THE TWO MOST COMMON MATERIALS USED TO CARVE DAYAK SWORD HANDLES ARE WOOD AND DEER ANTLER. I HAVE HEARD THAT HUMAN BONE WAS SOMETIMES USED BUT HAVE NOT SEEN AN EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE PROVED, OTHER BONES FROM LARGE ANIMALS COULD HAVE BEEN USED AS WELL. I HAVE NOT SEEN A HANDLE CARVED OUT OF WATER BUFFALOW HORN WHICH IS SURPRIZING AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE BY TRADE IF NOT FOUND LOCALLY IN BORNEO. HORN WAS USED IN QUITE A FEW COUNTRYS IN THE REGION BUT PERHAPS THE DAYAKS FOUND IT UNDESIRABLE FOR SOME REASON.
OTHER BONES AND HORN WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THAT AREA OF THE WORLD WITH BELIEVED MAGICAL POWER WOULD HAVE BEEN TIGER, ELEPHANT, RHINO,SEA MAMMALS,BEAR, CROCODILE AND POSSIBLY LARGE APES.
SOME ANIMALS WERE CONSIDERED SACRED, TABOO, BAD LUCK OR EVIL BY DIFFERENT TRIBES SO WERE NEVER USED OR HUNTED AND AVIODED ENTIRELY.
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