Machodoc
Old Guy
I think that we need a thread for interesting gun-related trivia, so I'll start:
We often see an imprinted mark, or crest, on a firearm. We call it a "cartouche," but nobody really seems to know why. After all, those with a background in French realize that "cartouche" literally means "cartridge" -- so what's up with a little symbol or picture on a gun being called a cartridge?
Here's the explanation ...
Napoleon revered and respected the ancient history of Egypt, so when he ventured into the Nile valley, he took with him not only an army of soldiers, but also scholars. He toured nearly all of the tombs and monuments then discovered, having his scholars and their assistants inventory the cultural resources found there.
On the walls of the tombs, and on monuments, the scholars noted peculiar symbols imprinted that became readily recognized as the names of various Pharaohs and others of royal rank. Each of these names was surrounded by an elongated oval shape that symbolized protection for the name. At one end (usually the bottom) was drawn a line perpendicular to the long sides of the oval. These marks were put there as notices to anyone who was considering doing mischief to know that the place and its contents were protected by the Pharaoh ... and that was an extremely stern warning!
The Egyptians referred to these symbols of protected names and places as shenu or shennu, but the French who accompanied Napoleon thought that they reminded them of gun cartridges, and referred to them as "cartouches." That name took hold, and eventually began to be applied to various symbols that might be imprinted on other items--including guns that actually fired "cartouches."
We often see an imprinted mark, or crest, on a firearm. We call it a "cartouche," but nobody really seems to know why. After all, those with a background in French realize that "cartouche" literally means "cartridge" -- so what's up with a little symbol or picture on a gun being called a cartridge?
Here's the explanation ...
Napoleon revered and respected the ancient history of Egypt, so when he ventured into the Nile valley, he took with him not only an army of soldiers, but also scholars. He toured nearly all of the tombs and monuments then discovered, having his scholars and their assistants inventory the cultural resources found there.
On the walls of the tombs, and on monuments, the scholars noted peculiar symbols imprinted that became readily recognized as the names of various Pharaohs and others of royal rank. Each of these names was surrounded by an elongated oval shape that symbolized protection for the name. At one end (usually the bottom) was drawn a line perpendicular to the long sides of the oval. These marks were put there as notices to anyone who was considering doing mischief to know that the place and its contents were protected by the Pharaoh ... and that was an extremely stern warning!
The Egyptians referred to these symbols of protected names and places as shenu or shennu, but the French who accompanied Napoleon thought that they reminded them of gun cartridges, and referred to them as "cartouches." That name took hold, and eventually began to be applied to various symbols that might be imprinted on other items--including guns that actually fired "cartouches."
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