'Star of David' on Swords & Yataghan
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2021
- I often get asked about the 'Star of David', AKA six-pointed star or hexagram on British military swords. Here we look at the origin and reasons for it.
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The six-pointed star was more commonly known as “Solomon’s Seal” in the late medieval and early modern period. It had some significance in alchemy, but I don’t remember the details. I think it was supposed to ward off evil spirits- the usual thing for mystic symbols.
Not a bad sign to have on your sword really. Can kind of view it as warding off ill fortune to both yourself and your blade. Again leaning into that "quality" aspect.
Oh, not just ward off - the Seal of Solomon is said to have the power to _control_ demons. Hence it appears not so much in alchemy as in demonology, such as in the famous and relevantly-named grimoire "The Lesser Key of Solomon".
@@ProjectThunderclaw Even better!
Yall are killing me. It's literally just a symbol that means the elements harmoniously united by the spirit element.... it's in basically every culture. Even the ones that have never mingled with Judaism and Christianity
@@St1cKnGoJuGgAlO it's in basically every culture because it's a basic geometric shape. Those cultures have had vastly different interpretations of what it means, one of which is the medieval notion that it was the design on a ring belonging to King Solomon, which gave him the power to control demons.
And now I finally have an answer for why there's a hexagram on the USMC NCO Sword, besides "Shit, Devil, I don't fuckin' know. Quit messing with your sword and get in formation."
I'm more interested in the proof slug. What are they made of? Do they weaken the blade? Do they go all the way through? What are they for? Lol, see?
Next video please!
Yeah, that's what I was wondering. It's like "yeah, this is a good blade, so now we'll drill a hole in it right at the most important point for strength...."
@@robbikebob That's two more videos I hope Matt produces; I'm learning so much from his channel.
To add to that a bit for anyone curious about the iconography outside of the context of arms...
The Shield (later Star) of David becomes a Jewish emblem of prominence in Prague (spreading through Eastern Europe) in the 17th century. However, we have accounts from the 14th century of Christian lords using the symbol to denote Jewish communities and persons under their auspice. Before this, the Seal of Solomon was widely seen as decoration and used amongst Kabbalists along with a host of other symbols. The Seal of Solomon is prominent in certain Islamic traditions several centuries before it becomes associated with Judaism. However, the symbol's function in exorcisms, warding, and other rituals (that were once more common place and given significantly more social weight) was basically the same across Abrahamic practitioners. Delving the history of who started using it first gets a touch tricky when dealing with closed or exclusive groups. Even moreso when one of those groups doesn't exactly have a persistent homeland and often had to operate somewhat subtly in the areas they lived in.
It wasn't until the 19th century that the symbol became The Symbol of Judaism, and that was cemented by the First Zionist College at the close of the 19th century.
Mind you, leaving the Abrahamic world, we find the hexagram quite commonly in India, whether in Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain communities, another possible source, if we assume a single origin rather than (in my opinion, more likely) convergence.
@scholagladiatoria : A comment on accurate Turkish pronunciation of "yatağan": the ğ is a semi-silent letter, not a strong g like in gold, so yatağan may be pronounced like yata'an or better like French pronunciation of "r" in "Paris".
Saw a scholagladiatoria vid and clicked instantly :D made my depressing day better matt :D
Aww, Matt! You're just 3 days too late on this one! Bought my first antique sword last week, an 1845 British Infantry Officer sabre by Wilkinson (huge thanks to your videos and articles on Easton Antique Arms which gave me the knowledge to examine the sword properly before purchase), and when I whipped it out for the HEMA club on Wednesday, I could not answer "what's up with the Star of David?" Ah well, just about to start the Friday class in 10 mins so I'll tell them now! Thanks for the video!
Yataghan, somebody is asking about the star of David on a sword.
He just explained, it isn't the star of david.
@@vilijanac
Oy vey.
@@vilijanac it’s a “yataghan” sounds like “yet again”
bruh
@@vilijanac Seems to me he had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek....
A six sided star pops up fairly naturally if you've ever played around making designs with a compass....
Its such a simple and natural design that every kid has independently "invented" it.
@@williamjenkins4913 Yes, and i remember feeling so clever when i discovered it! :)
@@budahbaba7856 I felt more clever when I figured out how to draw a five pointed star. And i still think that looks cooler. Some things never change.
