The shape of the blade cannot be called unique, since a concave blade with a sharpening on the concave side had a mahaira, falcata, a bait knife, a kukri, a cleaver, but it is the scimitar that does not widen the blade towards the tip, but retains the same width, however, exceptions were extremely rare. In particular, a scimitar with an expansion of the blade towards the tip is kept in the museum of the Golden Gate complex in the city of Vladimir. The weapon's light weight (about 800 g) and a fairly long blade (about 65 cm) allows it to deliver slashing and piercing blows. The shape of the handle prevents the weapon from being torn out of the hand during a slashing blow. It is problematic to pierce metal armor of a high degree of protection with a scimitar, due to the low weight and design features of the blade.
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The scimitar began to be used in the 16th century. It has a blade with one-sided sharpening on the concave side (the so-called reverse bend). The hilt of the scimitar is devoid of a guard; the handle at the headband has an extension to support the hand. The blade of a Turkish scimitar near the hilt deviated at a significant angle downward from the handle, then was straight, and near the tip it broke again, but upward. Thus, the tip was directed parallel to the handle and sharpened on both sides, which made it possible to deliver piercing blows more effectively. The reverse bend of the blade simultaneously made it possible to deliver cutting blows from oneself and increased the effectiveness of both chopping and cutting blows. The straight shape of the blade in the middle gravity increased its resistance to transverse bending. In addition, replacing a smooth bend with a break made it possible to achieve a greater effective length of the weapon.
The scimitar, like any weapon, when delivering chopping blows under the influence of centrifugal force, tends to “break out” of the hand. Therefore, in order for a fighter to be able to deliver slashing blows longer, even in a state of fatigue, very sophisticated measures were taken: the handle completely covered the lower part of the palm, forming specific extensions (“ears”), and sometimes continued with a rest under the second hand, which was located at all perpendicular to the straight part of the blade. The blade and handle had a variety of decorations - carvings, notches and engravings. Scimitars were kept in sheaths and worn in the belt like daggers.
The scimitar is mainly known as a specific weapon of the Turkish Janissaries. According to legend, the Sultan forbade the Janissaries to carry sabers in peacetime. The Janissaries got around this ban by ordering hand-length combat knives. This is how the Turkish scimitar appeared. Some scimitars have a double-concave blade (like the Egyptian khopesh) - reverse at the base of the blade and saber at the tip. The scimitar usually has a bone or metal handle. The scimitar scabbard is wooden, covered with leather or lined with metal. Since there is no guard, the scimitar blade fits into the sheath with part of the handle. The total length of the scimitar is up to 80 cm, the length of the blade is about 65 cm, the weight without a scabbard is up to 800 g, with a scabbard - up to 1200 g. In addition to Turkey, the scimitar was used in the armies of the countries of the Middle East, the Balkan Peninsula, South Transcaucasia and the Crimean Khanate.
Scimitars came to the Cossacks as trophies after successful campaigns. During the Transdanubian Sich, they became more widespread among the Transdanubian Cossacks, who were in military service with the Turkish sultans.
Scimitars were used by infantrymen (the Janissaries were the guards infantry) in close combat.
In the 19th century, scimitar bayonets were used in a number of French guns and rifles, in particular the Chassepot and Comblain systems. In the closed position, the characteristic bend of the scimitar bayonet did not interfere with loading from the muzzle. In the unlocked position, the weapon was a full-fledged scimitar.
The attacking impact actions of the scimitar were carried out mainly with the tip and concave blade. The design features of this blade allowed the master to inflict two wounds simultaneously while performing a slashing blow. Defensive cuts were carried out both with the blade and with the non-sharpened convex side. When parrying a blow with a concave blade, a much more reliable hold of the enemy blade was ensured, but at the same time the ability to deliver lightning-fast counterattacks was lost due to the sliding replies inherent in the saber. Thus, the scimitar had both advantages and disadvantages. Cossacks, like the vast majority of European warriors of that time, preferred curved or straight blades.
Scimitar as a throwing weapon
Some authors point to the possibility, in addition to using the scimitar in close combat, of its effective use as a throwing weapon, provided by the specific shape of its blade and handle (ending with two “ears” that additionally stabilize the flight). The Children's Military Encyclopedia indicates the throwing range of a scimitar, at which it freely pierces the tip into a wooden target - about 30 meters. However, this is not true. The experience of throwers allows us to talk about throwing such weapons at 5-6 meters, no more.
Scimitar in literature
- In the novel by Dalia Truskinovskaya, “Shaitan the Star” appears in the title khanjar.
- In the Russian translation of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, the scimitar is the main type of melee weapon among the orcs. A characteristic detail of the appearance of orc scimitars is blued blades. In the original, the orcs are armed with scimitars (i.e. sabers of the eastern type - this is the European pronunciation of the Persian term "shamsher").
- In Vadim Panov's novel The Secret City, the weapons of the Red Caps family are used.
- In the trilogy "The Chronicles of Siala", by Alexei Pekhov, the scimitar is the main weapon of the orcs throughout the history of the world of Siala.
- In the films "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" the Medjai are armed mainly with scimitars.
- In the collection of poems by Marina Tsvetaeva "Swan Camp" 1924
There is a verse: Scimitar? Fire? More modestly, how loud!...
see also
| Scimitar in Wiktionary | |
At the mere mention of the word scimitar, as a rule, associations arise with Turkish Janissaries. What kind of weapon is this? Some believe that this is some kind of miracle weapon, while others believe that it is just an attribute of parades that served as harmonious additions to oriental costumes that were exotic for Europeans.
But as always, in reality everything turned out to be much more trivial. Until such time as in all wars the palm rested exclusively with edged weapons, master gunsmiths always tried to create something like an “ideal” universal blade.
Moreover, one that could be equally well suited as a cutting and piercing weapon. Thus, as the culmination of development in one of these directions, the scimitar appeared. This was the weapon of choice used by the Turkish Janissaries, who were once considered the best foot soldiers in the ancient Muslim world.
What is a scimitar
The scimitar (from the Turkish yatagan literally “laying”) is a bladed piercing and cutting bladed weapon, having a long single-edged blade with a double bend. In other words, it is something between sabers and cutlasses. The configuration of the blade can hardly be suspected of being unique, since mahairs, falcatas, underside knives, kukris, and also cutlasses had concave blades with sharpenings on the concave sides. With all this, the scimitar blades themselves did not expand towards the tip, but remained the same across the entire width.
With a light weight of the weapon (approximately plus/minus 900 grams) and with a fairly long blade (up to 65 cm), it was possible to carry out not only single, but also a series of chopping and piercing blows. The convenient special configuration of the handle did not allow the weapon to be pulled out of the hands when delivering slashing blows. The cavalrymen had scimitars, the length of the blades of which sometimes reached up to 90 cm. The weight of the scimitar could be in the range of 800-1000 grams with the scabbard missing, and with them - 1100-1400 grams. Everything depended on the materials from which the scabbard was made.
Basically, scimitar scabbards were made of wood; the outside was covered with leather or lined with metal. In addition, there were also samples that were cast from silver, and wooden plates were placed inside. As a rule, scimitars were decorated with a wide variety of engravings, notches, or filigree embossing. For the most part, the names of the masters or owners of weapons, and at times phrases from the sutras of the Koran, were applied to the blades. The scimitar was worn in the belt in the same way as a dagger.
Scimitars had blades with one-sided sharpening on concave sides (the so-called reverse curves). The hilts of the scimitars were devoid of guards; the handles at the heads had extensions for resting the hands. The blades of Turkish scimitars near the hilts deviated at significant angles downward from the handles, then straightened, but closer to the tip they broke again, but now upward. As a result, the points turned out to be directed parallel to the handles and were sharpened on both sides. Thanks to this, it was possible to deliver stabbing blows from oneself forward.
The presence of reverse kinks in the blade made it possible to deliver cutting blows from oneself, and to increase the effectiveness of chopping and cutting blows. In the presence of straight blade shapes in medium gravity, their resistance to transverse bending increased. Moreover, when smooth bends were replaced by kinks, the length of the weapon increased.
The scimitars, having reverse bends, seemed to be pulled out of the hands when striking. As a result, they did not require developed guards. However, in order for the Janissaries not to lose their weapons, they resorted to extremely sophisticated measures. Thus, the handles were covered by the lower parts of the palms, with the formation of specific extensions (the so-called “ears”). The blades and handles had a wide variety of decorations, such as carvings, notches and engravings.
During attacking strikes, scimitar strikes were delivered mainly using the tip and concave blades. Due to the design features of such blades, craftsmen could inflict up to two wounds at once when performing slashing blows. Defensive repulses were carried out with both blades and non-sharpened convex sides.
In order to inflict cuts on the enemy with the help of this weapon during return movements, there was no need to lean on the scimitar or press on it, because this was done as a matter of course. By repelling blows with concave blades, it was possible to provide much greater reliability when holding hostile blades.
However, during this, the potential for delivering lightning-fast counterattacks through sliding repulses, which are inherent in the sabers themselves, was lost. As a result, scimitars had both advantages and disadvantages.
Scimitar: myths and legends, truth and fiction
It was almost impossible to pierce metal armor with an increased degree of reliability with scimitars due to the small mass, as well as the design features of the blades. In addition, there were myths that scimitars could be throwing weapons.
And in general, any type of weapon can be made throwing, but to what extent it will be effective is another question. The range of an aimed throw with a scimitar can be literally a few meters, but in a mass battle, such use of it will be at least not rational and, most likely, can lead to the death of the “thrower”.
Another legend is that scimitars were used as rests for rifles or muskets during the opening fire process. Some believed that their so-called “ears” were intended for precisely this purpose. However, it remains indisputable that the scimitars were not of sufficient length for these purposes. So, even when firing in a kneeling position, it will be difficult to do this. It will be much easier to assume a prone shooting position and conduct aimed fire.
It just so happens that scimitars are better known primarily as weapons that were used by the Turkish Janissaries. However, this is not an entirely correct opinion, because it is known that not only Turkish warriors used such weapons. Such swords were also used in the Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern countries.
In particular, the Persians and Syrians had such weapons. It is also known that the Transdanubian Cossacks also armed themselves with scimitars. These were former Zaporizhian Cossacks, or rather part of them, who, after the destruction of the Zaporizhian Sich, crossed the Danube. So on June 15, 1775, Russian troops, commanded by Lieutenant General Pyotr Tekelli, in accordance with the decree of Catherine II, managed to secretly advance to the Sich and surround it.
Then the Koshevoy Ataman Pyotr Kalnyshevsky gave the order to surrender without a fight. Since then, both the Sich itself and the entire Zaporizhian army were disbanded. Some Cossacks even went into the service of the Turkish Sultan, where they were armed.
There is a version that scimitars trace their ancestry back to the times of ancient Egypt. Allegedly, they are distant descendants of the ancient Egyptian Khopesh swords. However, khopeshis have a more sickle-shaped configuration and are longer, and later they were also sharpened on both sides.
The scimitars that have survived to this day date back to the first quarter of the 19th century. They remained with Janissary weapons until 1826, and were subsequently given another opportunity to exist after 1839. Most of all, this was associated with the end of the reign of Mahmud II.
Scimitars of the late 18th - early 19th centuries were most of all personal weapons for a wide variety of local self-defense. The scimitar of that period was made mainly of low-quality iron but was richly decorated. It had a fragile hollow handle that could not withstand strong blows. The scimitar became a ceremonial and ceremonial weapon and a symbol of a bygone era.
This was further facilitated by the fact that the Janissaries were prohibited from carrying sabers, axes and, of course, firearms in populated areas. Scimitars were not considered serious weapons, and as a result they were not banned.
In 1826, following another rebellion, the Janissaries were defeated and the survivors were exiled. The scimitars almost instantly sank into oblivion. Further efforts to restore another important historical era, as well as its weapons, did not bring success. It caused too many disasters.
Each nation has its own national characteristics and traditions. Weapons play an important role in self-identification. Most of the population, when asked about the weapons of the Turks, will answer “a crooked saber, a scimitar.” It is difficult to blame anyone for illiteracy, since the scimitar is one of the first attempts by the Turkish army to bring edged weapons onto the battlefield into a unified system.
In the army of the Ottoman Empire, much attention was paid to the individual fighting qualities of each soldier, especially from the elite Janissary corps. They needed the best weapons to win.
History of origin
Few weapons can boast of a legend associated with their origin. The scimitar, according to Turkish stories, appeared after one of the Turkish rulers forbade the Janissaries to carry weapons; the warriors cleverly circumvented the ban. The guardsmen ordered to forge knives the size of their hands, and this is how scimitars turned out.
In fact, the appearance of the scimitar was somewhat more complicated. With the increasing complexity of warfare and the improvement of weapons, the Turkish infantry needed a new type of sword.
