Ayudha katti: Difference between revisions

The odi katti is the traditional sword of the [[Kodava people|Kodavas]] {{sfn|Stone|2013|p=84}} The Kodavas inhabit the region of [[Kodagu]] in southwestern India in what is now the state of [[Karnataka]]. The Kodavas have resided in the area for over 2 millennia cultivating paddy fields, maintaining cattle herds and carrying arms during war.<ref name="britannica.com">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/136442/Coorg |title=Coorg (district, India) |encyclopedia=Britannica Online Encyclopedia|access-date=2012-06-01}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=This sentence was originally copy-pasted from a source that wasn't actually cited for it; when a source was requested, the sentence was rewritten to include irrelevant information and was cited to Britannica; but Britannica only verifies the irrelevant material that rice is cultivated in the region -- it doesn't mention the Kodava people, this weapon, or even apparently the irrelevant content about cattle.|date=December 2017}} The invention of the ayudha katti probably started around the 17th-century. It was first invented as an implement used to cut through dense undergrowth.{{sfn|Gahir|Spencer|2006|p=129}} The shape of the blade is similar with the Turkish [[yatagan]] and northern Indian [[sosun pattah]], which indicates that it is related to the Ancient Greek [[kopis]] blade.{{sfn|Gahir|Spencer|2006|p=129}}

During the [[Colonial India|colonial]] period, the British named the region "[[Coorg State|Coorg"]], a corruption of the [[Kannada]] word "kodaga" or "kodagu" meaning "hilly, steep". The word refers to the geographical condition of the region.{{sfn|Ganapathy|1967|p=28}}

The length of the ayudha katti varies greatly. Some ayudha katti can reach up to {{convert|50|cm|inch}} long. There are two known forms of the ayudha katti. The 'war' form is mainly used for melee combat, and the 'prestige' form is worn for daily use. Unlike the prestige form, the war ayudha katti lacks the egg-shaped pommel plate on the base of the hilt. The ayudha katti is one of the rarest of the edged- weapons.{{sfn|Atkinson|2016}}{{better source|date=December 2017}}

The blade of the ayudha katti measures about {{convert|38|cm|inch}} long. The sharpened edge is located on the concave side of the blade. The top (the non-sharpened edge) of the sword is initially concave, then it tapers slightly for about a quarter of the length until it becomes extremely convex, and then it tapers quickly until the point. The widest part of the blade reaches {{convert|9|cm|inch}} wide. The overall shape of ayudha katti is short and quite heavy. The shape somehow resembles the [[moplah (sword)|moplah sword]] used by the Muslim population on the [[Malabar Coast]], although unlike the moplah, the ayudha katti is sharpened only on one side and has no medial ridge.{{sfn|Stone|2013|p=456}} Ayudha katti is mostly a chopping tool, a very common weapon found worldwide. It was used for clearing the forest, as an agricultural tool, as well as melee weapon in war.{{sfn|Atkinson|2016}}{{better source|date=December 2017}}

Ayudha katti is peculiarly worn without a [[scabbard]]. It is typically held in the hand while sitting. Prestige form ayudha katti has a special carrying device consisting of a silver chain that serves as a belt and a large brass ring for hanging the knife in the back of the blade's holder.{{sfn|Atkinson|2016}}{{better source|date=December 2017}}

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*{{cite book |editor1-last=Gahir |editor1-first=Sunita |editor2-last=Spencer |editor2-first=Sharon |date=2006 |title=Weapon - A Visual History of Arms and Armor |location=New York City |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=9780756622107 |ref={{sfnref|Gahir|Spencer|2006}} }}

*{{cite book|first=B. D. |last=Ganapathy |title=Kodavas (Coorgs), their customs and culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xcIAQAAIAAJ|access-date=23 August 2011|year=1967|publisher=copies available at Kodagu}}</ref>