Karabela Explained

A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (Polish: [[szabla]]) popular in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polish fencer Wojciech Zabłocki defines a karabela as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.^[1]

Etymology

The word "Polish: karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested.^[2]

• Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres.^[3]
• Around 1670, the karabela (from Turkish word karabela: black bane) evolved, based on Ottoman Janissary kilij sabres; it became the most popular sword-form in the Polish army. During 17th and 18th centuries, curved sabers that evolved from Ottoman kilij were widespread throughout Europe.

Another suggestion is that the name originated from the most popular Seldjuk sword named Kara-bela. Other suggestion is that it’s Turkish town Karabel, in the vicinity of İzmir, or the Karabel district in Crimea.^[4]

See also

• Kilij

Bibliography

• Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz "1000 słów o broni białej i uzbrojeniu ochronnym" MON, Warszawa 1981,
• PWN Leksykon: Wojsko, wojna, broń, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2001,
• Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz: Dzieje szabli w Polsce, Dom Wydawniczy Bellona, Warszawa 1999,

Notes and References

1. [Wojciech Zabłocki]
2. "Bulletin de la Société polonaise de linguistique", vol. 58, p., https://books.google.com/books?id=fwEpAQAAIAAJ&q=karabela
3. [Zygmunt Gloger]
4. Book: An Outline History of Polish Applied Art. Zdzisław Żygulski. Interpress Publisher. 1987. 38.