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[QUOTE]Originally posted by zarahan- aka Enrique Cardova: [QB] [QUOTE]Originally posted by Myra Wysinger: [qb] Guns reached the Benin kingdom in the late 16th century ([i]Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-Colonial West Africa[/i] by Robert S. Smith, London, 1976: p.107). [IMG]http://wysinger.homestead.com/flintlock2_op_516x60002.jpg[/IMG] [URL=http://wysinger.homestead.com/beninwarriors.html]Evolution of Benin Military Culture[/URL] [/qb][/QUOTE]Just looked up that reference Myra - excellent! It was standard practice for European merchants to ship defective or obsolete arms to Africa. One account on the Gold Coast says all but 4 out of 50 (92%) of all trade guns at Cape Coast Castle (Ghana) burst on firing. African gunsmiths became skilled in repairing defective guns. The smiths of Samory's Army also were known for their skillz. -quote: "..[the gunsmiths] were skilled in the repair of guns.16 A contemporary observer wrote that Africans on the Gold Coast were able to turn "old guns sold to them that would not fire to such perfection as scarcely ever to miss". --Edward Reynolds 1993 Stand the storm: a history of the Atlantic slave trade Excellent article on your site too Myra, confirming the gun problem noted above, as well as fine detail on arms, armor and equipment. I found the wearing of bells by the Benin infantry interesting for building morale and intimidating foes. I have heard of the usual horns and drums, and war cries, etc and also, among the Zulu- psyching out opponents and filling them with dread by stamping of the feet and whistling to mimic fierce storm and thunder. But bells on each man is a new one on me. Distinctive African styles! Great stuff! [i]Although the warriors had responsibility to own their weapons but in the king’s palace, there was a huge arsenal of iron weapons produced in readiness for war. In the arsenal were bows and arrows, swords and spears. The universal weapon of protection was a big shield, made from hide, wood, and basketwork. It had a curved top and was straight at the bottom - apparently designed to be placed on the ground in order to cover an adult sized man when kneeling. The helmet were worn by senior officers (chiefs) as well as highly decorated warriors (non-commissioned officers). They were made of padded basketwork or of hard crocodile skin and wood. The body armor (which consisted of a top and a bottom reaching down to the knees) was made of quilted ponchos covered with leopard skins, firm enough to prevent the penetration of an arrow or spear. They all carried charms for protective purposes usually keep in a small calabashes (ukokogho) and attached to their war dresses. Warriors also wore protective armlets round their arms. Some used the symbol of 'the sun and moon', which symbolically meant that just as the sun and the moon always reach their destinations in the evening and return the next day, so would the warrior return safely from his campaign. Each warrior wore a quadrangular bell, egogo. The clanging of hundreds of these bells accompanied by blasts by the military hornblowers, increased the psychological impact of the army's approach as they entered enemy territory, and gave them courage. (Plankensteiner 2007: 78 & 409). [/i] [/QB][/QUOTE]
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