Hullo everybody,
I haven’t, as yet, posted about that most iconic/well-recognized of Kalimantan’s bush-knives, now generally referred to as ’mandaw / mandau'.
As there are quite a large number of variations of this blade, I thought a brief explanation and a diagram (which I have reconstructed from one I made many moons ago as a memory/communication aid) may be more useful.
Best,
Doekoeh / dukuh :
As people’s swiddens were often some distance away from the settlement, they sometimes constructed huts on their swiddens, where, during their working day, they could rest, have meals, take shelter and on occasions, stay overnight. These huts were known as ‘doekoeh’. The daily tools they used on the swidden became generally known as ‘doekoeh’, particularly the ‘chopper/bush-knife’, which rarely left their side.
(Variation in spelling: duku’, duku, duko etc.)
Mandaw / mandau :
The word originated in central Kalamantan, from an ancient language formerly spoken by a few groups ( such as the Ngadjoe / Biadjoe) but now confined to a small group of individuals . It defined the dual function of the blade: as a daily tool and as an instrument of war.
Mandaws were usually stored in their (communal) houses and only brought out for war or for defence (of the community). They were regarded as sacred objects whose perceived power increased with the prowess ( spiritual/mystical ) of the owner. In time, these objects were handed down and became sacred heirlooms, thus adding to their aura/mystique.
When a pair of blades were made, one was designated ‘female’ and the other ‘male’, with the female one usually being slightly shorter. Male blades were taken to war, while female ones remained for the protection of family/home and ceremonies/rituals.
Not all people had a mandaw as well as a doekoeh. Indeed, sometimes the mandaw and the doekoeh were one and the same. Thus a doekoeh, under the right circumstances, could become a mandaw.
In the beginning, individuals made their own implements; but as settlements grew in size, this was carried out by a local smith.
Today, ‘mandaw’ is accepted as referring to any iconic blade which represents a group’s identity.