The Dane gun was originally a type of long-barreled
flintlock
Flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking lock (firearm), ignition mechanism, the first of which appeared in Western Europe in the early 16th century. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism its ...
musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...
imported into
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
by
Dano-Norwegian
Dano-Norwegian (Danish and no, dansk-norsk) was a koiné/mixed language that evolved among the urban elite in Norwegian cities during the later years of the union between the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway (1536/1537–1814). It is from this ...
traders prior to the mid-19th century. The term is now used chiefly by Europeans living along the west African coast to generally describe any indigenously made firearm of this type.
Dane Gun: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
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Local names for these firearms vary from language to language, but are generally something that "seem to mean or imply a 'native gun'".[; Christopherson, "Some Special West African English Words", 210.] They are produced in large numbers by local blacksmiths, and are used mostly for hunting game, replacing traditional weapons such as the bow and spear.
See also
* Danish West India Company
The Danish West India Company () or Danish West IndiaGuinea Company (') was a Denmark–Norway, Dano-Norwegian chartered company that operated out of the colonies in the Danish West Indies. It is estimated that 120,000 Atlantic slave trade, enslav ...
* Osu Castle
Osu Castle (also known as Fort Christiansborg or the Castle) is a castle located in Osu, Ghana on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa.
A substantial fort was built by Denmark-Norway in the 1660s, thereafter the fort changed ownership ...
* Danish slave trade
The Danish-Norwegian slave trade commenced in 1733 and ended in 1807 when the abolition of slaves was announced. The location of the slave trade primarily occurred in the Danish West Indies ( Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, and Saint John) where sla ...
References
Muskets
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
Muzzleloaders
West African culture
Nigerian culture
Danish overseas colonies
African weapons
Firearms of Denmark
Firearms of Norway
Military of the Ashanti Empire
Military history of Denmark
Military history of Norway
Military history of Ghana
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