Zulu Blacksmith Forging Assegai, 19th Century

Zulu blacksmith forging assegai. An assegai or assagai is a pole weapon used for throwing, usually a light spear or javelin made of wood and pointed with iron or fire-hardened tip. Shaka of the Zulu invented a shorter-style spear with a two-foot shaft and which had a larger, broader blade one foot long. This weapon is otherwise known as the iklwa or ixwa, after the sound that was heard as it was withdrawn from the victim's wound. It was used as a stabbing weapon during attacks. Image taken from page 639: The Peoples of the World: being a popular description of the characteristics, condition, and customs of the human family by Robert Brown, 1890

Picture No

12696945

Media ID

47683107

Size

4350px x 3118px (4.7MB)

Credit

British Library/Science Source/Mary Evans