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Originally Posted by Battara
David, the mountain motif is important among Philippine symbols. Bud Bagsak is an extinct volcano right on the Island of Jolo itself (home of the Tausugs who likely made this). However, reference to this volcano is possible, but I am as of yet unaware (and have yet to see evidence of) the connection in symbology to the inlay section near the hilt. If anyone does have research regarding volcano symbolism and its representations in Tausug culture, please let me know. In the meantime, I will check some other sources just in case I missed something.
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Well you may never find "evidence" of this connection José. The Moro kris is obviously the child of the Javanese keris. The Javanese held this connection to the Cosmic Mountain well into the Islamic era, perhaps without even understanding the original Hindu significance. We find representations of it in the keris form in sorsoran placed pamor patterns like Sangga Brja, Raja Kamkam and Batu Lapak, little mountainous pamor forms at the base of the keris. It would not seem unreasonable to me then that certain aspects of symbolism used in Javanese keris transferred to the Moro kris, perhaps without even a full understanding of the original symbolic significance (i.e. Hindu). What, for instance, does the carving of sogokan and the outline around it mean to the Moro? These groves don't have any practical purpose on the blade AFAIK. Moro blades seemed to drop this feature for a time after the "archaic" period, but then there seemed to be a revival of this feature in at least some blades late in the 19th century.
I feel that the information on Javanese symbolism in Alan's treatise may be more germane to this subject then we might think at first.
http://kerisattosanaji.com/INTERPRETATIONPAGE1.html