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Old 1st December 2005, 05:44 PM   #18
LabanTayo
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Location: Kansas City
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel
I was asking the very same question several times already and never got an answer.
Now I know why....
Well, guys, the philosophical musings of the "find your own answer to open your mind" variety just do not cut!
Either we know the answer or we do not.
Either the answer exist or does not.
Either there are different names for the same sword in different dialects or we just call them all "a pigsticker" and go home.
Zonneveld listed several names for the same sword on multiple occasions: this is perfectly legitimate. After all, Persian Qama and Georgian Satevari describe the same weapon and the differences are philological. The generic Arabian Sayf or Turkish Kilic means just "sword", but within those broad categories there are specific weapons.
I just cannot believe that our "Philippino" colleagues can not agree on the proper taxonomy of sansibar, pinuti, binagong etc.
Ariel,
If only the Filipino (correct spelling) swords have been researched and documented as well as the Euro/Indo/Persian swords have been, then all of our questions would have been answered.
Cato tried with Moro swords. We are trying with Visayan swords. But, before we post/publish anything on Visayan swords that state a fact, we need to make sure what the name of any given sword is. What we had once thought to be a Tenegre, is now wrong. We have discovered many other names and are still trying to categorize them by blade shape and locale. We do not want to be hypocritical of ourselves down the road, so we do not offer any new facts until we have proven them to be concrete.

Here's an example:
The sword Robert posted here in this thread.
In Samar/Leyte its called a Sansibar.
Take the same sword to Negros, they will call it a Pinute. Take it to Panay, they will call it a Talibong. Take it to Manila, its a Bolo. Take it to Jolo, its a Parang. Take it to a Gun and Knife show, its now called a Confederate sword or Long Bowie knife. And its the same sword!!!

Ariel, we do not mean to seem snubbish to you or the other Forumites, but thats our situation. We have some of the answers, but need to be sure of them before letting them out. Thats why we have been quiet for a while.
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