More yataghan content plz!!! Esp in the Balkans and Greece, they pop up in depictions of the greek revolution a lot and Albanians seemed to be very fond of them as well!
2:00 I still think a proof testing video following all the steps would be interesting
The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan. You must learn its discipline. For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts. This you can trust. Conan the Barbarian (1982).
My life philosophy since I saw it when I was 8
Considering that eastern and mid-eastern occultism were starting to be somewhat en vogue when the younger Wilkinson joined the company, I have to wonder if maybe he wasn't trying to court the younger, up and coming officer class by using Solomon's seal to imbue a sense of hipness and cognizance into his brand.
Short? Well, that's be the day.
Well, I'll be.
Six points was also the standard star in European heladry for quite a while.
Please do a dedicated video on yataghans! Such beautiful weapons!
The Hexagram was known as the Seal of Solomon in Islam, before it was appropriated as the star of David
although archeological finding for the late roman era synagogues do contain hexagrams as ornaments, so it still could be a jewish symbol that was appropriated by Muslims and later re-appropriated by Jews to have greater religious significance in Judaism .
Before the modern era there was a lot of overlap between Abrahamic symbols (see also, the chamsa). Six-pointed stars were also a common motif in early Orthodox Christian art. Pretty much the only Jewish symbol that wasn't appropriated and reappropriated back and forth was the menorah.
I put it in the same category as the hamsa, as being a regionally popular emblem of religious mysticism more ancient than any of the cultures we have access to through history. On the Somonic tradition specifically, I think it's best to think of it as being a constant conversation among the Christian, Jewish and Muslim versions, as they massively overlap and influence each other throughout. Since it was usually practiced on the fringes of each religion, they're able to interact much more freely with each others work.
Oral Torah, Talmudic Tradition already existed at late Roman era. Such Tradition is anti-Bible, anti-Torah, and anti-Christian. Rabbinic Judaism is anti-Christian, promoting a destructive agenda against all Gentiles, called Noahide Laws.
@@KosherCookery - The menorah is seen in Christian Art and symbols very often. It is usually part of the symbol with the Christian Fish, denoting union of the OT and the NT. To date you can find such symbol used in Christian symbols and artifacts such as on the tie of some Christian pastors and evangelists. Ex-Muslim Christian Sandra Solomon has the symbol tattooed onto her arm as well.
They do love Solomon...
didn't know some swords had 6-pointed stars on it but the explanation was no surprise
anyone with some basic esoteric or alchemy knowledge knows the Seal of Salomon is not just the symbol of a country/religion (even if, in fact, they used it pretty early)
The Seal of Solomon/Star of David come from Judaism, though. Both Solomon and David were Jewish Kings, and there are roman era synagogues with the star around.
@@plaidpvcpipe3792 it definitely came from Judaism, especially since it was called the seal of SOLOMON. Popular culture doesn't really care about the origins of charms like this. If it has a reputation for working they adopted it. Not too different from how Judaism lifted a good chunk of their stories and practices from Babylon and Egypt.
It's got nothing to with Judaism....
I still have individually wrapped single _Wilkinson Sword™_ razor blades I used to load on my traditional razor.
Excellent quality, but no six pointed star.
4:05 Literally my thought every time I hear you say that word x)
Finally, Matt uses the "yet again, Yataghan" pun:)
You mentioned interlocking star but I didn't see any on the yatagan sword. Other comments mentioning symbol from Alchemy could be one reason while the symbol being imported from India makes sense makes more sense.
The yatagan star shown in the video 5:28 is similar to Solomons seal with 6 dots/small stars between the six vertices of the hexagram.
Thanks mate. That was very enjoyable video.
I really thought that Victorian swords had a Star of David and that Queen Victoria made the odd claim that she was descended from house of David.
The double triangle, Star David, or seal Solomon, is not the oldest Jewish symbol. The universal one that's been used for over 2,000 years is a Menorah. But that's not something that would be put on a sword.
I'd believe that. She was a bit of a fruitcake.
Solomon's Seal it means it is proofed against hexes. Ask any Monster Hunter...
It’s believed that the very first American flags (The Hopkinson Flag) and the first prototype “great seal” approved by the Continental Congress in 1777 had 6 pointed stars. No extant examples exist but the surviving descriptions certainly seem to include 6 pointed stars. 5 pointed stars are used today on US flags and have been since at least the 1780’s or so, but it’s interesting that the founding fathers would have chosen a 6 pointed version for their first flag. We always tend to see 6 pointed stars as influenced by the Middle-East, and no doubt they may have been. However, perhaps the 6 pointed star has an older and wider rooted usage history in European society (and by extension the colonies) than we might think…would make an interesting research project! My guess is it was just another of the symbols of antiquity commonly used by the founding fathers and free masons at the time - and are all over American money, architecture, and beyond today.
