The shotel is the iconic sickle sword of medieval Abyssinia. It features a doubled edged often semicircular blade that could be used to slash like shamshir or hack and pierce like a sickle or hook. Its origins are shrouded in mystery but some trace its roots to the kingdom of Axum. While others refer to the elite troops of Emperor Amda Seyon the Bashar Shotel. This weapon was put to brutal use during the battle of Adwa against the invading Italian army. 19th-century explorers make reference to shotel being used to hook around shields. In this class, we will be exploring the use of the shotel in conjunction with gashaa (shield). We will be using a number of different sources in order to guide our reconstruction.
Required equipment: Shotel trainer (Street Forge Armoury will provide), buckler, and light sparring gear
