Dirk

A dirk is a long-bladed thrusting dagger.[1] Historically, it gained its name from the Highland dirk (Scottish Gaelic dearg) where it was a personal weapon of officers engaged in naval hand-to-hand combat during the Age of Sail[2] as well as the personal sidearm of Highlanders. It was also the traditional sidearm of the Highland Clansman and later used by the officers, pipers, and drummers of Scottish Highland regiments around 1725 to 1800[1] and by Japanese naval officers.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 Highland dirk
* 3 Naval dirk
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Etymology

The term is associated with Scotland in the Early Modern Era, being attested from about 1600. The term was spelled dork or dirk during the 17th century,[4] presumed related to the Danish, Dutch and Swedish dolk, and the German dolch, tolch; from a West Slavic Tillich. The exact etymology is unclear.[5][6][7][8] The modern spelling dirk is probably due to Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary.[9] The term is also used for "dagger" generically, especially in the context of prehistoric daggers such as the Oxborough dirk.

## Highland dirk

Painting of George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon (1770-1836) in highland dress.

The Scottish dirk (also "Highland dirk", Scottish Gaelic: biodag), as a symbolic traditional and ceremonial weapon of the Highland Cathairean (cateran or warrior), is worn by officers, pipers and drummers of Scottish Highland regiments. The development of the Scottish dirk as a weapon is unrelated to that of the naval dirk; it is a modern continuation of the 16th-century ballock or rondel dagger. The traditional Scottish dirk is a probable development from the 16th century but like all medieval societies, the Highlander needed a knife for everyday use. The dirk became symbolic of a Highland man’s honour and oaths were sworn on the steel which was believed to be holy. The following highlights the importance of the dirk in Highland culture:[10]

> The dirk occupies a unique niche in Highland culture and history. Many Highland Scots were too cash-poor to buy a sword, following the Disarming Acts enacted to erode Highland martial insurrections but virtually every male carried a dirk—and carried it everywhere! If in Japan the katana was the soul of the Samurai, in Scotland the dirk was the heart of the Highlander. In many warrior cultures oaths were sworn on one's sword. Among the Gael, however, binding oaths with the force of a geas (involving dire supernatural penalties for breaking such an oath) were sworn on one's dirk. The English, aware of this, used the custom against the Highlanders after Culloden: When Highland dress was prohibited in 1747 those Gael who could not read or sign an oath were required to swear a verbal oath, "in the Irish (Scots Gaelic) tongue and upon the holy iron of their dirks", not to possess any gun, sword, or pistol, or to use tartan: "... and if I do so may I be cursed in my undertakings, family and property, may I be killed in battle as a coward, and lie without burial in a strange land, far from the graves of my forefathers and kindred; may all this come across me if I break my oath."

During the period of proscription, only service in a British regiment permitted Highlanders to bear their traditional arms and dress. The 78th Fraser Highlanders, raised in 1757, wore full highland dress uniform;[11] their equipment was described by Major-General James Stewart in 1780 as including a "musket and broadsword, to which many soldiers added the dirk at their own expense."[11][12]

When worn, the dirk normally hangs by a leather strap known as a "frog" from a dirk belt, which is a wide leather belt having a large, usually ornate buckle, that is worn around the waist with a kilt.[13] Many Scottish dirks carry a smaller knife and fork which fit into compartments on the front of the sheath,[14] and a smaller knife known as a sgian dubh is also worn tucked into the top of the hose when wearing a kilt.[15]

## Naval dirk

Dirk (Polish: Kordzik); an element of uniforms, e.g., of officers in the Polish army air force; 74 × 370 mm, in Muzeum Miniaturowej Sztuki Profesjonalnej Henryk Jan Dominiak in Tychy.[16][17] Japanese WW2 naval dirk

A thrusting weapon, the naval dirk originally functioned as a boarding weapon and as a functional fighting dagger.[2] During the days of sail, midshipmen and officers wore dirks; the daggers gradually evolved into ceremonial weapons and badges of office.[2] In the Royal Navy, the naval dirk is still presented to junior officers; the basic design of the weapon has changed little in the last 500 years.[2]

In the Russian Empire naval dirk (Russian: кортик) became part of the uniform of naval officers and civilian officials in the Navy Ministry. After the October Revolution of 1917, naval dirks were the weapons of naval officers in the Soviet navy. Later, they were also allowed as an element of the dress uniform for army generals and army officers.[18][19] On December 13, 1996, president of the Russian Federation B. N. Yeltsin signed the federal law № 150, which entered into force on July 1, 1997. In accordance with this law, possession of swords, sabres, daggers and other edged and bladed weapons (incl. naval dirks) was prohibited.[20] The arming of naval officers with naval dirks was discontinued. On December 17, 2015, at a press conference with President V. V. Putin, a retired naval captain voiced a request to return to naval officers the right to own a naval dirk as a personal weapon. In March 2017, the State Duma adopted amendments to the legislation, which provided for the restoration of the tradition of wearing naval dirks by naval officers from July 1, 2017 and their wearing with military uniform after retirement.[21] Until November 29, 2021, retired military personnel were required to register their dirks as bladed weapons within 14 days of retiring or being dismissed from military service; on October 26, 2021, the legislation was amended (according to which military personnel of the armed forces, as well as retirees of MVD and all other state paramilitary organizations, are exempt from the need to register their naval dirks and combat knives)[22][23]

