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| [Based on the Mosaic from the church of S. Maria Maggiore, Vercelli] | [Based on Capitals of Monreale Cathedral, Palermo, Sicily, 1174 to 1182 AD] | [Based on Cantiga 46] | [Based on Cantiga 63 & Cantiga 99] |
85, 86, 87 & 88. NEGRO SOLDIERS, 12th-13th CENTURIES
Andalusian and North African Berber armies contained large numbers of Negro soldiers, principally infantrymen. They are usually described as carrying 'enormous' hide shields (shape not given but probably round, or elongated like that of figure 76) and broad-bladed stabbing spears. Others were archers (particularly under the Murabits), or slingers accurate with clay pellets to considerable distances. At Sagrajas Ibn Teshufin had a Black Guard of 4,000 Negroes armed with light Indian swords, spears and hippopotamus hide shields. At Alarcos in 1195 al-Mansur likewise had a Black Guard, as did Mohammed abu-'Abd-Allah at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, the latter described as comprising 'huge' Negroes tied together ankle-to-ankle round Mohammed's tent; a 14th century source, the 'Roudh el Khartas', claims they numbered 10-30,000 men. Such guardsmen wore richly decorated clothes and probably at least some would have worn armour.
There seem to be few contemporary representations of Negro soldiers. Figure 85, armed with a sword and a round, decorated hide shield, is taken from a 12th century mosaic in Vercelli Cathedral in North Italy; his similarity to 86, from the capitals of Monreale Cathedral of c.1180 (see note to figures 97-101) would tend to indicate that he is a depiction of one of the African solders to be found amongst the Moslems of Sicily. Figures 87 and 88 are from the 'Cántigas' mss., in which Negro cavalry and infantry both occasionally appear, differing little from their Berber counterparts except that they are usually bareheaded. However, a few wear turbans and under the Murabits some Negro soldiers even wore the litham. In their own armies the majority of Negroes were infantry levies, mainly naked or clothed in skins, armed with bow or spear and shield. Some kings, however, had large numbers of cavalry: Emperor Dunama II of Bornu, for example, is said to have had as many as 30-40,000 horsemen. Armour of mail, iron and quilt, for horses as well as men, was only generally introduced in the Negro kingdoms in the 14th century.
