[ham]

Gentlemen,

I think Jim has got the picture quite accurately.
There is no specific reference indicating that the flyssa developed from the yatagan-- it has been said more than once that Islamic/ethnic/tribal etc. arms are interesting for the very fact that they require cogitation to sort out, this is what makes them interesting. I do believe the connection is obvious, however. A quick review of Ottoman provinces in North Africa will reveal a strong and enduring Turkish presence, adding a cultural aspect to the formal evidence where flyssas are concerned.

3 additional points:

1) Note that yatagans virtually never have a backedge, while flyssas virtually always do.

2) Note that the chiselled motifs on one side of Manolo's sword are Turkic, they ultimately derive from Byzantine motifs-- they are not quite the same scrolls one finds on flyssas. These descend from a different motif.

3) For a yatagan to appear with a scabbard which is typically that of a flyssa simply suggests that it saw use in a region where flyssas were mounted. We certainly see this with every other bladeform, particularly kindjals and shamshirs.

Ham