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Julien Gauthier

Maasai Sword

The “seme”, “simi (-a)”, “ol alem”, or “lion’s sword”, is traditionally associated with the Maasai and Kikuyu, but is also used by a number of regional peoples such as the Samburu, Kipsigis, Mbeere and Arusha. They compound a quite complex cluster; the Maasai alone are sub-divided into 22 tribes, each with its dialect and customs (the Keekonyokie, Damat, Purko, Wuasinkishu, Siria, Laitayiok, Loitai, Kisonko, Matapato, Dalalekutuk, Loodokolani, Kaputiei, Moitanik, Ilkirasha, Samburu, Lchamus, Laikipia, Loitokitoki, Larusa, Salei, Sirinket, and Parakuyo).  The Maasai was a warrior culture and had little respect for men who worked as smiths. Therefore, they needed to acquire metals or even ready-made blades from the cultures around them—the Maasai men who worked as smiths would often shape the weapons of foreigners into Maasai patterns. Weapons of a broadly similar type are found in a wide belt of Eastern Africa from Lake Victoria in the west to the Swahili coast in the east This type of sword was worn typically  by Maasai warriors (moran). 

A Seme, simi or Ol Alem or Njora is a type of dagger or short sword used by the Maasai and Kikuyu people of Kenya in East Africa. They have a distinctive leaf-shaped blade, with a relatively rounded point. Scabbards are generally made of wood covered with red dyed with gakaraku root (Rubia cordifolia L.) or moon carrot (Seseli libanotis L.), shallow tanned animal skin, usually goat.

The seme is the constant sidearm, a straight blade weapon which shows (on the classic/ genuine older specimens) a full length mid rib on either side with the blade facets on either side transitioning from convex to concave going from the hilt to the tip; also called tear-drop or spatulated tip. This variety of arch- or leaf-shaped blade-belly widening displaced most of the blade's weight almost entirely towards its first half, providing it with a considerable slashing & thrusting capacity ("axe effect") allowing it to display a considerable power either as a melee or as a throwing weapon. 

Later blades, especially those from repurposed bush knives generally show very little to almost no technical comparable quality what comes to its gauge, or its strength, for they lack the previous fire play, pounding, and skillful differential heat-treatment obtained by single- piece forging; they are flat, and lack therefore the median ridge strengthening and thus the resistance, specially those produced from ground down bush knives or repurposed leaf springs from cars, or just lack average hardness, like to ones obtained from carpentry files; they are brittle and prone to chipping. There is also a third type coming from repurposed vehicle steel  leaf springs, which at least undergo a better heating-and-cooling treatment. The Ol Alem or Sme is a edged weapon lacking hand/ finger protection, for it partially reproduces the performance of a mace; the blade directly meets the handle, which has neither a thumb rise, nor a guard or bolster. Its use included mundane everyday purposes like clearing brush, the falling of firewood, and butchering meat (the slaughter of cows, sheep, or goats), and was also used for war (hand-to-hand combat), self-defense against wild animals, or lion hunts, which were once important rites of passage. It is important however to note, that the seme is a secondary weapon, after the spear. The third one being the club (throwing or brandishing), made of fire hardened wood.

The seme can vary in length, from the size of a knife, to the size of medium length sword, with an elegant leaf shaped blade flaring towards the tip and featuring a median ridge running the length of the blade. Typically, this one handed slashing weapon has a short wooden hilt covered in leather, often tapering towards the tip, and is kept in a sheath of wood covered in leather, often dyed red. Among the Maasai, men belong to age groups that determine their status, with each age group being assigned a distinctive set of weapons. At about 15 to 21 years of age, younger uncircumcised Laiyok (youth) Maasai, are initiated into the status of young manhood, called “moran”, at which point they are given their first seme, which they will carry for the rest of their lives. The sword in its new sheath would be worn as a symbol of status on the right hip, slightly oriented towards the hips back.

The Maasai and Samburu have their own subgroup of specialized blacksmiths, known as “Ilkunono”, who produce all kind of blades, tools and utilitarian objects, and who were traditionally surrounded by taboos and even scorned for being ritually unclean, even not considered as Maasai themselves. These Nilotic speaking peoples have also depended heavily on the traditional blacksmiths of the Kikuyu and other regional Bantu like the Dorobo, who as well served neighbouring tribes mostly with the sole blades. Interestingly, the Gīkūyū also refer to this broadsword as “ookapi”, which is the correct term or name that we use to refer to the Maasai people. Those Seme were often forged by members of the WaChagga or the WaGogo communities, the sheaths then crafted by the Maasai afterwards.

