Pichangatti | |
---|---|
Type | Knife |
Place of origin | Kodagu |
Service history | |
Used by | Kodava people |
Specifications | |
Mass | 0.28 kilograms (0.62 lb) |
Length | 12 inches (30 cm) |
Blade type | single-edged |
Hilt type | silver |
Scabbard/sheath | wood, silver |
Head type | steel |
Pichangatti is a broad-bladed knife of the Kodavas of Karnataka, India. The characteristic of the pichangatti is its silver hilt with bulbous-shaped pommel in the shape of a parrot's head. [1] The pichangatti features in the traditional male dress of the Kodavas.
This section possibly contains original research . Much of this was originally a combination of copy-paste plagiarism from the Atkinson source and awkward "paraphrase" not directly supported by the Atkinson source. It was tagged as copyvio, then the tag was removed following a rewrite that actually made the latter problem worse. "Coorgi" is not in Atkinson, from which the content of the first paragraph was clearly taken (it's not clear what the Ganapathy citation is doing here in this light), nor are several of the factual claims such as "it was recorded" or "high-quality examples can still be seen". Additionally, while not technically OR, it contains an unattributed quotation cited to Atkinson that actually comes from a mysterious source Atkinson refers to as "Elgood 1995". These problems need to be addressed.(December 2017) |
Pichangatti is derived from a Tamil word for "hand knife". Pichangatti was invented by the Kodavas. The Kodava people are indigenous to the southwestern region of India, which corresponds with the modern state of Karnataka. During the colonial period, the British named the region "Coorgi", a corruption of the Kannada word "kodaga" or "kodagu" meaning "hilly, steep". The word refers to the geographical condition of the region. [2]
The Kodavas were known as tough warriors, establishing many wars against the neighboring nations to protect the sovereignty of their land. When the British Empire intervened the region in 1834, a war broke up between the Kodavas and the British. In 1884, a riot broke out near Malappuram. As a result of this incident, the British punished the Kodavas by seizing their weapons, including the pichangatti. It was recorded that "17,295 weapons of which 7,503 were guns" were confiscated by the British colonial administration. Most of these seized weapons were dumped into the sea, while the high-quality examples can still be seen in what is now the Madras Museum. [3]
Pichangatti has a broad and heavy blade of about 7 inches (18 cm) to 12 inches (30 cm) long. The blade is single-edged, while the hilt ends up in a round bulging base. Pichangatti is heavily decorated, especially on the hilt and on the scabbard. These parts of the pichangatti are usually heavily-decorated in precious metal carvings e.g. brass, silver, gold, or a combination of these; in a very sophisticated design. [4] Probably one of the distinctive features of the pichangatti is the carving of a parrot-head carved on the bulging base of the hilt. An uncut ruby is placed for the parrot's eyes. The hilt is usually inlaid with silver, but they can also be made entirely out of light-colored ivory. [1] A brass or silver chain is attached to the scabbard; the chain carries various utensils e.g. tweezers, nail and ear cleaners, etc. [5]
The scabbard of the pichangatti is made of wood (e.g. ebony) decorated with rich carvings of silver or brass. A silver or brass chain is attached to the scabbard. Attached to the chain are up to five implements used for cleaning and maintenance e.g. a toothpick, tweezers, ear-pick, a piercer, and a nail cleaner. [5] The multi-function of the pichangatti and its small articles made them similar with modern day's pocket knife. [4]
Pichangatti is worn by the Kodavas in front of their waist. They are slipped into the waist-belt together with the ayudha katti. [5]
A tachi is a type of sabre-like traditionally made Japanese sword (nihonto) worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Tachi and uchigatana generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on the location of the mei (銘), or signature, on the tang. The tachi style of swords preceded the development of the katana, which was not mentioned by name until near the end of the twelfth century. Tachi were the mainstream Japanese swords of the Kotō period between 900 and 1596. Even after the Muromachi period (1336–1573), when katana became the mainstream, tachi were often worn by high-ranking samurai.
The kukri or khukuri is a type of knife or short sword with a distinct recurve in its blade that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting tool throughout most of South Asia. The kukri, khukri, and kukkri spellings are of Indian English origin.
The yatagan, yataghan or ataghan, also called varsak, is a type of Ottoman knife or short sabre used from the mid-16th to late 19th century. The yatagan was extensively used in Ottoman Turkey and in areas under immediate Ottoman influence, such as the Balkans, Caucasus and North Africa.
Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. Koshirae (拵え) refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword used when the sword blade is being worn by its owner, whereas the shirasaya is a plain undecorated wooden mounting composed of a saya and tsuka that the sword blade is stored in when not being used.
The shashka or shasqua is a kind of North Caucasian sabre; a single-edged, single-handed, and guardless backsword. The comparatively subtle curve of a shashka blade puts the weapon midway between a typically curved sabre and a straight sword, effective for both cutting and thrusting.
An urumi is an Indian sword with a flexible, whip-like blade. Originating in modern-day Kerala, a state in southwestern India, it is thought to have existed from as early as the Sangam period.
A kalis is a type of Philippine sword. The kalis has a double-edged blade, which is commonly straight from the tip but wavy near the handle. Kalis exists in several variants, either with a fully straight or fully wavy blade. It is similar to the Javanese keris, but differs in that the kalis is a sword, not a dagger. It is much larger than the keris and has a straight or slightly curved hilt, making it a primarily heavy slashing weapon.
Dha is the Burmese word for "knife" and "sword" similar term to daab or darb in Thai language for a single edge sword. The term dha is conventionally used to refer to a wide variety of knives and swords used by many people across Southeast Asia, especially present-day Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, and Cambodia and Northeast India.
The Marine Corps noncommissioned officer's sword is a sword worn by noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) of the United States Marine Corps. The NCO sword was adopted in 1859 and is patterned after the United States Army's foot officers' sword of 1850. The M1859 NCO sword continues service today as the Marine Corps drill and ceremonial sword. The sword's use is restricted by regulation to ceremonial occasions by an NCO or Staff NCO in charge of troops under arms or at weddings and wedding receptions where at least one of those being married is in uniform and has the rank of Corporal or higher.
The Model 1840 noncommissioned officers' sword was adopted by the United States military in 1840. Based primarily on a sword used by the French Army, the model 1840 NCO proved somewhat heavy hilted and ill balanced. For over 70 years, it was widely used by the Army; today its usage is restricted to ceremonial occasions. The sword had a 31-inch blade, a cast brass hilt resembling the more expensive wire-wrapped leather grips, and a leather scabbard rather than the steel used by cavalry troopers and officers, although some makers, such as Emerson and Silver, issued a steel scabbard rather than leather to protect from wear. Leather scabbards were phased out beginning in 1868.
The Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword was the sword used by the British heavy cavalry, and King's German Legion Dragoons, through most of the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It played an especially notable role, in the hands of British cavalrymen, at the battles of Salamanca and Waterloo. The pattern was adopted by Sweden and was used by some Portuguese cavalry.
A kastane or kasthane is a short traditional ceremonial or decorative single-edged Sri Lankan sword. The sword is featured in the Flag of Sri Lanka.
Balato is a sword that originates from Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Wedung is a traditional large knife of the Javanese people and the Balinese people originating from Indonesia.
Gari is a sword that originates from Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. It is a term used for a type of sword found only in North Nias.
Si Euli is a traditional dagger or knife that originates from Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. There are versions of this knife worn by men or for daily use.
The piha kaetta, also sometimes called the Kandyan knife, is a knife or dagger native to the island of Sri Lanka. A typical piha kaetta has a straight-backed blade combined with a drop-point and a curved cutting edge. Many of the finest piha kaetta knives were produced in royal workshops, show very high levels of craftsmanship, and were given to courtiers and the nobility as status symbols.
Pisau raut is a whittling knife that is commonly used to prepare the rattan and other fine carving found throughout the Malay Archipelago. It is well known as an accompanying knife placed in the same sheath with the mandau, a traditional weapon of the Dayak people.
Ayudha katti is an indigenous weapon of war and tools to the Kodava people of Kodagu, in the state of Karnataka, India. The ayudha katti is developed from an implement used to cut through dense undergrowth. Unlike most blades, the ayudha katti is worn without a sheath.
The Dohong is a dagger or short war sword from Borneo. The name is used figuratively to imply bravery. In other parts of Borneo, it is simply referred to as Mandau. The Dohong is considered an ancient Dayak sword that was used long before the Mandau was introduced. It is believed to be the oldest weapon of the Dayak people. According to folklore, the first people who owns the Dohong are the forefathers of Dayak people, namely Raja Sangen, Raja Sangiang, and Raja Bunu.