Editing Swordsmanship (section)

==Africa==
[[File:Relief Sherden Breasted 2.jpg|thumb|Sherden guards with double-edge swords]]

===North Africa===
The sword in [[ancient Egypt]] was known by several names, but most are variations of the words {{Transliteration|egy|sfet}}, {{Transliteration|egy|seft}} or {{Transliteration|egy|nakhtui}}. The earliest bronze swords in the country date back 4000 years. Four types of sword are known to have been used: the ''ma'' or boomerang-sword based on the hunting stick, the ''kat'' or knife-sword, the {{Transliteration|egy|[[khopesh]]}} or falchion based on the sickle, and a fourth form of straight longsword. The {{Transliteration|egy|khopesh}} was used region-wide and is depicted as early as the Sixth Dynasty (3000&nbsp;BC). It was thick-backed and weighted with bronze, sometimes even with gold hilts in the case of pharaohs. The blade may be edged on one or both sides, and was made from copper alloy, bronze, iron, or blue steel. The double-edge grip-tongue sword is believed to have been introduced by the [[Sherden]] and became widely dispersed throughout the [[Near East]]. These swords are of various lengths, and were paired with shields. They had a leaf-shaped blade, and a handle which hollows away at the centre and thickens at each end. Middle Eastern swords became dominant throughout North Africa after the introduction of Islam, after which point swordsmanship in the region becomes that of [[Arabia]]n or [[Middle East]]ern fencing.

===Sub-Saharan Africa===
Among some communities, swords were restricted to royalty or tribal leaders. Forms vary from one area to another, such as the [[billao]] of Somalia, boomerang-sword in [[Niger]] or the single-edge swords of [[Gold Coast (region)|the Gold Coast]]. The Abyssinian [[shotel]] took the form of a large sickle, like the Egyptian khopesh, with a small {{convert|10|cm|abbr=on}} wooden handle. The edge was on the inside of the blade, which has a mid-rib running along its entire length. Double-edge swords similar to those of Europe and ancient Arabia occurred in some areas such as the [[takoba]] and [[kaskara]]. Two types of sword existed in [[Zanzibar]]: the {{convert|30|cm|abbr=on}} shortsword and the standard sword with a blade measuring {{convert|76-90|cm|abbr=on}} had a cylindrical pommel. The latter weapon was wielded with both hands like a quarterstaff.