The Omani Khanjar

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

there is no flower tribe. Southern Arabs include the wearing of flowers on their heads and sometimes on their necks.

Bedouins often photographed with flowers on their heads are the bedouins of Asir and Tihama and they are not from the same tribe. Its a simple tradition that is not strict to any group.

Otherwise we'd have the egal and ghutra tribe and the turban tribe :-)

As for the daggers, since the flower tribe does not exist, the mythical dagger makers do not too.

Whilst respecting the strict tribal nameology and that there may not be a tribe called the Flower tribe there are many people in the region in the Asir whose livelihood is based on flowers and are famous for wearing flowers about their heads...generically called by accident or design; Flower tribe. The appearance of a Flower Tribe insignia in the form of a bunch of flowers underpins that conjecture. No identifiable insignia exists in Oman with that stamp. The stamp comes from the Asir. I would assume that Saiid The Greats involvement in the region caused by trade both ways from Muscat to Zanzibar was responsible for the transmission. These Khanjars often have names inscribed: ...Yemeni.

However, it is not that simple since http://khanjar.om/Old.html the al Wustah Omani Governate has a Khanjar that is virtually identical to the Dojanni.