| Ida | |
|---|---|
 Early 20th century Iron sword collected by Leo Frobenius, likely an Ida type by design. 56.5 cm. | |
| Type | Sword |
| Place of origin | Nigeria |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Oyo empire Benin Kingdom Other Nigerian tribes |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2 lb (0.91 kg) |
| Length | 18 to 32 in (46 to 81 cm) |
| Width | (2 in (5.1 cm) (Max blade) |
| Blade type | iron; pointed, double-edged, single-edged |
| Hilt type | Wood, Iron |
The Ida (also known as Ida gigun meaning 'long sword') is a traditional sword used by the Yoruba people of West Africa. Distantly reminiscent of European late-medieval swords, It served as one of the primary weapons of Yoruba armies before the widespread adoption of firearms, alongside spears and bows and arrows. The ida typically features a sometimes leaf-shaped iron blade ranging from 18 to 30 inches (46 to 76 cm) in length, with most examples being lighter than European or Islamic Swords, weighing approximately 2 pounds (0.9 kg). [1]
The blade is usually double-edged but can be also be single edged, with various designs including straight, gently tapering, or distinctive outward-curving shapes that reach their maximum width of about 2 inches (5 cm) near the point. Some variants maintain uniform width throughout and end in a curved, spade-like tip. The ricasso of the swords usually being less wide than the rest of the blade. The blades were typically locally manufactured and often decorated with geometrical designs or patterns of small holes. Hilts were traditionally made of wood, though some exceptional examples, such as one preserved at Ikoyi, feature iron hilts complete with pommel and cross-guard. The swords were designed for single-handed use and were employed in both mounted and dismounted combat, though they proved more effective in infantry warfare. [1]
Usage of the ida extended beyond warfare to hunting and ceremonial purposes. Many examples of these swords are still preserved by Yoruba obas (kings) and chiefs as symbols of authority and cultural heritage. A notable variant is the single-edged backsword version of the ida, which features a narrow blade. Some surviving examples show sophisticated local craftsmanship, with decorative elements reflecting the artistic traditions of regions such as Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode, while showing distant similarities from 16th-century European and Near Eastern sword designs. [1]
The Yoruba blacksmiths were among the most skilled in West Africa. They employed various techniques in crafting Ida swords. Most of the metal weapons used by the Yoruba were produced by their own metalworkers, including the mining and smelting of iron ore before 800 A.D. They were also capable of producing steel by the late Iron Age, well before the colonial period. [2] From the seventeenth century onward, copper and iron rods were imported by sea from Europe. [1] However, the production of iron from local ore continued until the early twentieth century. This style of sword was also occasionally used by neighboring groups, such as the Bini, and is depicted in numerous Benin plaques.
There were many other variations of the Idà. The Yoruba also used many other bladed-weapons.
Some of them were;
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or thrusting weapon. Daggers have been used throughout human history for close combat confrontations, and many cultures have used adorned daggers in ritual and ceremonial contexts. The distinctive shape and historic usage of the dagger have made it iconic and symbolic. A dagger in the modern sense is a weapon designed for close-proximity combat or self-defense; due to its use in historic weapon assemblages, it has associations with assassination and murders. Double-edged knives, however, play different sorts of roles in different social contexts.
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip. A slashing sword is more likely to be curved and to have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing. The precise definition of a sword varies by historical epoch and geographic region.
Gladius is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Linguistically, within Latin, the word also came to mean "sword", regardless of the type used.
The hilt is the handle of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet, consisting of a guard, grip, and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pommel.
This is a list of types of swords.
Dao are single-edged Chinese swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. They can be straight or curved. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the gun, qiang (spear), and the jian, called in this group "The General of Weapons".
The kampilan is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip. The design of the pommel varies between ethnic groups, but it usually depicts either a buaya (crocodile), a bakunawa, a kalaw (hornbill), or a kakatua (cockatoo)..
