Origin of the kampilan?
The first recorded kampilan possibly goes back to the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines -- April 1521. Magellan vs Lapu Lapu. However it is unclear if Lapu Lapu used a kampilan or a cutlass.
Some people attribute the kampilan to the Dayak of Borneo, but I think that it was more likely that the Moro of North Borneo were the originators. I have never seen a kampilan with Dayak designs.
I have done a search here, but found six pages of information and while there must be more information on the origins of kampilans, I don't see it.
I'd sure appreciate some opinions/ideas from our more erudite sword scholars here!
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