The weapon should be able to stab and cut the enemy with equal efficiency. It is based on the one known from the times of Ancient Egypt. The bend of the blade gave an advantage in chopping, and the sharpened edge made it possible to stab the enemy.
But there was a significant difference: the blade was made with the same width along its entire length. A few specimens had a thickening at the end of the blade.
As the Ottoman army transformed from heavy cavalry to infantry, the fighters needed new, effective close-combat weapons.
The Turks used daggers both against regular armies and against rebel peasants dissatisfied with the oppression of the Sublime Porte. Heavy weapons were ineffective in the fight against partisans, and the Janissary Corps began mass procurement of a new type of blade.
The new weapon turned out to be successful. Many Ottoman allies adopted it, and already in the 18th century it was in service with the Balkan peoples, Caucasians, as well as the Crimean Tatars.
How and from what were scimitars made?
Scimitars had a curved blade, but in such a way that the tip and handle were on the same line. They tried to make the center of gravity closer to the handle, which ensured a comfortable and therefore reliable grip. The single-sided blade caused both cut and puncture wounds.
With a slashing blow, damage was inflicted by the upper part of the blade, cutting wounds were inflicted by the lower part of the blade.
The blade itself weighed a little, up to a kilogram, which was a plus and a minus. The positive thing was that an experienced fighter hardly felt the weight and could hack for a long time; the negative factor was that he was powerless in front of heavy armor.
A special feature of the scimitar was the absence of a guard. Scimitars were worn in the belt on the stomach, so that the warrior could equally effectively use the weapon with both his right and left hands. Despite the obvious advantages of the guard, it caught clothes and made it difficult to quickly prepare for battle.
For more effective use, the handle had so-called “ears”.
They served to counteract the centrifugal force that tends to tear the dagger out of the fighter’s hands during a quick cut.
The metal used for these weapons varied greatly. It could be steel from Damascus, damask metal and local types of material. Much depended on the customer’s material resources. The handle was made of wood, bone, and precious metals. The scabbard was of particular importance.
They were created using wood and metal, covered with leather, often embossed or with precious stones. The sheath weighed up to half the dagger itself. This made it possible not to sheathe a bloody scimitar; although cleaning was not carried out automatically, some of the dirt was washed off from the blade.
There are several types of scimitars, different in both shape and decoration, namely:
- the Istanbul type, the most widespread and diverse due to the thousands of masters who lived in the capital of the empire;
- Balkan type, characterized by the angularity of the “ears” and the large use of copper in decoration;
- Asia Minor type, with a variety of blades, long blades and an abundance of horn in the decoration of the handle;
- scimitars of Eastern Anatolia, with small “ears” and an almost straight blade.
The Turkish army, known for its diversity and custom-made weapons, was replete with various types of scimitars. Later, however, many ended up in Europe as trophies, striking with the richness of their decoration and unusual shapes.
Use on the battlefield
Scimitars were used in all wars of the vast Ottoman Empire from its birth in the 16th century until the 20th century. The Janissary infantry, the backbone of the Turkish army, often used scimitars in addition to firearms.
In Turkey, individual training of fighters was given great importance. Unlike most European infantry, recruited from the peasantry and townspeople, the Janissaries were a caste, and their training in the use of blades began in childhood.
Ottoman opponents often gained the upper hand thanks to the formation and cohesion of combat units, but in one-on-one combat the Janissaries had no equal.
It is not without reason that until the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Turkish threat frightened all of Europe.
Janissaries usually had two blades. They held the curved saber in their right hand with a straight grip. The scimitar is in the left, reversed, so that its blade is behind the back. Attacking, the warriors showered the enemy with a hail of blows, each of which could be fatal.
The reverse grip of the scimitar, inconvenient at first glance, made it possible to deliver cutting blows from the bottom up. Someone carried only a scimitar, taking a small convex shield in the other hand.
In addition to the Janissaries, the blade was often used by hired killers. The Assassin's scimitar was not fundamentally different from conventional weapons. However, the effectiveness of the weapon terrified the victims' guards.
Europeans treated the scimitar as an ignoble weapon, considering its lightness to be frivolous for a real weapon. The Turks, however, did not care much about this and they continued to use daggers in all wars and skirmishes.
The convenient, although lightweight, weapon found wide popularity among peoples directly associated with the Turks.
The scimitar was respected and often used by Serbian and Montenegrin independence fighters.