The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification, or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a single-edged or double-edged knife that grew incrementally longer and more complex with technological advances.
A kilij is a type of one-handed, single-edged and curved scimitar used by the Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and other Turkic khanates of Eurasian steppes and Turkestan. These blades developed from earlier Turko-Mongol sabers that were in use in lands controlled or influenced by the Turkic peoples.
Knowledge about military technology of the Viking Age is based on relatively sparse archaeological finds, pictorial representations, and to some extent on the accounts in the Norse sagas and laws recorded in the 12th–14th centuries.
The talwar, also spelled talwaar and tulwar, is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent.
A seax is a small sword, fighting knife or dagger typical of the Germanic peoples of the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages, especially the Saxons. The name comes from an Old English word for "knife".
The shashka or shasqua is a kind of North Caucasian sabre; a single-edged, single-handed, and guardless sabre. The comparatively gentle curve of a shashka blade puts the weapon midway between a typically curved sabre and a straight sword, effective for both cutting and thrusting.
The parrying dagger is a category of small handheld weapons from the European late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. These weapons were used as off-hand weapons in conjunction with a single-handed sword such as a rapier. As the name implies they were designed to parry, or defend, more effectively than a simple dagger form, typically incorporating a wider guard, and often some other defensive features to better protect the hand as well. They may also be used for attack if an opportunity arises. The general category includes two more specific types, the swordbreaker and trident dagger.
Japanese swordsmithing is the labour-intensive bladesmithing process developed in Japan beginning in the sixth century for forging traditionally made bladed weapons (nihonto) including katana, wakizashi, tantō, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, nodachi, ōdachi, kodachi, and ya (arrow).
The Migration Period sword was a type of sword popular during the Migration Period and the Merovingian period of European history, particularly among the Germanic peoples. It later gave rise to the Carolingian or Viking sword type of the 8th to 11th centuries AD.
Mughal weapons significantly evolved during the ruling periods of its various rulers. During its conquests throughout the centuries, the military of the Mughal Empire used a variety of weapons including swords, bows and arrows, horses, camels, elephants, some of the world's largest cannons, muskets and flintlock blunderbusses.
Many different weapons were created and used in Anglo-Saxon England between the fifth and eleventh centuries. Spears, used for piercing and throwing, were the most common weapon. Other commonplace weapons included the sword, axe, and knife—however, bows and arrows, as well as slings, were not frequently used by the Anglo-Saxons. For defensive purposes, the shield was the most common item used by warriors, although sometimes mail and helmets were used.
The Turco-Mongol sabre, alternatively known as the Eurasian sabre or nomadic sabre, was a type of sword used by a variety of nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes, including Turkic and Mongolic groups, primarily between the 8th and 14th centuries. One of the earliest recorded sabres of this type was recovered from an Avar grave in Romania dating to the mid-7th century.
Ratings of the Royal Navy have used cutlasses, short, wide bladed swords, since the early 18th century. These were originally of non-uniform design but the 1804 Pattern, the first Navy-issue standard cutlass, was introduced at the start of the 19th century. This was a bluntish weapon that was perhaps intended for cutting away canvas and ropes rather than as a thrusting combat weapon. The 1845 Pattern cutlass introduced a bowl-style hand guard which provided greater protection, with a longer and more curved blade. Its sharper point made it more useful for thrusting attacks, which were now emphasised in the drill manual. The 1845 Pattern was modified several times including shortening and straightening the blades, which weakened them. The 1889 Pattern had a straight, spear-pointed blade with a hilt that curved outwards to catch and redirect an opponent's sword point. The 1900 Pattern, the last navy-issue cutlass, was similar to its predecessor with the introduction of a fuller and a hilt insert that cushioned the user's little finger. The cutlass was withdrawn from service in 1936 but remains in use for ceremonial purposes. It is thought that it was last used in combat in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion.
 | This article relating to swords is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This Nigerian history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |