The mysterious Mandinka saber

[Jim McDougall]

The Mali Empire began in Manding province in about the 13th century. The history of these regions in the Sahara are complex, and not necessarily relevant to my questions.

Just when did the distinctly Mandinka (Manding) saber appear in its well known form? and from what influences"
Further, what is it called?

While it is associated primarily with these Mandinka/Mandingo people in the Mali regions, these people also inhabit West African regions in Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

An example with provenance shows the present form is from the collection of the governor of Mali (then French Sudan) Lt. Col. Joseph Gallieni , circa 1886.

The photo of a tribesman wearing one of these is c. 1907.

We know these are often with European saber blades, most often French, which is of course quite understandable. What is most intriguing is the distinctive leatherwork on the scabbard, guardless hilt, knob pommel, and most perplexing.....the flared scabbard tip.

Across the Sahara, this same distinct scabbard feature is seen with those of the Sudanese kaskara, and seems to have originated with the Funj kingdom of Sennar areas of S. Sudan from around mid 19th c.
Clearly the transSaharan trade networks might account for such diffusion, but which way? where was it first, and as yet, there seems no explanation for the feature.

What in the world were these Mandinka sabers called?
In one reference, it was said the name is fan-ho.

A Fulani man I once knew, from Guinea, told me the sword was 'kota' and that the scabbard was 'holga' (=house).

The top photo is the c1886 example from Gov. Gallieni.
The tribesman c. 1907