Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 27th October 2008, 07:31 PM

I HAVE PONDERED THIS QUESTION ALSO REGARDING THE KAMPILIAN AS WELL AS MORO KRIS. THE FORM OF THE KAMPILIAN MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE DAYAK MANDAU TYPE. BORNEO ALSO HAD CROCODILES WHICH IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH IN THAT AREA, TO EXPLAIN MORE CLEARLY. THE BELIEF SYSTEMS WERE ANIMIST, EVERYTHING HAS A SPIRIT, A RIVER, A MOUNTAIN, LONGHOUSE AS WELL AS ANIMALS MOST SPIRITS AND ASSOCIATED WITH LIFE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE CROCODILES SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO COMMENT FARTHER EXCEPT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT IS A BAD THING AS BOTH LIFE AND DEATH ARE A PART OF THEIR WORLD. WAR AND DEATH ARE ALSO LINKED SO A CROCODILE WITH ITS POWER AND SPIRIT OF DEATH WOULD BE A NATURAL CHOICE FOR A WAR WEAPON.
THE MANDAU IS SHORTER AS A LONG SWORD WOULD NOT SERVE VERY WELL FOR CUTTING OR MOVING THRU THE JUNGLE. OTHER SYMBOLS ARE USUALLY CARVED INTO MANDAU MOSTLY NOT THE CROCODILE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MANY REASONS FOR THESE SYMBOLS BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM.
THE MURUT PACKAYUN IS A LONG WAR SWORD BUT I HAVE NO INFORMATION ON KAMPILIAN IN THEIR AREA WHICH IS INLAND AND MORE MOUNTAINOUS. I SUSPECT THE ORIGIN OF THE KAMPILIAN IS A SEA FARING TRIBE PROBABLY LIVING ALONG THE COAST NEAR RIVERS WHERE CROCODILES WERE PART OF THEIR LIVES. THE MORO MAY HAVE SETTLED IN THESE AREAS AND MADE A LARGER MODIFIED MANDAU USED ONLY FOR WAR AND CARRIED BY THE GAURDS OF THE DATU. THE KAMPILIAN IS A LARGE AND FEARSOME WEAPON USED IN WAR NOT IN DAILY VILLAGE LIFE PERHAPS ONLY ON EXCURSIONS BY SEA OR TO REPEL ATTACKS FROM THE SEA BY WARRIORS WELL TRAINED IN ITS USE.
IT COULD HAVE ORIGINATED IN MANY AREAS UNDER MANY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THE ORIGINAL COULD HAVE BEEN MADE FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES OR BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE BY TRADERS AND MADE MUCH LARGER TO PRESENT TO SOME IMPORTANT CHIEF. ABOUT THE ONLY THING WE CAN SAY FOR SURE IS IT CAME TO BE AFTER TRADE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE REGION AND IRON AND STEEL COULD BE BROUGHT TO TRIBES WHO WERE STILL OPERATING WITH STONE AGE TECKNOLOGY.
JUST MY THOUGHTS ON IT NO SPECIFIC REFRENCES BUT THATS THE BEST I CAN DO UNTIL I GET MY TIME MACHINE WORKING.

27th October 2008, 07:31 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I HAVE PONDERED THIS QUESTION ALSO REGARDING THE KAMPILIAN AS WELL AS MORO KRIS. THE FORM OF THE KAMPILIAN MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE DAYAK MANDAU TYPE. BORNEO ALSO HAD CROCODILES WHICH IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH IN THAT AREA, TO EXPLAIN MORE CLEARLY. THE BELIEF SYSTEMS WERE ANIMIST, EVERYTHING HAS A SPIRIT, A RIVER, A MOUNTAIN, LONGHOUSE AS WELL AS ANIMALS MOST SPIRITS AND ASSOCIATED WITH LIFE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE CROCODILES SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO COMMENT FARTHER EXCEPT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT IS A BAD THING AS BOTH LIFE AND DEATH ARE A PART OF THEIR WORLD. WAR AND DEATH ARE ALSO LINKED SO A CROCODILE WITH ITS POWER AND SPIRIT OF DEATH WOULD BE A NATURAL CHOICE FOR A WAR WEAPON. THE MANDAU IS SHORTER AS A LONG SWORD WOULD NOT SERVE VERY WELL FOR CUTTING OR MOVING THRU THE JUNGLE. OTHER SYMBOLS ARE USUALLY CARVED INTO MANDAU MOSTLY NOT THE CROCODILE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MANY REASONS FOR THESE SYMBOLS BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM. THE MURUT PACKAYUN IS A LONG WAR SWORD BUT I HAVE NO INFORMATION ON KAMPILIAN IN THEIR AREA WHICH IS INLAND AND MORE MOUNTAINOUS. I SUSPECT THE ORIGIN OF THE KAMPILIAN IS A SEA FARING TRIBE PROBABLY LIVING ALONG THE COAST NEAR RIVERS WHERE CROCODILES WERE PART OF THEIR LIVES. THE MORO MAY HAVE SETTLED IN THESE AREAS AND MADE A LARGER MODIFIED MANDAU USED ONLY FOR WAR AND CARRIED BY THE GAURDS OF THE DATU. THE KAMPILIAN IS A LARGE AND FEARSOME WEAPON USED IN WAR NOT IN DAILY VILLAGE LIFE PERHAPS ONLY ON EXCURSIONS BY SEA OR TO REPEL ATTACKS FROM THE SEA BY WARRIORS WELL TRAINED IN ITS USE. IT COULD HAVE ORIGINATED IN MANY AREAS UNDER MANY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THE ORIGINAL COULD HAVE BEEN MADE FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES OR BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE BY TRADERS AND MADE MUCH LARGER TO PRESENT TO SOME IMPORTANT CHIEF. ABOUT THE ONLY THING WE CAN SAY FOR SURE IS IT CAME TO BE AFTER TRADE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE REGION AND IRON AND STEEL COULD BE BROUGHT TO TRIBES WHO WERE STILL OPERATING WITH STONE AGE TECKNOLOGY. JUST MY THOUGHTS ON IT NO SPECIFIC REFRENCES BUT THATS THE BEST I CAN DO UNTIL I GET MY TIME MACHINE WORKING.