Arabian Traditions

Desert Arabian Horse

The Desert Arabian horse has been bred for over thousands of years for strength, endurance and valour. As a 'working line' breed, the Desert Arabian is bred with function in mind, making it perfect for sports like horseback archery. It stands in contrast to the more commonly known 'show line' Arabian which is primarily bred for a particular beauty ideal (classically represented by a dished face). The Desert Arabian features include: thick neck, wide chest, short back, rounded rump and height under 160cm. Its character is smart, loyal and sensitive. Across the Arabian Peninsula and Bilad as-Sham, there are five main bloodlines: Kuhailan, Obayan, Saglawi, Hamdani & Suwaiti.

Arabian Saluki

The Saluki is a swift and agile breed. It is a type of sighthound, meaning it uses it sight to hunt rather than smell. There is evidence to suggest that Saluki-type dogs have existed in the fertile crescent for thousands of years. The Bedouin consider the Saluki a noble breed and train it for hunting hare and gazelle. Unlike ordinary dogs, the Bedouin do not consider the Saluki as unclean so it is allowed to enter the tent and lie on rugs and cushions.

The Saluki is a sensitive breed. It is extremely loyal to its owner and can be shy with outsiders. It is very intelligence and only selectively obedient!

Traditional Arabian Weaponry

'Rumh' Spear: 'The Uraini'

'Uraini' is an Arabic word that describes a long 'rumh' spear with a pointed tri- or quadri-partate spearhead. The 'Uraan' is the point at the top of the spearhead. The Uraini was the only tri-partate spear and it only formed part of the equipment of a man of high rank. The long 'rumh' spear was used for stabbing and blocking.

'Shilfa' Spear: 'Umm Lisan'

The 'Umm Lisan' was most common type of 'shilfa' spear in the Arabian Peninsula.
The word 'shifa' (spear) is thought by some to be a non-Arabic term, originally from the Hindi language. Others say it is an Arabic language root 'shalf' which means 'to throw'.

The spear is composed of:
- the spearhead made up of the point ('sinaan') and the neck ('unq').
- the shaft ('aesa')
- and the butt ('asfal')

Every Arabian spear can be called a 'shilfa' except for the Uraini spear. That is only known as a 'rumh'.

The 'shilfa' spear was used for stabbing, thrusting or throwing, unlike the longer 'rumh' spear, which was only used for stabbing and blocking.

The Arabian Sword

The sword was the second most significant weapon of the Arabian knight, after the spear. It was made in various countries of the world: India, Yemen, Persia, Turkey ... it was also manufactured in the Najd region of what is now Saudi Arabia.

Originally, the blade was straight and sharp on both sides. Later, the sword would be made curved and sharp on one side (like in this image). The lighter the weight of the sword and the stronger its blade, the better for the fighter. The sword had great meaning in terms of Arab identity, and was no less important than the Desert Arabian horse. It was almost more important among some tribes.

The strongest types of swords were made of Persian steel, also known as Damascus steel, and English steel. The sword in this image is a type called 'al-Musharshar' (the serrated one) or 'Dhou al-Fiqar' (the spiney one) due to its serrated blade.