I love heraldry, this stuff is fascinating.
Fascinating. Thanks!
Thanks appreciate the lesson!
M. Howard
U.S. Army and Navy officer's dress swords also have "star of David" proof marks, which they copied from the British military in the 19th century. One sword replica manufacturer in India, from whom I bought several nicely made replicas, copied the proof symbols exactly, I read in one source that the proof mark "star" had been the symbol for a swordmaking guild in ancient Persia, or Syria, and that the British military copied them.
Personal note: I enjoyed your video about Chasspot yatagan bayonets. My first :"sword" was a yatagan bayonet my gandfather picked up somewhere in Europe during World
War I and gave to me when I was old enough to not poke my brother's eye out. It spurred my interest in bladed weapons, and my collection has grown for more than 60 years.
I'm very interested in a cutting test with yataghans. Also, how well a saber wielder would adapt to fighting with a scimitar or a tulwar from the enemy. Did western soldiers ever used foreign weapons by choice?
I can definitely answer your last question accurately: yes.
Matt's actually mentioned it in a few videos, but several British officers stationed in India actually started using Tulwars while they were in India.
For sure, yes. Matt has mentioned that a few times, of officers using either straight-up tulwars, tulwar blades on Western hilts, etc.
04:28
You are marvelous,
Giving a very specific lost details this is simply marvelous.
I must be learning something over the years, because I particularly liked the tangents on this one!
Thank you Matt excellent and interesting video as always. I look forward to your video on Yataghans! Older yataghans do exist, the Islamic Art Museum in Qatar have a late 15th - early 16th century yataghan attributed to Sultan Bayazid II and the Met Museum in New York have a 16th century yataghan attributed to Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
Really interesting video, something I always wondered about myself. The "It's not a star of David it's interlocking triangles" Is kind of amusing. If only that worked for my Ukrainian relatives and family during the second world war, "It's just interlocking triangles!" Oof sorry that got kind of dark.
Insert circumcision joke.
"no Mr. Gestapo officer, I'm not Jewish, I've just been proofed for British military use" 😬
The six-pointed star was also a very popular symbol in India. It is seen as consisting of two triangles one facing up and one facing down, locked together, symbolizing harmony. The two triangles being called Om and Hrim representing spiritual, heavenly power and earthly power. One triangle being the god Shiva or Purusha, the other being the goddess Shakti or Prakritri. Male and female together in harmony which brings about creation. The symbol is also used for the heart chakra Anahata.
Ooh ooh do the "curly cross" next! RUclips algo loves that, who needs a RUclips channel anyway...
You mean the windmill of friendship?
That's nice but I'm more interested in the Hindu symbol of prosperity.
I saw a Roman mosaic in an old ruined villa (I think it was in Sicily, possibly Cyprus) that had that symbol alternating with the Star of David.
Yataghan you've put together another winner.
The Marine Corps NCO swords in our school MCJROTC armory back in the day had a six pointed star on them. Captain Carry's officers sword also had the mark.
I've been waiting for that yet again / yataghan joke
Yes please on the yatagan video!
This star was also a common motif on XIX century razors
The reason this sort of thing keeps coming up is that human psychology naturally tries to put symbols together in neat little boxes. When symbols that appear to be similar are not related, it offends the natural processes of our brains. Couple that with the tendency to claim symbols as representative of certain groups, and a lack of wider knowledge about the history and culture of the broader world, and all of a sudden...we get to see videos like this one. Good job explaining it without getting bogged down in the reasoning as to why people ask the question. The next time I find myself in a conversation with a Jewish scholar, I'm going to ask them about the Star of David.
Please do an article on the Yhatagan
You should do a video with Tod where you put a sword he makes through the sword tests
My father's Scottish Claymore (1828 officer's model) had this same mark on it.
I think I've seen the Six pointed star in cathedrals/Mosques as well.
Education! Nice!
And I would like to see video about yataghan, especially those used in Balkans during the uprisings against the Turks
I think most symbols that are popular are very common and have a long history. Think of the cross as one, the Latin cross is by far the most popular but many other variants exist all around the world.
