El desarrollo de empuñadura de karabela de las espadas y sables: un estudio comparativo

Abstract

The karabela hilt is described as a hilt with a crossguard and a pommel in the shape of a stylized head of a bird most often similar to a hawk. This type of handle was usually mounted on long cavalry saber blades. In general, karabela s were mounted with different types of blades, often those of a wedged-shape, curved blade of a classical Persian shamshir . The oldest karabela s (of Turkish origin or based on Turkish models) that are preserved in the museums of Poland, generally have blades with a raised back edge called a yelman . The main feature of the socalled `saber of hawk`, a characteristic form of a curved pommel resembling the head of a hawk and a cross guard, is closely associated with karabela . The main goal of the present article is to do a comparative study on different sources on sabers and swords with a karabela hilt and try to establish an origin of this type of hilt.