Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

256 III. Судан и его соседи 5. The origins of the Sudanese sword: A ‘Crusading’ misconception The Sudanese swords were usually referred as “Crusading” swords, and their attribution to the earlier crusading pattern is commonly accepted. As epitomised in Egerton’s description of kaskara : “In most cases there is a straight crosspiece of steel like a Crusader’s sword”. 1 David Alexander, while describing the above-mentioned sword from al-Khalidi collection, briefly discussed the origins of this type of swords and also claimed that they had Western origin. 2 Though it has never been supported by any concrete evidence, this notion has been taken for granted, as a ‘common knowledge’, recurrent in the kaskara descriptions in on-line auctions catalogues. 3 Nevertheless, the question whether these swords have really something to do with the Crusaders, has never been studied. 4 The very attitude merely reflects a traditional stereotype of the European travellers (“all travellers remark that it preserves the old knightly form of crusading days” 5 ) — and even scholars — of the last century, who used to attribute anything ‘heavy’ among both arms and armour to a “Crusading influence”. Thus, for example, Burckhardt, in 1830, describing an old Arabic chainmail, characteristically suggested that “such coats are of antique workmanship, and belonged probably to the European knights of the Crusades.” 6 The assumption that the Crusaders had heavy swords, while their Muslim opponents relied on light though sharp sabre — as it was 1 Egerton. A description of Indian and Oriental Armour. P. 157. 2 David Alexander. The Arts of War. P. 211–12. 3 E. g., ‘ Kaskara sword from the 19th century’: https://www.raritaeten - shop.com/Collectors-Items/Militaria/Cut-and-thrust-weapons/Kaskara- sword-from-the-19th-century::2329.html?language=en (accessed: 30.08.2022) 4 In fact, the real ‘Crusader swords’ are rare; they have their own pecu- liarities indeed, and require a separate study, as e. g., a thorough research by Michalak A. “From Every Side Armed with a Cross Sign”. A Crusader’s (?) Sword from the Collection of the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest // StudiaUniversitas Cibiniensis, SeriesHistorica. SupplementumNo. 1. P. 53–71. 5 Burton R. F. The Book of the Sword. London: 1884. P. 162. 6 Burckhardt. Bedouins. P. 135: cited in Elgood R. Op. cit. P. 97.