Even more complicated symbols appear independently in two different cultures, for example, the ying-yang symbol appeared in Roman shields.
That awesome Dane axe was constantly winking at me....
Hey Matt! What do you think about the hypothesis that the Yataghan was developed from a later development of the Kopis? I don't find it super convincing but Yataghan Turkey, where the Yataghan is said to have been made, was in a very Greek populated area at the time and we have a 10th century Byzantine knife of the exact shaped blade. Coincidence or a natural evolution of the Kopis? Would love to know your thoughts. Cheers!
Wasn't the same thing said about the Kurkri? It's not impossible, but I'm pretty unconvinced too. It's almost like certain people have a obsession at claiming any foreign cultures inventions as originally coming from classical Greece or Rome if they even looked similar. Separate but similar evolution just seems more likely, the mechanics of a forward curve makes sense, and it's a conclusion that many different people's may have come to when designing a sword from Europe to east Asia. Unless there is some archeological evidence linking Kopis and Yataghan that I am not aware of?
Sure it's related. Not necessarily "developed from" as sword evolution is very gradual. I think the Yatagan is Armenian in origin, Levon VI the last Cilician Armenian king had a very Yatagan looking sword, particularly in hilt construction, hundreds of years before Yatagans existed. Greeks and Armenians were very strongly interconnected in the Middle East/Anatolia prior to the Seljuk invasion which led the Turkification of the region.
@@Adam_okaay Do we have sources or actual evidence of this though? I have never seen a lineage of medieval type Yataghan or Yataghan adjacent swords before. Kopis seem to disappear from the archeological record in the ancient period. Replaced with straighter swords and later more saber like blades like the Byzantine paramerion. If Kopis stopped evolving and fell out of use, then it is more likely a new type of blade was developed that is unrelated the kopis, not a evolution from it.
I looked up Levon VI sword, and the only images that came up were of a sword that is very much a Turkish Kilij not a Yataghan.
@@-Zevin- Yeah, exactly. The only "evidence" is that 10th century Byzantine machairi. The only info I can find on that right now is from sword-site and the thread is named "Byzantine Short Sword / Large Knife of Kopis Form". I have a lot more info saved on it, but can't find it currently. Let me know what you think of it...it's pretty similar and technically from the same culture, but again, the Kopis kind of disappears from archeological and artistic history, so it's a toss up. It's just strange because the yatagan is so unique looking and I wonder what the proto-yatagan looked like or it's 10th century ancestor if it had it. Either way, both beautiful weapons
@@DemetriosLevi Interesting, that is a new one to me. Anything described as a machairi I have always seen looking more like a Greek xiphos with a strait leaf shaped blade.
I looked at the pictures of the Byzantine one you mentioned. I see the resemblance to a kopis, but I think it's a stretch to call it a kopis, I wouldn't even call it a sword, it's 14inches long, it doesn't specify if that is the entire piece or just the blade. If the entire piece is 14 inches long that would put the blade at around 10-11 inches. It's hard to say with one off pieces like this what it really was. Was it a ornamental knife of some wealthy merchant or royal who liked the romanticism of reading about ancient Greek myth and history so he had commissioned something vaguely reminiscent of a kopis as a personal knife. We see pieces like that in the renaissance. It certainly doesn't seem, or at least again there is no evidence that I am aware of, of this being widespread, or standardized or anything of that nature. Is there other similar examples of knives/short swords like this in that time period? If you do have more info and stumble upon it I would be interested.
Still I am inclined to think Yataghan was probably a independent unrelated design that showed up later and wasn't a evolution of the kopis or related to it in any-way. Although it's always hard to say with certainty, who knows maybe some Turkish (or Armenian) blacksmith was inspired by old art and came up with the first proto-yataghan although realistically I don't think many people in the 14th to 18th century (whenever the first Yataghan really did get invented) had access to that kind of reference material. It's not like people then had books and museums of original ancient art to look at and reference.
Right there with you though, I would love to know what the first pieces looked like, and if there are some missing links out there somewhere of a evolutionary piece. They are exceptional attractive swords, I'm a collector myself and I would love to have a fine example. You never know, one day some Turkish farmer might dig up 15 Yataghan type swords dated from around 900ce and it would change everything. Of course I don't think that is likely, but stranger things have happened.
