Kilij
| Kilij | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | saber |
| Designations: | Kilij, Kılıç, Shemshir, Shamsir, Chimichir, Turkish saber |
| Use: | Weapon, traditional weapon |
| Creation time: | approx. 14th century |
| Working time: | until now |
| Region of origin / author: |
Turkey |
| Distribution: | Turkey, Arabia, Persia, Balkans |
| Overall length: | approx. 96 cm |
| Blade length: | approx. 66 cm to approx. 80 cm |
| Handle: | Wood, metal, silver |
| Particularities: | The Kilij has a widened blade at the tip (Jelman). |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Kilidsch (also Kilij, Turkish Kılıç ) is a late medieval Turkish saber that was part of the standard equipment of Ottoman soldiers since the 15th century . The weapon has two special features, on the one hand the handle which ends in a ball curved towards the long cutting edge (also snail-shaped) with the corresponding parry and the blade shape which is straight to the middle of the blade then makes a kink and then is straight again. There is also the short cutting edge ( Jelman ) on the back of the blade.
The Adjemi-Kilidsch is a hybrid form with the typical Kilij handle and a Shamshir or Saife blade ( Shamshir )
description
The Kilidsch has a long, strongly curved blade that widens in the front area (Turkish Jelman ) in order to strengthen the momentum when cutting. In this way, armor can be broken through better and particularly severe cuts can be inflicted on the enemy. Due to its width and weight distribution, however, such a saber is less suitable as a stabbing weapon. The widening, which was initially only weak, was increasingly emphasized and conspicuous in the 14th and 15th centuries and developed into the hallmark of the Turkish saber. The quillons of the Kilij are cruciform or star-shaped and usually longer than average. The hilt is made of wood, horn or bone and tapers at the rear end to prevent the saber from slipping out of your hand during a fight.
Historical classification
In the Arabic, Persian and Turkish-speaking areas, edged weapons are still systematically classified differently than is usual in Europe; In particular, the conceptual distinction between saber and sword is missing (the Turkish word kılıç , the Arabic word saif and the Persian word shamshir simply translate as 'sword', as the corresponding weapons usually have curved and usually single-edged blades). A saber with a strongly curved blade is called a Kilidsch, a saber with a less curved blade is called a Saif .
Early forms of the Kilidsch probably emerged in the second half of the 13th century, when during the Crusades there was a growing demand for a blade that was on a par with the heavier, armor and bone-cutting swords of the Frankish-Norman design. The sabers, which had been widespread in the oriental region until then, were designed to taper towards the tip and were mainly designed to inflict cuts on an opponent who was only lightly armored.
As earlier research recognized, the Frankish knights in the Crusader states liked to equip themselves with oriental sabers instead of conventional swords , which was attributed to advantages of lower weight and better cutting performance. Boeheim considered this to be proven by copper engravings and contemporary descriptions of the time of the crusades. Recent research argues against the fact that sabers and swords as slashing and stabbing weapons in principle belonged same weight class and did not differ significantly in the cutting performance, especially swords are occupied in the oriental room.
In the West, curved blades were initially reserved for curved swords, the appearance and naming of which varied greatly ( French Sauveterre, Cimeterre , Italian Coltelacio, Stradiot and Dussack , German Kordelatsch or Kordalätsch). Although cavalry sabers of Avar origin were already in the possession of Franconian aristocrats in the early Middle Ages , the saber only found sustained acceptance in Europe in the wake of the Crusades and the Turkish Wars, and in later centuries it established itself as a close combat weapon against the sword. However, purely European weapon developments in the late Middle Ages, such as the falchion or the long knife , arose independently of the Kilij and must not be associated with oriental sabers.
Neighboring peoples and immediate opponents of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the inhabitants of the territories conquered by the Turks, however, often adopted the Ottoman saber shape. In Europe, too, such "Turkish sabers" enjoyed great popularity and appreciation in the early modern period (i.e. the time of the Turkish conquests in the Mediterranean, in Southeast Europe and the Middle East), as the workmanship and material properties were extraordinarily good. In some cases, valuable blades were made from Damascus steel, which were distinguished by their special optics, flexibility and edge retention.
These sabers did not lose their importance with the advent of firearms : the Kilij is still present in the armament of the countries and regions influenced by the Ottoman culture.
See also
literature
- Wendelin Boeheim : Handbook of the armory. Reprint d. Ed. Leipzig 1890, Fourier, Wiesbaden 1985, ISBN 978-3-201-00257-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ PW Hartmann, Das Großes Kunstlexikon (accessed July 9, 2009)
- ↑ Wendelin Boeheim: Handbook of Armament. Pp. 270-280.