Kampilan with Bells

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Ian

The significance of these bells on a Maranao sword is something I would like to learn more about. Anyone have any thoughts?

Ian.

Ian, it seems to me that wherever these bells (including tiger bells) exist, they were to ward off evil spirits. In this I would include the Philippines. I can also see these as announcing the arrival of a datu when carried by the datu's sword carrier.

I have also seen more tiger bells on Moro and Bagobo stuff than one would think, also again, they must have been traded by way of China.