This is an old thread about a mystery machete-like knife with a bifid hilt. They are not common, but they are old enough to be found in Spanish museums that collected them in the 19th C. The knife was eventually identified because the individual holding it in the studio photograph had ear ornaments peculiar to the Ilongot.
Attached to this post is a picture of Ilongot warriors carrying these large knives. The bifurcated ends of the hilts and circular disc guards are clearly visible. That these are Ilongot men is confirmed by the man standing at the right of the picture--the head dress he wears is unique to the Ilongot and is made from a particular hornbill. This head dress can only be worn by a warrior who has taken the head of an enemy. The Ilongot were headhunters until the mid-20th C. when they were finally persuaded by the Philippines Government to stop their headhunting practices.
|