The Flyssa

[KuKulzA28]

I don't know too much about the Islamic and African world, though I wish I did. However, on the topic of Celts... they were all over Europe in various forms and sub-cultures... the Celitberian and Celtic-influence Lusitani in Iberia, the Caledonians, Iceni, Casse, Cautevellani, and Goidils in The British Isles and Ireland, the Gallic folk in France, the Belgae around the Rhine area... the countless Alpine tribes (not counting independent cultures like the Rhaetians), the Cisalpine Gauls, the eastern Boii, Scordisci, and Lugii, and the Galatians in Greece, Turkey, and Egypt.

The Celts outside of main Europe were there often due to migration and mercenary service. The Anatolian Galatians in Ankyra conquered a chunk of land and then often lent their services as mercenaries to the Greeks and Pontics. The Egyptian Celts were imported there to be mercenaries, given land and slaves and enticed to settle along the Nile, in return for military service. The Carthaginians used Celts as mercenaries as well... and while their favored troops were Iberians, Numidians, and Libyans... they probably had Celts in Carthage...

So the Celts have spread all over the place, and while I'm not educated enough to speak on the Flyssa authoritatively, I know that the Celtic influence is possible geographically... but time-wise... it is not so clear

[Gonzalo G]

!Wow! !It´s amazing what do so many people belive!

[Emanuel]

Here I come back after a year of hiatus and what do I see, the F word right on cue.

Hi Jim, Gonzalo, all, nice to see the flyssa still racking brains and prodding the imagination. Good discussion!
I've always had the impression that the flyssa pommel looks like a camel head wouldn't be far off in the area.

About the archaeological record, I've been spending a good bit of time reading through every French archaeological review on Algeria, and I found nothing about old Kabyle material culture. What I've seen so far focuses almost exclusively on the Classical period and Roman ruins. Will keep looking in time...

All the best,
Emanuel

[katana]

Hi Emanuel,
welcome back .......that picture....you look different.....have you had a hair cut ?

Kind Regards David

[Emanuel]

Thanks David, it's a killer with the ladies

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Emanuel, and really glad to see you back!!! I thought the UFO's got ya!!

As you can see we are indeed still at it, and pretty sure they'll have crop circles, the pyramids, sasquatch etc. all figured out before we get anywhere near a consensus on the flyssa.

Good point on the camel, and that lovely photo pretty much cinches it, that has got to be what that pommel is.

Welcome back Emanuel!

All the best,
Jim

P.S. David...take your pill!

[Emanuel]

Thanks Jim, It's good to be back on familiar ground . It wasn't the ufos, more like me under a rather large rock.

The thing about the camel and the bulging eye is this...I've read a number of accounts from mid-1800s, both French and English, that describe Berbers as not very superstitious in regards to trinkets, in contrast with Arabs. Amulets and the evil eye were apparently not important, rather people were superstitious about things like the time of day when one departed from home, the direction one took, when an action was made, etc...I'm not sure if I ever quoted one such account here, I will look for the book again and share the relevant bit. This is partly why I'm keen on the camel idea.

Emanuel

[Jens Nordlunde]

This could be an answer to one of the Afghan hiltforms – with all the caravans racing past.

Jens

[Gonzalo G]

Originally Posted by katana

Hi Emanuel,
welcome back .......that picture....you look different.....have you had a hair cut ?

Kind Regards David

Hahahaha...and that deep sockets on the eyes...that´s the look of Emanuel when he finshes his sariat on the desert. Well, Emanuel, I feel more sympathy for your explanation than for the idea that, because the hilt suposedly reminds the indian-persian-arab shamshir´s, it is a weapon coming from far east, and at the same time, form the greek machaira. Seems a very very plausible hypothesis. I like it. We can call it "a cameliform hilt".

Gonzalo