The mambele consists of an
iron blade with a curved back section and rearward spike. It can be used in close combat as a hatchet or dagger, or more typically as a throwing weapon. It usually consists of four blades, three on top and one on the side. The curved hook was used to keep the weapon in the victim, and if pulled out, caused further damage. It is about in length. These African iron weapons are thrown with a rotatory motion, and can inflict deep wounds with their projecting blades. The mambele is also known as: • Hunga Munga • Danisco by the
Marghi • Goleyo by the
Musgum • Njiga by the
Bagirmi • Kpinga by the
Zande. They were classed as "Court Metal", being produced under the patronage of the
Avongara clan, distributed only to professional warriors, and considered
status symbols. It was also part of the
dowry that a man ought to pay to the bride's family. Soldiers would carry three or four into battle, hidden behind their shields. They were typically thrown at the enemy from away. They vary constantly in form and their use extends across Africa, from the
Upper Nile on the east through Central Africa and over to
Gabon in West Africa. The "musri" or "mouzeri" throwing knife of the
Teda people in the central
Sahara is a variant. In parts of Central Africa these weapons assume the form of a bird's head. These knives reflect the culture of Africa before Western
colonisation, both through their design and use. They can be symmetrical, bulbous, or even multi-pronged. Many are made of rarer and softer materials. These were harder to forge and were a status symbol to their owners. ==See also==