The 6 pointed star represents Shiva & Shakti or divine alchemy which was extremely popular at the time. Metal working is alchemical in nature & the British empire had spread into places that used the symbol quite often. Id say all these things had something to do w/ it.
I dont know historical past of the six-pointed star and its use in weapons but maybe its becuase Prophet David's miracle of iron craftmanship-He used to forge with bare hands and in best quality -.
My EF Horster Solingen-made sword also has the 6-pointed star.
I've been interested in the star ever since you sold me that Pillin 1845 patters officers sabre years ago.
Star of Remphan!
some makers are still using the symbol, I recently bought a HEMA arming sword by Castille Armory and it has a six-pointed star on the base of the blade.
I'd love to see a video on what kind of sword training that 19th century British officers received.
Hindu Shatkona it's been recorded in use for quite a looooong time.
It's analog to Taiji symbol, meaning the harmonic union of the opposites, thus perfection.
the Yataghan can be made in to a falcata if more hand protection is added.
The Star of David, or Solomon's seal was quoted by Josephus, and pre dates islam, it became the jewish community symbol officialy in Prague by the 16th century, but was well known from the first century and arguably earlier. blacksmiths were seen as on par with alchemists who used the symbol often.
always fun, obscure facts 5/5
How about a video demonstrating the Wilkinson tests, maybe put modern replicas to the test?
May i ask you to talk about zaghnals, chinese Ge (dagger axe) and igorot like head axes? In short weapons that pierce and cut at the same time?
@@Meevious true but generally the sword requires two separated movements to first pierce and then cut through
Right. I believe you. But... I went to a fortress Ram, a very important fortress of the Ottoman empire during the reconstruction and a professor showed me a wall inside of a sentinel post under one of the towers with a view on the Danube river (about 4 kilometers wide at that spot) and there I saw carved in stone six-point star. I know for a fact the Jews never held that fortress and the fortress have been neglected for many years after WWII. The Ottomans probably build the fortress on the leftover Roman fortress since there's a huge cylindrical Roman grave in the middle of the thing. Again, I believe the Ottoman soldiers used the sign a lot but I am not sure exactly why. I should probably investigate more on the topic.
Wow - watch a video about swords and be inspired to research religious symbols that I thought I knew the origins. Thanks Matt.
Yatagan has a silent “g” i it and so should be pronounced yata-aan.
Nice video, as usual 👍
When Matt said Chassepot I thought I was watching a Forgotten Weapons vid for a split second
This is Solomon's seal, you will also see it on many mosques in Istanbul
Also on the United States Marine Corps NCO sword. RAH
The tomb of Fernan Perez de Andrade "o Boo", who was master of the Portuguese Order of Christ in the XVI century, shows him with a sword with the six pointed star in the pommel.
Yes, more yatagan, please. Let's have a better look at this new one.
My uncle has a Spanish(presumable) ceremony saber(I don't know is is the right denomination) decorated in the same exactly way, we suppose its from XIX century
It's a very easy to make geometric pattern
I've always wondered why my NCO saber had one
To always remember the master you serve
Fascinating. I always learn a lot here. I knew Islamic cultures used the six pointed star, along with the eight pointed star that symbolizes the kaaba, but on swords? Turkish yatagans, even? I never knew that they existed, same with the english seal.
So it's like how the Triforce from Zelda is a symbol from all over. Basically the Star of David is just common in the middle east.
I bought a U.S Navy dress sabre from around the early 1940's not to long ago and it has a Star of David on it, I was always wondering why it was there. Would it be for the same reasons as the British swords, just to show quality?
very likely also a Wilkinson product as the us military did contract with them
@@martykitson3442 Huh, good to know, thank you.
I purchased a Marine NCO sword about 15 years ago from WKC I'm Germany, pretty sure it is stainless steel and couldn't cut a stick of butter below room temperature and it's got the same proof mark.
I have a Naval Dress Saber made in Toledo, Spain, and it has the star on the blade near the hilt.
Seal of Saturn, to be trapped, the cycle, the reaper.
In 1984, at 16, I did the Grand Tour of Europe the summer between high school and uni. And in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, I found an antique sword & gun shop - I found a British officer's sword that I wanted to purchase, but it had a six-pointed star around the proof slug - and that really threw me - I associated that with Judaism and Israel, not British swords - so I passed on a really nice sword because I didn't have this knowledge. I learned though, and many of the swords in my collection have it.
