Weapons & Warriors: The Urumi of Kerala

The Urumi is one of the most dangerous weapons to use in the history of weapons, not only for its enemies, but for the wielder himself. This whip-sword was first designed in Southern India where it was known as a Chuttaval (Coiled Sword). As you can see in the video, it is very flexible and quite dangerous. The only downfall of the weapon is, like all other whips, it does not penetrate armor. What makes this whip-like weapon far more deadly than a leather whip is that it is made with steel, flattened into about a three quarters inch to an inch and sharpened like a razor on both edges. The four to six foot blade was often coiled around the waist when not in use, making it quite portable. Women who learned to use this blade would wear it like a fashionable belt.

Art by TL Jeffcoat

This weapon was primarily used when a warrior was surrounded by multiple opponents. The whipping blade made it very difficult to close in on the warrior without receiving some kind of injury. Only the most well trained warriors of the Kalaripayattu martial arts are allowed to practice with this sword. Kalaripayattu is still practiced today in India and the Urumi is as much an art form as it is a combative skill. The Urumi requires perfect concentration and excellent agility as opposed to the strength and power that other swords would benefit from.

The sound of the swinging Urumi makes an intimidating sliding and snapping sound as the blade spins around the warrior. Smart enemies would instinctively retreat out of the range of the weapon when hearing the sounds. The wounds from the Urumi are not as often fatal as many of the other weapons, but they can be extremely painful when the edge slices through unarmored skin. A good whip across an artery or a tendon can make the wound fatal or disabling.

The Urumi is not a weapon you want to wrap around your exposed neck.


I hope you enjoyed this edition of Weapons and Warriors, click here to view the entire catalog of weapons and cultures. Thank you, see you next week.