Fun Fact # 314 Kipinga!

 Fun Fact # 314

Kipinga!

While it sounds like something Sheldon might say, the Kipinga is an ancient throwing knife used by the Avongara Clan in modern day Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. When used in combat it would be carried inside a Zande shield and would be thrown from the side (almost like a frisbee) so it would travel at knee height or overhead and became known for it’s habit of breaking through shields.

    Although it would finally fall out of use in the 1920s, production of the weapon lasted until 1988 due to its use as a ceremonial weapon presented for marriage proposals, and official ceremonies. One such occasion was at funerals where it would be thrown at the grave, and pulled out by someone with authority over the deceased. Today they are rare with the weapons rarely seen outside of museums, and Ethiopia’s honor guard. 

(recreation of the Kipinga as seen on the show “Forged In Fire” by the History Channel)