So did you discriminate against it because you thought it was Jewish, or because you thought it was only faux-British (i.e., phony)?
@@texasbeast239 - I just didn't know what it was! No discrimination involved. I was pretty certain it was a British officer's sword, but I'd no knowledge that some British swords did have this - I had started collecting British Victorian uniforms and accessories at that young age, just hadn't the knowledge to let me know that it was, in fact, a British sword (which is what I wanted). I think the thought that it was a fake was stronger than it was somehow at all associated with Judaism - and what country would a 19th century Jewish sword be from? Palestine was an Ottoman territory until after WW1 - so I was confused by what I saw.
@@texasbeast239 why don't you calm down, it's not your business anyway is it?
Star of Remphan
In islamic tradition David is told to be a blacksmith which is interesting
Yeah, that would make sense.
Lots of lies in Islam and the Koran. In Bible record David could not get a sword while he was fleeing from King Saul, and was told to use the sword of Goliath. Somebody who makes swords would have tendency to pick up and use his own sword. I use weapon I made as well.
@@MtRevDr I'm confused, you're saying that if you were fleeing without a sword and told to use the only one lying around, you'd ignore that and hammer out your own instead?
@@adamsbja - How convenient! You fled to a cave without carrying your own sword/s; and voila, there was a great sword you took from your gigantic enemy lying in the cave for you to be told to use it! You took the sword from Goliath but could not remember where you put it. Your companions were aware of that sword there and you were not. How dumb could you get! You placed it in a cave you fled to but did not place or hide your own swords there beforehand. How prophetic!
And yes, I could forge my own sword in a cave.
To start with, I would not flee without my companion sword if I were a swordsman and a swordsmith. Moreover, I would have my tools for my trade. The Bible tells us David was a shepherd. And all of a sudden he was made a prophet and miracle worker hammering swords out with his bare hand! How would it not surprise any Muslim that David could make fire and forge swords, hardening and tempering them bare hand! How amazing is that?!
And all the historical and oral record missed that until you know what . . . . yes, the Koran exposed all these Centuries later! Such Archaeology is more fantastic than magic.
@@MtRevDr Cave? David fled to a nearby town and was given shelter by the High Priest there, who had held onto the sword as a holy relic. Where are you getting a cave from?
Based
He had a Yataghan Yet Again
ironically in Hebrew we call it Shield of David, (we use Star too but Shield is much more common), having a shield on your sword is a bit odd, ain't it.
I thought it was supposed to be a symbol of unbreakable strength. Ie six interlocking bars.
Funny that I always hated blades with proof slugs and stars because I thought it made them look really tacky 😅
I don't hate them so much now, but it still seems a little tacky to me.
Star of chiun
Yata-an. We don't pronounce the g there in Turkish 😜
Doesn't cutting the whole for a proof slug weaken the tested blade?
Islamic art often had a geometric pattern type theme, so I guess it makes sense.
So it is somewhat similar to the old "Ulfberth".
Is the Star of David not originally known as magen ( the shield of) David? I thought it represented a symbol of gods protection over David in battle? Does the Islamic use of this symbol originate with this reference since David is also a prophet (mentioned in the Quran) in Islam, bearing in mind that Islam was founded several hundred years after the time of David / Solomon, or does it predate David?
i saw it on a roman gladius ( larp sword tho) but i guess that i just a load of crap in that case?
Matt.. get it through your head... We like tangents.. lol
The 6 pointed star supposedly dates back to King Solomon. The crescent moon, which today symbolizes Islam, was originally the symbol of Constantinople. After the Ottomans took the city, they adopted the symbol as their own and through the Ottoman Empire the crescent moon became associated with Islam in general.
Sorry, but this is Wikipedia's bullshit. Turks used star and crescent before Islam was even a thing.
This is kind of a late reply but that statement is a little off. The crescent and the star were in use in Turkish and Muslim heraldry way before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. We can see a crescent in tandem with a star on Turkish coinage about 7 centuries before the Ottomans took the city (which is about 3 centuries before Turkish people converted to Islam in meaningful numbers) and even earlier in Iranian architecture and art as a decorating element. The crescent as a religious motif seems to have been adopted or at least popularised in Arabic iconography during the Muslim conquest of Iran which is the likely source of the Eastern Roman adoption of the crescent motif as well. And it's interesting to note that the crescent doesn't feature prominently on the flags/heraldry of Arab nation states founded in the wake of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire as it was likely not seen as an essentially Muslim or Arabic symbol by the Arabian elite of the time.
