| The scimitar is one of the most used weapons in | | | | early Hollywood movies about the Crusades either |
| hollywood and a mainstay stereotype of all Middle | | | | didn't know the history of the weapon and took |
| Eastern warriors. In general, a scimitar can include | | | | their weapons from a sampling of more modern |
| any number of Middle Eastern sword designs such | | | | Middle Eastern warriors, or they didn't feel that |
| as the Indian talwar, Arabic saif, Persian shamsir, | | | | both sides in the battles should use similar |
| and the Turkish kilij. | | | | weapons. Remember, in the early days of |
| There are a number of misconceptions people | | | | Hollywood, the most crucial factor in portraying a |
| have about the scimitar. The first is the origin of | | | | foreign person was the use of exotic accessories. |
| the design. Many people are under the impression | | | | Look at all the early movies where Native |
| that the scimitar design came to be through a | | | | Americans were portrayed by white men, the |
| smooth evolutionary progression from the | | | | only way to make it clear that they were |
| Egyptian khopesh because the khopesh stands | | | | different from the cowboys was by making their |
| out as the most notable curved sword design | | | | gear as different as possible. Similarly, a scimitar |
| native to the Middle East. The khopesh was a | | | | being an exotic, graceful blade very different |
| sword that was two and a half to three feet long | | | | from the stereotypical greatswords of Europe, |
| with a severe curve at the end. It's profile | | | | was something else Hollywood could cling to as a |
| vaguely resembled that of a modern fish-hook. | | | | way of differentiating the Middle Easterners from |
| The blade was sharpened on the outside edge of | | | | the Europeans. Hollywood tends to make it's own |
| the curve. The unique shape of the weapon | | | | parallel version of history. What people don't know |
| enabled it to be used both to strike at lightly | | | | from studying history, they often learn through |
| armored opponents, and to trap their weapon | | | | movies. That is why people of today usually have |
| allowing a strike with another weapon held in the | | | | an image in their minds of the Middle Easterners |
| other hand. The truth about the scimitar's origin is | | | | of the Crusades swarming over the hills |
| that it's design evolved from the Mongol saber, | | | | brandishing their curved blades. |
| which in turn traces it's origin back to the Chinese | | | | The fact that the scimitar is not a terribly |
| broadsword. The extreme curve of the scimitar is | | | | effective design for war is far outweighed by the |
| far more at home among the blades of the orient | | | | popularity of it's aesthetics. The sword was |
| than among the typically straight blades of Middle | | | | difficult to wield, requiring great training to become |
| Eastern origin. | | | | accurate and effective. Also, it is not designed to |
| The second major misconception regarding the | | | | stab, merely to chop and slice. This limits it's use |
| scimitar is that it was carried by the Saracen | | | | against a heavily armored opponent. Regardless, |
| warriors during the crusades. This misconception | | | | thanks to Hollywood and the graceful design of |
| owes it's birth to Hollywood. The truth is that | | | | the blade, itself, the scimitar is and will continue to |
| Saracen warriors who carried swords typically | | | | be one of the most popular additions to any blade |
| used a straight bladed design. The makers of the | | | | collection. |