The Zaporozhye Cossacks, both in the service of the Sublime Porte and opponents of the Turks, often used this type of dagger. They gladly took it as a trophy. Custom-made examples for officers and nobles were decorated with precious stones, bone, silver or gold.
How the scimitar lost its meaning
The decline of the scimitars came simultaneously with the end of the Janissary corps. This dagger was not only a weapon for the Sultan’s guards, but also a symbol of freedom and strength. With the dissolution and physical elimination of the elite detachment, the scimitar actually lost its status. Of course, they did not stop using the product.
Detachments of bashi-bazouks, irregular infantry composed of fanatics, and more often of bandits, used these weapons until they ceased to exist at the end of the 19th century. Actually, the Turks themselves were afraid of bashi-bazouks, the translation of this term is “crazy-headed, reckless head.”
On the battlefields of the First World War, Turkish soldiers also used scimitars. Excavations at the sites of the Battle of Galippoly provide evidence of this. A tragic page in the chronicle of the Armenian people is also connected with scimitars.
During the genocide, Turkish soldiers used scimitars against civilians.
Unexpectedly, the scimitar came in handy in the French army. A number of rifles, for example Chasso, which proved themselves during the Franco-Prussian War, received scimitar bayonets. The slightly smaller blade made it possible for soldiers to fearlessly clean a gun with an attached bayonet.
Scimitar in art
World literature is replete with references to this type of weapon. The authors consider the description of a man who was in the East to be completed with the cherry on the cake - a scimitar on a Persian carpet on the wall.
This description is equally true for both domestic and foreign literature. There are also negative assessments in prose. Thus, in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the orcs are all armed with scimitars.
However, Jackson’s film version smoothed out this idea of the Janissaries’ weapons. Apparently, the director considered the scimitar not so sinister and replaced it with more cranberry blades.
Despite its celebrity, and even a certain cult following, a real scimitar is rarely seen in feature films. The hero of the article is replaced with different types of sabers, tulvars and even swords, shamelessly passing them off as Janissary weapons.
With the exception of historical films, where specialists take the issue seriously, or Turkish films, the scimitar is rarely seen on the big screen.
Scimitars that belonged to famous warriors and commanders can be seen in many museums around the world. In Russia, in the Golden Gate Museum in Vladimir, there is a scimitar of an unknown warrior, which has an extension at the end of the blade.
A rare copy open for public viewing. The very distribution speaks of the popularity of this type of dagger in the world. For historians and people interested in weapons, the scimitar will forever remain the faithful companion of the Janissary, the best warrior of the Islamic world and the thunder of Europe.
Video
As the title suggests, today we will talk about scimitar- a formidable edged weapon that will forever remain in memory as the embodiment of oriental deceit and the weapon of Turkish warriors - janissary .
So, scimitar- what is this? This type of bladed weapon belongs to the bladed piercing-cutting weapon or also to the piercing-cutting bladed weapon. In appearance it is similar to, and khukri, therefore we are not talking about the uniqueness of the blade. The blade itself is single-edged and has a double curve with sharpening on the concave side. The main difference between the scimitar and its other “brothers” is the constant width of the blade, from the beginning to the very tip.
The main advantage, as well as the disadvantage, scimitar It is considered to be light in weight. A weight of eight hundred grams and a fairly long blade, from sixty to seventy centimeters, made it possible to deliver chopping, slashing and piercing blows in whole series, while maintaining maneuverability and the possibility of quick defensive actions. But the scimitar could not defeat an enemy protected by heavy armor - again, “thanks” to its light weight and the shape of the blade. The thickness of the blade was always three millimeters.
Another noticeable distinctive feature of the scimitar is the absence of a guard. It was not needed, since the design of the blade upon impact caused the scimitar to “break out” of the hand. In addition, because of this, the blade is placed in the sheath along with part of the handle. The scabbard was made mainly of wood and then covered with leather or metal. The scabbard noticeably added weight to the scimitar and weighed a good half of the entire scimitar. The sheath weighs approximately four hundred grams. The scimitar could be richly decorated and was worn only in a sheath, behind a belt.
The handle had a special shape in order to prevent it from slipping out of the hand during a strong chopping blow. It covered the entire lower part of the palm and ended in a kind of extension called “ears.”
