрын

@beafraidofinsectattack Ай бұрын

more cool swords from uncle matt

@althesmith Ай бұрын

You could take a takouba or kaskara blade, slap a baskethilt on it, and take a time machine back to Killiecrankie or Prestonpans and noone would bat an eye.

@scholagladiatoria Ай бұрын

Pretty much, yes!

@althesmith Ай бұрын

@@scholagladiatoria Well, a lot were probably made in the same workshops....

@leppeppel Ай бұрын

North African swords are criminally slept on. Thanks for the coverage, Matt!

@Lionslycer Ай бұрын

Is it just me or does Matt look like a damn good nosferatu?

@jennaforesti Ай бұрын

Do these types of blades pre-date the Visigoth settlements in North Africa? Do they pre-date the Roman settlements (with the Gladius)?

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

not so sure, but none of the blades have anything to do with the northern coast of Africa

@jennaforesti Ай бұрын

@joshuafrimpong244 Actually, the Romans settled all of the northern coast of Africa and grew most of the grain to feed the empire in those colonies. This was after the defeat of Carthage. Egypt, also located in North Africa was claimed as a Roman colony after the death of the last Cleopatra. The Visigoths settled in much of North Africa west of the areas controlled by Egypt after expanding out of Spain. This was towards the end of the Western Roman empire.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@jennaforesti I mean the blades

@jennaforesti Ай бұрын

@joshuafrimpong244 That makes more sense.

@SeanKelly9843 Ай бұрын

Of the swords that we can see used in videos is it known if the blades were domestically produced or German imports? How late was Germany exporting that style of blade?

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

neither of these were inspired by german blades

@WhatIfBrigade Ай бұрын

1:29 I wonder if people from very different countries bonded over their shared appreciation of German blades.

@charlottesimonin2551 Ай бұрын

Were the grips very round or was it just a result of photography?

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

They are round grips for both. You can see this on examples of you search the swords on Google.

@emblemarms Ай бұрын

That is a thick cross guard! I can’t tell if I like it or not.

@danalden1112 Ай бұрын

Every time I see patina on any historic blade I wonder if there is any dna, tissue, bone fragments, cloth or metal pieces present that will be lost in polishing

@NaturalSynthetic777 Ай бұрын

Check out the nepalnese kora

@steemlenn8797 Ай бұрын

One day I might meet you, and in that case I will greet you "I know that haircut from somewhere. What was your name? Mad Western?"

@julianshepherd2038 Ай бұрын

Kemptown races have changed. Used to be all about cut throat razors.

@RagPlaysGames Ай бұрын

Do-dah, Do-dah. Oh da do dah day.

@Sporek Ай бұрын

I'm glad that Nosferatu deals with swords and not bloodsucking these days.

@trystanfranziskus Ай бұрын

literally only bot comments so far lol

@julianshepherd2038 Ай бұрын

That's just whata bot would say

@trystanfranziskus Ай бұрын

@@julianshepherd2038 indeed

@HunterGargoyle Ай бұрын

i would say handles just by looking at them

@Book-bz8ns Ай бұрын

I like the tokuba.

@CrimeVid Ай бұрын

Tsouba nothing like Taureg swords from antique photographs !?

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

its hausan then

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

The grip tells you who made it, hence the variations

@Leman.Russ.6thLegion Ай бұрын

With Afrikan swords, I never assume they even had intended utilities. Just what the afrikans thpught looked nice.

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

Well aside from a few ceremonial swords they were definitely used.

@williamfawkes8379 Ай бұрын

Regarding the Takouba, the tip was referred to as the "tongue," by the people that used them. Would it perhaps indicate that the tip was used to deliver slashes? A chisel or round tip does better in that regard over a point, as it doesn't require a perfectly measured distance to be effective.

@infinitevos Ай бұрын

Dope history lesson

@JanetStarChild Ай бұрын

Heroin is a hell of a drug.

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

@@JanetStarChild bruh

@JanetStarChild Ай бұрын

@@joshuafrimpong244 Uh, I'd appreciate you not masturbate in my direction; thank you very much.

@elshebactm6769 Ай бұрын

🗿👍

@kingkuroneko7253 Ай бұрын

@nagili4 Ай бұрын

That kaskara looks like a beautifully simple sword design, think I'll have to convince my wife to recreate one for me 😄

@FrancisFjordCupola Ай бұрын

Well... if the blades are German than it's African/European. Precursor to globalization. If you design and build Beetles in Germany and then set up shop in China, export parts to there and they built the same Beetles... does that make an Asian or European car? Or a European car built in Asia?

@LionClanChief Ай бұрын

The sword designs are indigenous it’s just some of the blades due to trade were purchased from Germans. This isn’t the case for all mind you.

@bobwilliam2634 Ай бұрын

I kinda disagree with your car metaphor. While many blades around the world originated in Germany during the 19th-20th century they where often heavily modified by various peoples and would be finished with a native style hilt which would drastically change the way the sword would be used. To modify you're metaphor, its more like a Germany company exported a bunch of car and truck chasis to various parts of the world, just the frames and engines. Various local companies built off of these frames to create a variety of cars and trucks to serve local needs and tastes. While the chasis orginated in Germany, the car was put together locally to serve a native market in a way that would puzzle the original germany manufactures. I think Matt is correct in always noting the origin of the blade, but calling the sword by the native type. After all, a car is more then its chasis and a sword is more then its blade. These are vital and fundamental components, yes, but not the whole story.

@GrandDungeonDad Ай бұрын

I can’t be in the UK I’m an american I would likely get arrested for speaking my mind :-)

@prosto_potomuwto Ай бұрын

А неужели не сохранилось НИ ОДНОГО железного меча великого славянского прошлого? Или мы все были с лазерами?

@Templarium Ай бұрын

I find those swords pretty ugly. Are they even properly heat treated?

@joshuafrimpong244 Ай бұрын

yes, hence how they still last

@GA1313E Ай бұрын

I find the crossguard with the verticals and the multiple fullers to be quite striking! Alot of takouba seem to have more decoration on the crossguard and pommel, than the one in the video. Making them quite beautiful, especially the ones with silver or brass coloured inlay against the dark leather.