Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

CharlesS · 2nd February 2014, 06:13 PM

I doubt these were influenced by anything the Moros would have run into from other Pacific cultures, but I wonder if they saw some value in the curved swords of Muslim traders they would have encountered like shamshirs or tulwars? They may also have been influenced by curved European swords. Clearly these were never preferred over the beloved kriss or barong, as they show up so rarely by comparison, but it is interesting that they are seen from time to time, and that in many cases a lot of trouble has been made to "Moro-ize" them. Some even seem to have status mounts.

Based on the few I have seen, they are a Philippine phenomenon and not Malay, but perhaps someone has some evidence otherwise??

2nd February 2014, 06:13 PM	#6
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,855	I doubt these were influenced by anything the Moros would have run into from other Pacific cultures, but I wonder if they saw some value in the curved swords of Muslim traders they would have encountered like shamshirs or tulwars? They may also have been influenced by curved European swords. Clearly these were never preferred over the beloved kriss or barong, as they show up so rarely by comparison, but it is interesting that they are seen from time to time, and that in many cases a lot of trouble has been made to "Moro-ize" them. Some even seem to have status mounts. Based on the few I have seen, they are a Philippine phenomenon and not Malay, but perhaps someone has some evidence otherwise??