Centipede, Scorpion, or what??

[kino]

I acquired this Barung thru a trade from one of our members. One of my prized. It has a pommel of lovely grained wood inlaid with bone and Karabau horn. The blade is inlaid with brass in the form of a Centipede. Others told me it resembles a scorpion.
Another thought it looked like “seaweed” :shrug: …. could be, but not likely.

Any thoughts or comments?

[Battara]

Interesting - does look like a centipede.......

[VVV]

Nice barong!
I have one with a centipede inlay too and assume that it could symbolise, transfer to the blade,
the poisonous bite of the centipede?
Like how in the Bisayas poisonous spiders are added to the sword blade when tempering it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOf3dor2qg4

Michael

[kino]

Michael, yours have more of a Centipede image than mine. Care to share photos of the whole Barung. It's niiice.

[PenangsangII]

Most likely a centipede - in Morc & Malay cultures, snake and centipede have a place in weapons symbolism - never heard of scorpion being used.

[VVV]

Most likely a centipede - in Morc & Malay cultures, snake and centipede have a place in weapons symbolism - never heard of scorpion being used.

Scorpions are seen now and then as kinatah emas on keris and related weapons from Solo. A famous example is the one in Tropen with a cosmic wheel on the other side. Below is an example from Sumatra.
And the full view of the barong with the centipede inlay (on the other side it has Ali's sword, Solomon's seal and a wild dog (?)).


Michael

[Maurice]

That is a nice barong Michael!

[kino]

WOW! That is a nice Barung, Michael.

[Tim Simmons]

Another reference to the power of the centipede, 3rd paragraph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cakobau

[migueldiaz]

Looks like a centipede (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede) all right.

Am just wondering why in both Kino's & Michael's examples (and maybe it's true for all?), the centipede's head is facing the sword wielder, rather than the enemy? :rolleyes: