Another Most Interesting Parang Nabur/Beladah Belabang
 

This is one of the most unique "naburs" I have seen. Extraordinarily long and saber-like, this one is 37inches/94cms overall. The hilt is horn with brass fittings, and the hardwood scabbard is fitted in brass as well.

The most unique feature is the elongated blade which swells towards the tip where it is artistically pierced.

It feels great in hand, and handles a little different from most "naburs".

Very nice Charles you always amaze me with these finds of yours :) .



Lew

Congratulations!

Beautiful blade and it's interesting with these oversized powerplay(?) swords you see now and then.

Michael

Usually I'm not into parang nabur, but I like this - love the blade engraving! :D

How longer the sword the better the protection?
 

Hi Charles,

Indeed a very long one but I have seen them longer.In the Bronbeek museum I took some 20 years ago this photo.( this was the " old colonial display methode") I don't know the exact length of the two enourmous swords but seen to the latoks above them, they are very very long.
The extreme long sword on the right is a sword what's in their collection for a very long time and has been used as a "sword of faith" or "charm sword" and was carried in the first frontlines. The warriors behind it believed that they where unbeatable and that the sword would protect them.It didn't work.....The sword was captured in 1865 by the Dutch.Most of the weaponery isn't displayed anymore.

Arjan.

source: Gedenkboek Bronbeek 1881

Whoever handled that monster was a stud!

Thanks for that great pic!

Thanks Arjan,

I have a BB close to that in size (almost double the regular BB) and I wasn't sure how it was used.

Michael

Very nice sword. Would this be used from horse back? Does anybody have info on mounted warfare/warriors in South East Asia?

Could we widen this thread?
 

An organised cavalry is clearly not unusual in South East Asia. This picture is mid 20th century. I only have it because I make a lot of horses so I gathered a few horse picture books.

So are these long saber weapon used from horse back? Many may be infantry wewapons. I ask this because I have this weapon-
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=long+piso
-which is really far too long and flexable as an infantry weapon being a 1795 pattern French dragoon saber. The inscription on the back appears to be the first line when you scroll down to- ca 1806 French of Napoleon1 at this site-
http://users.skynet.be/euro-swords/klingenthal.htm
So I would like to know more about cavalry in this region?

Hello Tim,

I also first thought the long BBs might be like a cavalry sword.
But unlike the famous horsemen of Sumba the Malays on the Borneo south coast (around Banjarmasin) didn't use cavalry.
However they of course had horses for individual transportation.
The famous horseman of Borneo are the Bajau in NW Borneo (Sabah), but they don't use the Beladah Belabang.
The Sumba horsemen use their spears when on the horseback, even if they also carry short swords, the Kabeala.

Michael

see for examle http://images.google.nl/imgres?imgur...NL266%26sa%3DN


About the long swords I think in our western opinion a superb long sword has to be made for some handy reason , like cavalry or extra strong slashing or so.But in the eyes of animistic and superstitious people the bigger sized swords may be just used for his enourmous size and so the power whats in it.
Swords in their culture doesn't play only a role in warfare but also in rituals and just as images of power.
Arjan

Arjan,

Thanks for a good explanation. Actually extremely oversized swords are found in classic European regalia too as power symbols.
And animism, as well as superstition, I think could be found among all human, or visible, people. ;)

Michael

IS MINE BIGGER THAN YOURS ?
 

Charles,

I also have a liking for these and have quite a few.

Rumour has it that everything is bigger in the States but perhaps this time we win !!!!! :D

However, This is the largest that I have seen. No scabbard unfortunately. Please forgive the poor photograph, I know it is unusual in England but the big yellow thing in the sky is out at the moment making it hard to get decent photos.


Cheers
Royston

Royston, that's a lovely example with a deep curve and very similar blade style. I like the chieselling and the fetish cartouche.

Seems the blade tip is almsot identical to mine.

Thanks for sharing.

Royston,
That's both large and a beauty!
How long is it?

Michael

BB
 

I guess you cannot enlarge these photos, but if you look at the end of the tape by the hilt, it just touches 38 inches.

Royston

Charles,
The tips are similar although mine is quite blunt and has never been sharpened. I cannot see it ever having been used as a stabbing weapon, which considering the length would have made it more useful. I realise that a curved blade like this would have been designed for slashing, but one would think that a point would give that extra advantage in combat.
Mine is also pierced at the tip with 5 holes which I assume are purely for decoration.

Regards
Royston

Here up North they grow even more - my longest is 45 inch :D

On the tips the Beladah Belabang is of course mainly a slashing weapon.
Especially the longer ones.
But the medium-sized ones are well balanced for a combinaton of thrust and slash attacks.
Here are 2 medium-sized versions of other kind of BB tips and decorative piercing.
I just noticed that Charles' BB has the holes arranged in a tumpal motif (VVV).

Michael

VVV, the piercings are just amazing.....