19th C. koummya, or dagger from Morocco

What is Freedom?

Is freedom the right to think and feel as we please, or does it extend to actions? If it does, then is responsibility for how we act part of freedom’s definition? If it is; then is freedom one idea worth defending or another worth imposing, or both? Philosophical arguments aside, the Berber people of Morocco have a simple definition of freedom. To them, it is the ability to move their sheep from mountain to valley while breathing the clean air.  It is unfettered and practical – and exemplified by a curved dagger called a koummya.

Familiar motifs, like this hamsa, can be seen in the silver accents

This week’s New Arrival features a very special koummya. It reflects the beliefs of the many people’s that have lived in this small area of the world, even though it is distinctly Berber. Look closely at the dagger and you will see a protective hand called a hamsa. Arabs, Jews and Tuareg all used this symbol, but only the Berber attached it to their curved blades, which symbolize a boar’s tusk and their respect for the natural world. This object asks us to consider freedom and the actual name the Berber give themselves – Amazigh – the free people.

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