Later, it became an element of other uniforms as well, e.g. of officers in the Russian and Polish army (Polish: kordzik) and air force and of the police forces in some[which?] countries.[clarification needed] In the United States, the dirk was introduced by Scottish immigrants in the 1700s. Dirks were originally a single-edged weapon. By 1745, however, the weapon more commonly had a double-edged blade; this makes the dirk more or less synonymous with the dagger. Dirks were often made from old sword blades. In the nineteenth century dirks started to be made with a curved blade, but returned to a straight blade by the end of the century. Some were long enough to be considered a short sword.[24]

## See also

* Sgian-dubh
* Kindjal
* Knife fight
* List of blade materials

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chisholm, Hugh (ed.); "Dagger", Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 O'Brian, Patrick; Men-of-War: Life in Nelson's Navy, New York: W. W. Norton & Co., ISBN 0-393-03858-0 (1974), p. 35.
3. ↑ The imperial Japanese navy, Author Frederick Thomas Jane, Publisher W. Thacker & co., 1904 P.276
4. ↑ Head, T. F.; The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology Oxford University Press (1996) ISBN 0-19-283098-8.
5. ↑ Hoad, T. F.; The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology Oxford University Press (1996) ISBN 0-19-283098-8.
6. ↑ Hensleigh, Wedgwood; A dictionary of English etymology, 1859.
7. ↑ Collins English Dictionary 21st Century Edition Harper Collins (2001) ISBN 0-00-472529-8.
8. ↑ Robinson, M. (ed.) (1985). The Concise Scots Dictionary. Chambers. ISBN 0-08-028491-4.
9. ↑ Johnson, Samuel (1755). A Dictionary of the English Language. 1 (1st ed.). London: W. Strahan. p. 597. http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?page_id=7070&i=597. "Dirk. n. s. [an Earse word.] A kind of dagger used in the Highlands of Scotland. 'In vain thy hungry mountaineers Come forth in all their warlike geers, The shield, the pistol, the dirk, and dagger, In which they daily wont to swagger.' Tickell"
10. ↑ Seago, Dale (1999). The Weapons and Fighting Methods of the Highland Scots: A Study of the Historical Swordsmanship and Warfare Practices of the Scottish Highlanders.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Browne, James; A History of the Highlands and of the Highland Clans, Vol. IV, Edinburgh, Scotland: A. Fullarton & Co. (1838), p. 250.
12. ↑ Grant, James; British Battles on Land and Sea, Vol. II, London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin (1873), p. 82.
13. ↑ Van Witsen, Leo; Costuming for Opera: Who Wears What and Why, Vol. 2, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-8108-2933-9 (1994), p. 133.
14. ↑ Whitelaw, C. E.; Scottish History & Life: Scottish Weapons, Glasgow: James Maclehose & Sons (1902), p. 238.
15. ↑ MacGregor, Geddes; Scotland: An Intimate Portrait (1st ed.), Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., ISBN 0-395-56236-8, ISBN 978-0-395-56236-9 (1980), p. 40.
16. ↑ "Department of White Arm" (in pl). https://muzeumminiaturowejsztukiprofesjonalnejhenrykjandominiak.eu/wp/2015/12/17/dzial-broni-bialej/.
17. ↑ "Dirk" (in pl). https://muzeumminiaturowejsztukiprofesjonalnejhenrykjandominiak.eu/wp/bro1-kordzik-wojsk-lotnictwa-polskiego-nr-2628-z-roku-1972/.
18. ↑ Кортик // Большая Советская Энциклопедия / под ред. А. М. Прохорова. 3-е изд. Том 13. М., «Советская энциклопедия», 1973.
19. ↑ Кортик // Советская военная энциклопедия (в 8 тт.) / под ред. Н. В. Огаркова. том 4. М.: Воениздат, 1979. стр.378
20. ↑ Федеральный закон № 150-ФЗ от 13 декабря 1996 года "Об оружии"
21. ↑ Офицерам ВМФ вернут кортики // телеканал "Звезда" от 17 марта 2017
22. ↑ Госдума закрепила право отставников ВМФ носить кортики без оформления разрешения // ТАСС от 26 октября 2021
23. ↑ Подписан закон, связанный с регулированием вопросов передачи кортиков для пожизненного хранения и ношения офицерам в отставке / официальный интернет-сайт Президента России от 29 ноября 2021
24. ↑ Nicholas J. Johnson, David B. Kopel, George A. Mocsary, E. Gregory Wallace, Donald E. Kilmer. Firearms Law and the Second Amendment: Regulation, Rights, and Policy, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, 2021 ISBN 1543826814.

