Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - unusual african dagger covered in cowrie shells

Jim McDougall · 7th April 2019, 08:19 PM

It does seem like when we enter into these 'hybrid' type pieces, which were inevitable with networks of trade routes which traversed the Sahara, and the movements of tribal groups such as the Berber confederation, the dreaded 'name game' becomes even more impossible.

So reference is made to the Khodami knife or Bou Saadi. ….and wondering what that means, I looked to Bou Saada, which is a region south of Algiers, in the M'Sila province. Often weapons are classified by regions they are common in, so that would seem logical.

But this blade is clearly that of the flyssa, the edged weapon of the tribes in Kabylia, a region in the north of Algeria, in area of Tell Atlas mountains and coastal Mediterranean.

Looking into the term Khodami, it perhaps refers to the Khodam or Djinn, Angelic guardians or helpers in Islamic Magick. This is profoundly out of my range of understanding so I cannot elaborate, but I would merely suggest that the term 'khodami' may refer to such properties in these knives.
I would leave further elucidation to the 'experts'.

So what do we call a knife with blade type and other features of the Kabyle flyssa, but embellished with West African cowrie shells, these elements from considerably distant regions?

Here is a knife which is apparently imbued with talismanic properties of two regions and cultural differences, but joined together as a result of the diffusion of influences via probably trade and intertribal contacts.

Should we call it 'khodmi', as it carries notable talismanic character as noted, or Bou Saadi, in accord with knives of similar size from Algerian and Moroccan regions?
Or should we call it 'flyssa' with West African cowrie shells?

Its like having a 1950 Ford Tudor, and dropping in a Corvette '350' engine. Do we call it a 50 Ford; A chevy; or a Corvette?

Attached is a 'Khodmi' or Bou Saada knife. Artzi had a similar knife to that posted in the orig post with cowrie shells and described as 'flyssa knife with cowrie shells'.
Perhaps that would be most reasonable classification as the flyssa blade predominates the entirety of the knife.

7th April 2019, 08:19 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,940	It does seem like when we enter into these 'hybrid' type pieces, which were inevitable with networks of trade routes which traversed the Sahara, and the movements of tribal groups such as the Berber confederation, the dreaded 'name game' becomes even more impossible. So reference is made to the Khodami knife or Bou Saadi. ….and wondering what that means, I looked to Bou Saada, which is a region south of Algiers, in the M'Sila province. Often weapons are classified by regions they are common in, so that would seem logical. But this blade is clearly that of the flyssa, the edged weapon of the tribes in Kabylia, a region in the north of Algeria, in area of Tell Atlas mountains and coastal Mediterranean. Looking into the term Khodami, it perhaps refers to the Khodam or Djinn, Angelic guardians or helpers in Islamic Magick. This is profoundly out of my range of understanding so I cannot elaborate, but I would merely suggest that the term 'khodami' may refer to such properties in these knives. I would leave further elucidation to the 'experts'. So what do we call a knife with blade type and other features of the Kabyle flyssa, but embellished with West African cowrie shells, these elements from considerably distant regions? Here is a knife which is apparently imbued with talismanic properties of two regions and cultural differences, but joined together as a result of the diffusion of influences via probably trade and intertribal contacts. Should we call it 'khodmi', as it carries notable talismanic character as noted, or Bou Saadi, in accord with knives of similar size from Algerian and Moroccan regions? Or should we call it 'flyssa' with West African cowrie shells? Its like having a 1950 Ford Tudor, and dropping in a Corvette '350' engine. Do we call it a 50 Ford; A chevy; or a Corvette? Attached is a 'Khodmi' or Bou Saada knife. Artzi had a similar knife to that posted in the orig post with cowrie shells and described as 'flyssa knife with cowrie shells'. Perhaps that would be most reasonable classification as the flyssa blade predominates the entirety of the knife. Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 7th April 2019 at 08:35 PM.