The beginning of the use of the scimitar is considered to be the sixteenth century, and the first known owner of this edged weapon was Suleiman the Magnificent, in 1526. Mass production of the scimitar began much later - in the eighteenth century, namely in 1761. It was during this period that endless rebellions began that needed to be suppressed, and this was done by the Janissaries, who fell in love with the scimitar more than anyone else. The formation of the Janissary contingent began in the fourteenth century, but they had no military significance, since they consisted mainly of prisoners of war, carried out mainly garrison service, and the main striking force of the Turkish state at that time were - smells- feudal heavy cavalry and militia of free farmers.
But any feudal associations always strived for power and, ultimately, more disciplined and submissive warriors were required than smells. They became regular Janissary units . They were very devoted to the throne, and the Sultan strongly encouraged and stimulated their service, which ultimately made the Janissaries a very prestigious unit. It was not by chance that the scimitar appeared among Turkish warriors. In peacetime, the Janissaries surrendered their sabers and guns in the arsenal, and were generally unarmed. This situation did not suit them at all, and the Janissaries were forced to order personalized long combat knives for themselves - they became scimitars.
According to the European canons of gunsmithing, it is the most ignoble weapon. Due to the double bend of the blade, it inflicted deep wounds and became, for Europeans, the embodiment of oriental deceit. Ultimately, the scimitar went down in history as “ sword of Islam ».
In addition to Turkey, these edged weapons were used in the countries of the Middle East, South Transcaucasia, the Crimean Khanate and the Balkan Peninsula. The scimitar even ended up with the Zaporozhye Cossacks, after successful campaigns, in the form of trophies.
Varieties of scimitar.
Since the scimitar was so widespread among such a large number of states, then it should have many varieties. This is true. Research shows that the surest sign of difference is the inscription techniques and marks of the gunsmiths.
So where were the main workshops? Let's look at them:
Now let's look at each type separately.
Istanbul type scimitar.
They have the widest variety of blade and handle shapes and sizes. This diversity can be partly explained by the fact that all successful gunsmiths migrated to Istanbul, bringing with them both technologies and ideas for making weapons. It can be distinguished from other species only by the mark of the master. Istanbul scimitars were decorated in various ways. There were both the most primitive and richly decorated specimens.
Balkan type scimitar.
The hilts decorated with silver and coral and having somewhat angular-looking “ears” are believed to belong to scimitars produced in Bosnia or Herzegovina.
Having more round shapes and scabbards made of metal, copper or silver, decorated with embossing, corals or precious stones, they belong to master gunsmiths from the Greek provinces.
In addition, scimitars of this type were produced in Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria.
Scimitar of the Asia Minor type.
There is a wide variety of blade shapes here. There are specimens with an almost straight blade and a very curved one. Blades of this type reach the largest sizes and can be from fifty to seventy-five centimeters in length. Some blades have fullers and T-shaped butts.
The handles are made mainly of horn or bone and decorated with silver, tin or copper. The shape of the handle was very diverse and did not have a single type of mounting.
Scimitar of the Eastern Anatolian type.
The main difference of this type is that the “ears” are quite small in size, similar in shape to Caucasian checkers. The shape of the blade is slightly curved, even sometimes straight. The blade itself is small - about fifty-five or sixty centimeters. It is also possible to differ in the brand.
Relatives of the scimitar.
Or where do the “ears” come from….
As mentioned above, the ancestor of the scimitar was belt knife. Now they are called “scimitar”, although, in theory, it should be the other way around. Nowadays, knives of this type can be found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a rule, these are knives with a straight blade or a slightly lowered tip and developed “ears” on the handle.
In general, “eared” weapons have long been common in the Eastern region. And from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, “eared hilts” of daggers were found in Italy and Spain.
The most primitive scimitar-type knives are found in museum collections under the name “Greek”. Although they all date back to the second half of the nineteenth century, their exquisite decoration suggests that the type of such knives itself has more ancient roots. The blade of these knives does not quite fit the definition of a scimitar - almost non-tapering, with a raised and sometimes curved tip. But the oval cross-section bone handle with “ears” exactly matches the type of scimitar handle.
Of course, scimitars, as custom-made weapons, differed from each other, both in the shape of the blade and in the finishing. Sometimes this was due to fashion trends, and sometimes to local traditions. By the way, the blades of scimitars were not always curved. They were often made almost straight or slightly curved.
In 1826, when, after another rebellion, parts of the Janissaries were defeated and the survivors were exiled, the scimitar almost instantly sank into oblivion, and later attempts to restore a historically important period in history along with its weapons were never successful. A lot of troubles were caused by these insidious weapons.
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