We want to know more about the "slug",,, what's on it, what's made of etc... and what have you done with your wife ? is she detained in a high tower and guarded by a dragon ?
Too bad Wilkinson didn't make Katzbalgers!
= @ )
I'm really curious to know whether British officers at the time, or perhaps shortly after the time of the introduction of these stars began to associate it with Jews and Judaism, since maybe they didn't all know the history and origin of the symbol's presence on swords. Do we know anything about that? I'm not sure when exactly the symbol became so strongly linked with Judaism in the public mindset, other than that it was presumably before WWII.
The Seal of Solomon was thought to grant control over demons(or the jinn in the islamic world) and it has a very, very interesting history in itself. However, it was not always thought to have included a hexagram as the central component; quite often it was a pentagram instead or other combination of geometric symbols.
Its origin is quite murky, and it was likely either christian or jewish, because the story that is the most likely initial source is a text called "The Testament of Solomon" which was written originally sometimes in the Imperial Roman period, thus predating Islam(at least this is what most of the researchers in the field believe, although some of them argue that the extant form of the text was modified sometimes in the medieval period). Briefly, the story has it that when Solomon started to build his temple, some demon started to give him troubles and, in answer to his prayers for help, the archangel Michael gave him a signet ring which had engraved on it the seal which granted the power to control demons. After this, Solomon subdued several demons and gave them various tasks in order to finish the building of his temple. The story of the "Testament" was quite likely conceived in Roman Egypt, in a period when the christians, the jews and the pagans where frequently in conflict, because it contains a not quite veiled attack to some pagan beliefs and practices of egyptian origin. Among the many deities worshipped by pagans in Egypt where the 36 decans, astral deities that in time became associated with the zodiac(roughly, in mainstream astrology a decan came to represent a third of a zodiac sign - 3x12), deities which in the "Testament" were literally demonized(along with the Pleiades, which became evil demonesses etc.).
Anyway, the story of Solomon written in the "Testament" became hugely popular in all the three abrahamic milieus, the jewish, the christian and later the islamic, and it gave rise to a particular type of magic in which the practitioner tried to emulate the deeds of Solomon using the Seal and a quite particular procedure(which included the drawing of magic circles for protection, the control and often the imprisonment of demons in various recipients, such as bronze or brass vessels etc.). The basic idea was that if Solomon was able to control the demons using the Seal and to make them do construction work on his behalf, so any magical practitioner who knew, of course, the correct procedure, could control the demons in order to achieve different goals(gaining of knowledge, achievement of material wealth, destruction of enemies, things like these, quite mundane usually). And, as a consequence, there appeared a vast "samizdat" literature composed of magical grimoires written in diverse languages, such as byzantine greek(the "Hygromanteia"), latin, hebrew, and later italian, french, english etc. etc.(the arabic relevant literature is less known in the West to this day, unfortunately). In the West this type of illegal, but very popular, literature seems to have exploded in popularity in the XVth century(some scholars attribute this phenomenon to the influx in Italy of byzantine refugees that carried with them copies of the "Hygromanteia" solomonic grimoire).
In Islam the story of Solomon controlling and using the demons/jinn to buid his temples was so popular that it was actually included, in a very brief form, in the Quran itself(in the Surah Saba, for those who would wish to factcheck). Thus the story became canonical for all muslims and, as a consequence, it became the source for many, many folktales having the jinn as important characters(sometimes as baddies, other times not so, because in Islam you have good jinn also, sometimes even jinn that chose to believe in Islam - in the christian world there are no good demons from what I know, much less such a heretical idea like that of practicing christian demons :) ). In particular, two stories from the "Arabian Nights" stand out, namely the "City of Brass"(in which it is related how Suleiman bin Daud/Solomon son of David imprisoned some rebel jinn in brass vesels) and.... the story of Aladdin!!! :) Did you ever wondered, when you were kids, why was the genie/jinn imprisoned in a brass lamp in the first place and by whom?(most likely either Solomon itself or some later "solomonic" magician who tried to emulate the mythical example of the ancient jewish king) :) Taken apart from the wider context(!!) of the "Arabian Nights", the story of Aladdin itself does not present a very visible link with the wider "solomonic" folklore and literature, from what I remember, but if you read it paired with the "City of Brass" the connection is quite obvious.
illuminati confirmed