To avoid either the sharp tip of the sword extending out of the sheath and the blades tip beyond the end of the scabbard due to the dehydration tension, the artisans left a sort of hide flap while the skin was still soft and fixed it through a kind of stapling fastener by adding a metal strip hammered around it. The scabbard´s skin was mostly goat, the hilt's grip skin coating was usually stronger (Buffalo). Sometimes a center – pierced coin (usually British or Arab) would be the ultimate fastening purpose as well. 

The blade on this example has the appealing rough shaping dents and lengthwise grooves usual for the traditional blade's flattening and sanding visible, as well as blackish weathering/ old rust spots on those areas and in general scattered on the surface. The blade preserves most of its original sharpness. And what's even rarer; its perimeter shows no chips/ indentation. No major rust coating either except for the natural ricasso-to-handle shift area. Blade tip is in ideal condition; neither bending, nor denting. This example’s sheath tip is a metal-coil one. It was secured with a substantially thick iron strip, which is still the original and proven, thus, to be just ideal to that end. Both sheath and handle skin coats show original sinew stitching. Some small surface losses and age-related color fainting to the leather. Belt loop is intact as well. The whole sheath’s dyeing shows age-related decoloration. Its skin shows some cutting clefts, most probably from other edged weapons. The sheath’s locket shows the regular age shrinkage on those older specimens as well. 

The hilt's skin coating has a heavier gauge, together with its underlying cord wrapping, it is in excellent shape including the stitching (100% preserved).  The sword still sheaths and draws steadily.

Perhaps an assignment for a chief or a wealthy trader. Still today it is very rare to find a man of proper upbringing lacking this tool-weapon. This old Seme is most probably a WaGogo blacksmith work with Massai manufactured sheath. Whatever the precise and exact geographical point of origin of this Seme may be, or what date it was manufactured, it is certainly one of the prettiest Seme we ever had in our collection, dating to the British Colonial Wars in Eastern Africa.

Double-edged swell-point blade with wooden hilt of near circular section, with tight-fitting red dyed raw cattle  hide covered sheath. Overall Length/ Sheathed: 47 cm. Sword's length: 44'6 cm. Blade's tot. length: 31'3 cm. Blade's widest point: 3'6 cm. Grip: 13,5 cm. Sheath's length: 35 cm. Tanzania, Kilimanjaro Region, circa 1880.


With provenance;

This weapon belonged to a number of other fine 19th century Central- and northeast African swords and daggers in the same section. From the property of a known/ publicly relevant European collector. Obtained in situ circa 1880. Specifics to be disclosed to the final bidder.


Literature;

Stone, George Cameron; La Rocca, Donald J. “A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times” p. 547. Courier Dover Publications, NY, 1999.

Hollis, Sir Alfred Claud (Sir; GCMG, CBE was a British colonial admin. who served as British Resident to the Sultan of Zanzibar 1923 -1929 ). A drawing of such a sword and sheath in 'The Masai, their language and folklore', Oxford at the Claredon Press, 1905 (pl.XXVII.3,4).

Burton, Sir Richard Francis "The Book of the Sword", Dover, NY 1987. (1st Ed. Chatto & Windus London, 1884).
Evangelista, Nick “The encyclopedia of the Sword”, Verlag Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, CT,  USA, 1995.

Spring Christopher, "African Arms and Armor ", London, British Museum Press, 1993.

Zirngibl, Manfred A. & Kubetz, Alexander. "Panga Na Visu, Kurzwaffen, geschmiedete Kultgegenstände und Schilde aus Afrika", Riedlhütte 2009. 

Kallenberg, Friedrich. "Auf dem Kriegspfad gegen die Massai - Eine Frühlingsfahrt nach Deutsch-Ostafrika", Pub. by C. H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, München 1892.

Merker, Moritz (former Captain & company commander in the Imperial Protection Force for German East Africa). "Die Masai", Berlin: Dietrich Reimer (Ernst Vohsen), 1904. 

Worcester Art Museum, MA, USA. Hall of African Peoples, "Ornaments of the Masai herder [...] Sword and scabbard".
British Museum, Ldn. UK. "Simé Sword with iron blade and wooden handle [...]. Production ethnic group: Maasai. Production date: 1901-1904" (Mus. No. Af1904,-.113.a given by Adrian J Maclean, a colonial official in Kenya, in July 1904, recorded as coming from the East African Protectorate/ ie Kenya).

Sword with scabbard, collected by Hans Glauning (III E 4982 a, b, acquired 1897). Ethnologisches Museum - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Berlin, Germany.


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