Karabela

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

Polish karabela, 17th century
Karabela of King Sigismund III of Poland

The word "karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested.[2] For example, Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres.[3] "Kara" means "Black/Dark" and "Bela" means "Trouble/Curse" in Turkish.

Bibliography
  • Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz "1000 słów o broni białej i uzbrojeniu ochronnym" MON, Warszawa 1981, ISBN 83-11-06559-4
  • PWN Leksykon: Wojsko, wojna, broń, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2001, ISBN 978-83-01-13506-5
  • Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz: Dzieje szabli w Polsce, Dom Wydawniczy Bellona, Warszawa 1999, ISBN 83-11-08921-3

References
  1. Wojciech Zabłocki, Cięcia prawdziwą szablą, ISBN 8321726011, p. 12
  2. "Bulletin de la Société polonaise de linguistique", vol. 58 Archived 2014-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, p. ,
  3. Zygmunt Gloger, "Księga rzeczy polskich" 1896, p. 148
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