## External links

* Spotlight: The Scottish Dirk (myArmoury.com article)

* v
* t
* e

Knives and daggers

* List of daggers
* List of blade materials

Kitchen and
table knives|

* Boning
* Bread knife
* Butcher knife
* Butter knife
* Case knife
* Cheese knife
* Chef's knife
* Cleaver
* Electric knife
* Fillet knife
* Grapefruit knife
* Lame
* Mezzaluna
* Parmesan knife
* Pizza cutter
* Splayd
* Steak knife
* Tomato knife
* Japanese kitchen knives
* Deba bōchō
* Maguro bōchō
* Nakiri bōchō
* Santoku
* Sashimi bōchō
* Udon kiri
* Unagisaki hōchō
* Usuba bōchō
* Yanagi ba

Other knives|

* Aircrew Survival Egress Knife
* Athame
* Balisong/Butterfly
* Ballistic
* Ballpoint pen knife
* Bayonet
* Boline
* Bolo
* Boot knife
* Bowie
* Cane knife
* Ceramic knife
* Clip point
* Combat knife
* Commander
* Corvo
* CQC-6
* Deba bōchō
* Diving knife
* Drop point
* Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife
* Gerber Mark II
* Ginsu
* Golok
* Gravity knife
* Guna
* Hacking knife
* Higonokami
* Hunting knife
* Jacob's ladder
* Karambit
* Kard
* Kīla
* Kirpan
* Kitchen knife
* Kukri
* Laguiole knife
* Machete
* Mandau
* Marking knife
* Misericorde
* Mora knife
* Multi-tool
* Navaja
* Neck knife
* Nontron knife
* Opinel knife
* Palette knife
* Pantographic knife
* Parang
* Penknife
* Penny knife
* Pirah
* Pocketknife
* Putty knife
* Puukko
* Rampuri
* Resolza
* Sabatier
* Sami knife
* SARK
* Scalpel
* Seax
* Sgian dubh
* Sharpfinger
* Shiv
* Sliding knife
* Smatchet
* SOG Knife
* Straight razor
* Strider SMF
* Survival knife
* Swiss Army knife
* Switchblade
* Taping knife
* Throwing knife
* Trench knife
* Tumi
* Ulu
* Utility knife
* Warrior knife
* X-Acto
* Yatagan

Daggers|

* Anelace
* Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife
* Arkansas toothpick
* BC-41
* Bagh nakh
* Balarao
* Baselard
* Bichuwa
* Bollock dagger
* Cinquedea
* Dirk
* Ear dagger
* Emeici
* Facón
* French Nail
* Gunong
* Hunting dagger
* Janbiya
* Jile
* Kabutowari
* Kaiken
* Kalis
* Katar
* Khanjali
* Khanjar
* Kris
* Kunai
* Mark I trench knife
* Parrying dagger
* Poignard
* Push dagger
* Rondel dagger
* Seme
* Shobo
* Sica
* Stiletto
* Marine Raider
* V-42
* Tantō
* Yarará Parachute Knife
* Yoroi-dōshi

Manufacturers|

* Aitor Knife Company
* Al Mar Knives
* American Tomahawk Company
* Aritsugu
* Benchmade
* Böker
* Buck Knives
* Camillus Cutlery Company
* Cattaraugus Cutlery Company
* Chris Reeve Knives
* CHROMA Cnife
* Clauss Cutlery Company
* Cold Steel
* Columbia River Knife & Tool
* Cuisinart
* Cutco
* Dalian Hanwei Metal
* Dexter-Russell
* DOVO Solingen
* Due Ancore
* Ek Commando Knife Co.
* EKA
* Emerson Knives
* F. Dick
* Fällkniven
* FAMAE
* Fiskars
* Gerber Legendary Blades
* Füritechnics
* Glock Ges.m.b.H.
* Imperial Schrade
* Ka-Bar
* Kershaw Knives
* KitchenAid
* Korin Japanese Trading Company
* Kyocera
* Leatherman
* Mad Dog Knives
* Marble Arms
* Medford Knife and Tool
* Microtech Knives
* Morseth
* Muela
* Murphy Knives
* Olfa
* Ontario Knife Company
* Opinel
* Randall Made Knives
* Rösle
* Sabatier
* Shun Cutlery
* Slice, Inc.
* SOG Specialty Knives
* Spyderco
* STI Knives
* Strider Knives
* Thiers Issard
* TOPS Knives
* Tramontina
* Victorinox
* W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
* Carl Walther GmbH
* Wenger
* Western Knife Company
* Wilkinson Sword
* Wüsthof
* Yoshida Metal Industry
* Global
* Zero Tolerance Knives
* Zwilling J. A. Henckels

Knifemakers|

* Rex Applegate
* James Black
* Blackie Collins
* John Nelson Cooper
* Ernest Emerson
* Jerry Fisk
* Bill Harsey Jr.
* Phill Hartsfield
* Gil Hibben
* Jimmy Lile
* Bob Loveless
* William F. Moran
* Ken Onion
* Ralph Osterhout
* Bo Randall
* Chris Reeve
* A. G. Russell
* Jody Samson
* William Scagel
* Mike Snody
* Robert Terzuola
* Michael Walker
* Buster Warenski
* Daniel Winkler

Associations|

* American Bladesmith Society
* Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association
* Knifemakers' Guild

* Book:Knives and daggers
* Category:Knives / Daggers

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Engineering:Dirk&oldid=3850683"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template